Q. Jonathan, just wanted to talk to you about the last time you faced Tom Brady; no sacks in that game. Anything that you feel like you can do differently after looking at that to generate more pressure on him?
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, we've been looking. When we were came out of that game after we evaluated it on that Friday, looked and saw things we could have done a better job with.
After game planning these last couple days here we know that he's very hard to get to them, but feel like we're up for the challenge and got some things that we're going to try to do.
Q. I know what you're going to tell me, but I got to ask. There is a report out there that Denver wants to talk to you. Can you confirm that? And when it comes to Tampa - I'll get a Tampa question in as well - how much have they changed offensively without Chris Godwin?
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, I appreciate the question, John. I can't confirm that; my sole focus is on Tampa Bay. What you've seen when Chris got injured, they do a really good job of filling his spot different ways. The production that he had during -- throughout the year, they're filling that up with different people and deploying people in certain ways that they really didn't miss a beat too much.
Obviously we understand he's a really good player, but they're doing a heck of a job of really not missing a beat.
Q. Kind of goes back to what John was saying earlier, but how difficult is it from a defensive coordinator standpoint when it comes to seeing a team before deploy a certain offensive attack with Godwin and Antonio Brown, and then you see different players come in. Do you see possibly a different philosophy offensively from the Buccaneers, and how difficult is it to potentially like face off against that?
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, you can tell through the course of the season where, just like every team, depending on who you're playing and who you have playing for you, where you start to see some minimal changes as you go.
But like I said to John's question, they've adapted and adjusted with the people they have. They're top in the league and it's for a reason. They make good adjustments, they're on the same page, and they execute at a high level.
So do we have to know how they're deploying people and what they're doing as it sits here today in January unlike when we played them? Yeah, absolutely, because that'll go into how we're defending them.
We got to be ready for everything. It's going to a big time challenge.
Q. I think we all know what like Mike Evans brings to the table, but what do the other guys that have filled in do well? Like Tyler Johnson, Darden, sure Perryman, Miller, et cetera?
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, I would say just from a global offensive perspective, the timing of their routes is very, very, very good. The distribution of their concepts is very good. The ball obviously comes out extremely fast, it's on time, and in the passing game, just like on defense, you got to have all 11 executing at a high level.
You see who's out there for them. They all execute at a very high level. Their offensive line is very good. A lot of continuity with their offensive line. Tom is on the same page with all the receivers and backs. They know how to adjust their routes based off coverage. When they call certain concepts, the spacing is spot on, the timing is spot on, and they execute at a high level. Their technique within that is very good.
So that's what sticks out on the tape more than the people. We have they have weapons all over, but is the same page and the continuity and the execution level is very high.
Q. You said you went back right after the Bucs game and reviewed it. How much thought had you given to the possible rematch? I know you're busy week to week, but was that in the back of your head throughout those weeks?
JONATHAN GANNON: That's a good question, Dave. It wasn't for a long time, and then as we got -- you know, kind of as you start seeing the matchups start to take shape who we could possibly play once we knew we were in, you start to give it a little more thought, especially because that was a high probability of one of the teams that we're going to play.
So kind of had in the back of my mind some notes how we played the first time, and you kind of review those notes, watch our game, Hey, this is what we said coming out of that game and you try to learn from it.
Then just go through your process and dive in just like any other week. You use all the tools available that you have and try to set up a good plan, go out, and compete.
Q. We've spoken this year about the philosophy of forcing opponents to try to go on long drives as opposed to the chunk plays. I think the Bucs average ten and a half plays per drive on their four touchdowns drives in that first game. Do you find that approach to be universal, or do you think you need tailor it depending on who the opposing quarterback is?
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, good question. You do need tailor it a little bit, and just as a philosophical team discussion, how we want to set it up, like I talked to you guys about how we set up the game plan and want to play certain teams.
That also goes into the offense and special teams as well. You do absolutely got to tailor it to the quarterback you're playing and the offense that you're playing and how the game is set up from just a global perspective of our team, the Eagles versus the Bucs.
Q. How important has Darius Slay been not just for the secondary, but the defense as a whole. I guess is there anything you've learned about him this season? Is there anything that comes to mind?
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, it's kind of my same answer all the time with him: You know, his football character is extremely high and team-first guy. His skillset allows us to do some things with him that helps the defense.
He's willing to play whatever style we want him to play to be successful that week. It's been an unbelievable year with him being around him, as all of our guys. But he really has been a joy to be around just from the football character standpoint of one of your premium players being team-first.
Q. Keeping on the Slay subject, does his role, importance I guess, change at all with the fact that they don't have Godwin and Antonio Brown anymore? Seem to be like he would be the guy on Mike Evans most of the game, traveling and all that. Do you see that happening at all?
JONATHAN GANNON: Still working through that, you know, but his role -- his importance of his role is always extremely high within our defense when we build a game plan.
Q. I can certainly appreciate you're focused on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but can you confirm when you will interview for the job with Denver? How do you feel about having your name come up and having that opportunity?
JONATHAN GANNON: Oh, Rob, I'll sit down with Howie and Nick and we'll talk about that when the time comes.
Q. On the subject of this Bucs offense, they have this dichotomy where they are towards the top of the league in explosive plays, but not also a lot of negative plays, they get rid of the ball super quickly. How are they able to accomplish both of those things at the same time?
JONATHAN GANNON: Their coaching staff and their quarterback. I mean, flat out. This guy, he's a trained killer and he knows how to play good offense and what he needs to do to keep his offense on track, so it's going to be a big time challenge.
Q. Just ask you about tight ends. Seemed they have been kind of a challenge for this defense. I think 12 or 13 touchdowns, two tight ends, and now you're playing one of the best to do it for such a long time in Gronkowski and Cameron Brate. How difficult is that matchup, and why have tight ends given this defense some trouble along the way this year?
JONATHAN GANNON: Yeah, good question. O.J. Howard, too. He's a good player. First time we played them they didn't have Rob. From Tampa's standpoint it goes into the one question I already answered. It's like those guys, those tight ends are where they need to be at the right time and they get open. They got big catch radiuses. They're hard matchups for anybody. If you have a DB on them or a linebacker on them or when you're in zone coverage he knows his answers, where the ball should go and how quickly.
And for us, I think it's sometimes we're willing to give certain things within each coverage up, but there is no question we got to do a better job controlling that position to be successful.
Q. Where would you say your group has improved the most since week six or so, the first time you played Tampa?
JONATHAN GANNON: Execution.
Q. In what areas?
JONATHAN GANNON: All areas, honestly. The run game, passing game, rush and cover, cover and rush, being in the right spots, winning our leverage side a little bit more.
I've always thought we tackled pretty well. If you look to the Tampa game I don't think we tackled as well as we have in some other games. Some of that was them; some was us.
So just we know to be in this game our execution level has to be high.
Q. I believe this is the fourth time coaching against Brady. I'm sure you've been watching him since he was at Michigan. The teams that have success or a degree of success against him, what do they do well?
JONATHAN GANNON: Get him out of his comfort zone a little bit. I think he doesn't -- he typically has success versus most people, but I do think that we got to be able to get him a little bit out of rhythm with the different tools that we have to do that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports