Buccaneers 20 - Vikings 17
A. Tough to lose. We gotta play better. I think turnovers will always make a major difference in a game, so when you have three -- they didn't have any -- you usually don't have to look much further than that. And then we had yards in the first half, but just didn't come away with necessary points, largely because of the turnovers, but the game is always about points and not about yards. I thought our skilled players did a great job today, all the way through the position groups. I thought they played hard, fought for every yard, and made plays. So we gotta turn the page quickly now against a good football team up ahead, and that's where we are. So I'll take any questions you have.
Q. Kirk, was that a bad exchange or did the ball get knocked out of your hand?
A. Yeah. I haven't seen it yet, but felt like it just got knocked out of my hand as I was turning, but I haven't seen it.
Q. A lot was made about this being the second year in the system, second year offensive coordinator. Did it surprise you at all how choppy that offense felt, especially like the first quarter?
A. Yeah, I just think turnovers, honestly. We moved the football on our second drive, went down into the field goal range area and had a third-and-short, and next thing you know it's Tampa's ball. Then the two-minute, go down the field and then turn it over and throw an interception, and had the sac fumble. So I think there's plays to be made out there. I think we're making plays, but when you turn the ball over, you kind of take away those chances to capitalize on them.
Q. What did the Buccaneers do defensively to kind of slow you guys down in the run game and the play action passes?
A. I think they did a variety with their pressures, their coverages. They were a multiple defense today. We moved the football, but turned the ball over, and the game will always be about points. So when you move the football, you're doing good things, but it's gotta end with points, obviously preferably touchdowns, and when you got nothing to show for it, then take away your chance to win the football game.
Q. What do the turnovers do to an offense psychologically?
A. I don't know. I think you kind of flush them and just move forward. So, yeah.
Q. Kirk, based on what you knew about the plan coming in, would you have guessed it was a 40-plus pass type plan? Or I don't know if game circumstances dictated that. Did you think that was kind of the way, the best chance to move the ball and score?
A. I think every game you just kind of take it as it comes, and I don't really have expectations too much going in. Just kind of play the game that's out there to play.
Q. Short week, how much of this film will you watch and how quickly will you progress to the Eagles?
A. You definitely watch it. Try to get together with the guys tomorrow and watch it, and then you gotta move quickly because it is a short week. But you obviously gotta do both. You gotta recover this game and then get ready for the Eagles as fast as possible.
Q. When you have Christian going down, Garrett going earlier. How is that to take one step up, two steps back like that?
A. Yeah. It's part of football. Guys are going to get dinged here and there, and that's where depth is such a big deal, and we have great players. I think Austin Schlottmann did a great job all game handling communication and the snaps and all that a center has to do. So it's part of the game, and that's why you develop that depth.
Q. The interception rate before the half, you were really frustrated after that play.
A. Yeah.
Q. Was it just more of the situation or was there something about the play that you really wanted to have back?
A. Yeah. Just looking back, I would have just progressed to the under route to Jordan, tried to knife it in there, was a little too aggressive, and Jordan is there on the under route, kind of just working through the progression and just keep going.
Q. Kirk, what made you decide there to stick with K.J. rather than saying no to that and going to Jordan?
A. Yeah, it's kind of a long story on the read there. I won't get into it all and bore you with it, but, yeah.
Q. Kirk, I don't know what the snap counts were, but it looked like there were more shotgun today. What was the thought kind of behind that?
A. I don't have a great answer for you. I think just in the flow of the game, that's just what started coming in. I'm pretty comfortable with either.
Q. Kirk, there was a lot of different personnel packages. How did you feel about sort of the general operation of getting a lot of people in and out?
A. I thought it was good. I didn't feel myself up against the play clock very often. I think that's a credit not only to Kevin and his staff for getting the personnel in, but then also the guys, communicating, getting in the huddle, getting out of the huddle. If anything, I would say it was real positive. I would say that was a real positive today.
Q. Were you surprised with any of their defenses or any of their defensive runs because of the issues with injuries and stuff?
A. No. I think they're very multiple. They will bring pressures, and I think they were pretty consistent in their game plan. Once they established it, they kind of played that game most of the game.
Q. On a positive note, what did you think of Jordan Addison?
A. Yeah. He did a great job. If you give me a chance to brag on our skilled players, I always will. I just think Jordan is a phenomenal player. I think K.J. is a phenomenal player. Justin obviously it goes without saying, had another great day today. I think T.J. is outstanding the way he ran some of those choice routes inside today. Josh Oliver is a great player, has done a great job for us. Alex Mattison, I thought ran really well, really hard. The touchdown catch, the play is dead at the roughly four, five-yard line and he finds a way to get us six points. Just an incredible effort. Did the same on a couple other runs. I think Ty Chandler is a great player. So I felt really good about what our skilled guys did today and showed, and it's not a surprise, but my job will always be as a point guard just kind of make sure they're all getting opportunities because now they can help us win.
Q. Those last two series of three-and-outs and you're waiting a long time to get out there and then it's over quickly. Is there anything with either of those that you would like to have back?
A. I think that's kind of what you're going back through. They run together right now, but we had the eight possessions in the first half, and I think we only had ten points, and then the second half only had three possessions. And so the lack of possessions in the second half, you know, you gotta maximize your opportunities. And we did with the one drive, but obviously took up a lot of time, and then the other two three-and-outs, it's not what you want when you only have three possessions in the second half.
Q. The throw to K.J., was that where you wanted it? Were you trying to keep it away from the safety or were you a little behind?
A. Which one was this?
Q. The interception.
A. Oh, yes. Sorry. Well, yeah. I think it's behind him because I see the safety, so I'm trying to stop him with the ball protection and not lead him into a collision. So there was a little bit of trying to stop him.
Q. It seemed like a lot on your rollouts they had guys right in your face. Do you think they did a good job of just identifying that or was there things that execution wise that can be done to get you a little more clear space there?
A. No. I think it's both. I think a couple of the keepers, there were people early, but that's -- a lot of times in a game that tends to happen. And then on the flip side, you had a couple keepers where I'm out there attacking the edge and I'm kind of looking and still can attack because nobody was in my way and one time late I ditched it to T.J. Another time Josh Oliver popped open late. So probably a little bit of both where you got the edge and it's clean, and other times you don't. And many times you don't get the edge, it can still be a real positive play, but that's certainly a challenge with calling keepers is you just never know what that edge is going to be, and you can't predict it, but you gotta be ready to react either way.
Q. Dalvin Cook is not here anymore. Do you think teams taking you on now and what Tampa did today, they assume you can't run the ball anymore?
A. I wouldn't go that far. I think Alex ran really hard today and did a great job and showed what he's capable of, and I think Ty much the same way, and I think a lot of Myles Gaskin. We got guys I have confidence in for sure.
Q. Kirk, Alex does seem to have a good way of just falling forward.
A. Yeah, forward lean, no doubt.
Q. Do you see that as an advantage?
A. Oh, yeah. No, I think it's mindset. It's a talent he has. He knows he has it, and he uses it. They say the mark of a great back is make the first guy miss and how are you after contact, because there's going to be an unblocked player somewhere, and if you make him miss, he doesn't make the tackle, that's where you start to make it about you as a player, and I thought Alex did that today and runs hard, and yeah, I think that we got the skilled players, and that's encouraging.
Q. Kirk, so many one-possession wins. What's it like when you're on the other side of that and you're watching the team kneel down on the sideline?
A. It always hurts losing in this league. It beats you up, and because the margin for error is so small, that's what beats you up is the plays where you know we ought to have made that play and it's a different game if you can make it. And you know that going into the game. You know it's going to come down to a few plays. So that's just the sense of urgency you always have.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports