The Falcons (4-11) are set to face the Buccaneers (10-5) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
Here’s what Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians had to say to the media Wednesday:
Q: How did running back Ronald Jones and cornerback Carlton Davis look today at practice?
A: “I thought Ro looked good. He’s learning how to handle the (injured) hand, and he caught the ball OK. Carlton got better and better. We’ll take it slow. He’s day to day. He got the limited participation (designation), but he looked OK.”
Q: What were your expectations for (tight end) Rob Gronkowski coming back after being retired for a year? He’s about to play 16 games for the first time since 2011.
A: “He’s exceeded my expectations to tell you the truth. I think he’s gotten better and better. He’s really hitting his stride. (Quarterback) Tom (Brady) and I were actually talking about it in practice today. He ran an over route and it was like, ‘Man, that looks like six or seven years ago.’ He really has taken great care of himself. He’s really exceeded my expectations. Just looks like he’s just starting, going into the playoffs.”
Q: What can you point to for the dramatic drop in your turnovers?
A: “That’s extremely important. Every week, we’ve got to win the turnover battle, that’s for sure. That’s the first thing that we always talk about, protecting the football, protecting the quarterback and then taking it away. I think just everybody knowing each other a little bit more and more each week. It’s not a lot of new things. We are dressing things up, making them look different, and everybody is kind of on the same page now. So, there is no miscommunications. I thought he was going deep. Or he’s breaking in on this coverage. I think everybody is on the same page and it’s really showing.”
Q: The Bucs have gone from 41 turnovers to 16, the fourth lowest in the (NFL). Was that a better drop-off that you could have hoped for?
A: “No, I was hoping for less than that. I think we emphasize ball security with our receivers and our backs. We’ve had a couple of tough ones where we’ve been getting hit off a knee. I’d like to get rid of some of those. But the interceptions, yeah, I think we are in good shape. I knew that we were going to turn them down a bunch and we had to (in order) to go to the playoffs.”
Q: What do you take from facing the Falcons two weeks ago, pertaining to your defense, that you’d like to get corrected for this week?
A: “We’ll try to control (wide receiver) Calvin Ridley a whole lot better than we did in that game and a whole better than Kansas City tried to this past week. He’s on fire right now. If we don’t get to (quarterback) Matt Ryan, they are going to find him. He’s playing at really, really high level. We have to get to Matt Ryan better than we did in the first half of the last game.”
Q: What makes it such a challenge to defend Ridley?
A: “He’s a No. 1 (draft) pick for a reason. He did all of that stuff in college, and he’s learning from one of the best in Julio Jones. I think the sky is the limit for him. He just keeps getting better and better. He looks like a pure No. 1 guy right now.”
Q: What’s clicked for your squad over the last three games to reach 10-5 and make the playoffs?
A: “I think the big thing is protecting the football and taking it away. We’re winning the turnover battle. We’ve eliminated a bunch of penalties. Just playing good discipline ball. I think coming back against Minnesota gave us a bunch of confidence and then obviously that second half in Atlanta when we got things clicking, boiled over to Detroit. We are feeling pretty good. We know the challenge ahead of us in Atlanta right now because these guys are playing really, really good.”
Q: Do you think at some point opponents will stop keeping a running back in to block, in order to stop (linebacker) Devin White from pass rushing so much?
A: “They might want to assign somebody else. I think the big thing is when the guy chips JPP (outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul) or (outside linebacker) Shaq (Barrett), it turns (White) loose. When you are bringing those guys, the back has to block somebody. So, I don’t think they want him on anybody but Devin. They don’t want him on JPP or Shaq, that’s for sure. It’s a good problem to have.”
Q: What can you say about finishing with a top-10 defense and the job that (defensive coordinator) Todd Bowles has done overall?
A: “He’s done a fantastic job. I don’t know if there is a better guy that adjusts at halftime better than Todd. Even during the game. He knows the defense inside and out. He knows what hurts what and how to fix it. He’s done a tremendous job with our guys.”
Q: Can you fathom what Tom Brady is doing at age 43?
A: “No, I really can’t. It’s amazing because when you out there watching him in practice, he kind of looks like he’s 30, maybe 33 at the most. It’s just amazing watching him practice and the way he works so hard and how he’s taking good care of himself. That’s not easy at 43. He’s taken a few shots. Hopefully not too many. He’s getting up and moving on. So, it’s really amazing to me. He’s really a freak of nature in that regard.”
Q: With all the reps you missed with OTAs, is this really Week 7 or 8 in terms of how many repetitions and games they would have?
A: “Yeah, probably. It’s probably around mid-season. Week 8 or 9. But we’ve got things to where we don’t have to answer those questions. Is it Tom’s offense or is it my offense? It’s the Bucs’ offense, and it’s pretty damn good.”
Falcons’ 2021 draft position
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins (via Houston)
4. Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
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