Todd Bowles & Bryan McClendon On Staying Focused | Bucs Total Access

Reporter Casey Phillips sits down with Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles & Wide Receivers Coach Bryan McClendon after Week 8’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. They talk about empowering the Wide Receiver room and their appreciation of Mike Evans & Chris Godwin’s veteran leadership.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's that three?

Speaker 2 (00:01):
What's the three? This is Buccaneers Total Access with head
coach Todd Bowles, the hell of the job? Going back back,
here's mate field shotgun. Look looks right, I'm about to
left those towards.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Left court Ball Evans at the five. Another three too,
what touchedouts? Have a bay?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
There you go.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Fire the cannons, Mike.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Evins, brought to you by at vent Health. No matter
what helps you feel whole, swimming, laughing, or finding peaceful
moments in your day, at vent Health is here to
support you with world class expertise and whole person care,
because feeling whole always Speakins at AdventHealth dot com.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Fire the Cannons now.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Your host Bocks, team reporter Casey Phillips and head coach
Todd Bowles.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Welcome into the Todd Bowles Show. Casey Phillips here with
head coach Todd Bowles. I know tough loss, but also
and the guy's fought till the very last Hail Mary
at the end of the game, and we know it's
been an emotional.

Speaker 4 (00:58):
Rollercoaster of a few weeks.

Speaker 3 (00:59):
Here the team, What did you learn about your squad
just watching the way they did fight to the end.

Speaker 5 (01:04):
Of that one, well, I know they're gonna fight. You know,
they always fight, and they're always tough, and they're gonna
give us us a chance to win the ball game.
We just got to play smarter. We had situations in
every phase of the ball game where we could have
pulled that out. We got to be smarter in all aspects. Offensively,
probably the false starts and starting first and fifteen first
and twenty and those type of things. Defensively, you'll play

(01:27):
good for spurts and then we'll have a busted covers
or we'll have a mistackle and it ends up in
a big play. We gotta clean that part up. And
special teams had a chance as well. We had a
chance to return a punt. We were one guy away,
so we're right there. We gotta get better at those
type of things. The guys that haven't played before are

(01:47):
getting better and experience wise, and I think that'll help
us as the season progresses. But we gotta start making
less mistakes.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
Looking at the offense, I know, of course, the big
question going in had been what is this going to
look like without Mike and Chris, And you look at
the stats of four hundred and thirty two net yards
of offense, a third consecutive game, generating at least four
hundred yards of offense in the fourth time this season,
and that's the tied for the most in the NFC
and tied for second most in the NFL in that span.

Speaker 4 (02:14):
And one of those games, obviously is without those guys.

Speaker 3 (02:16):
So what did you notice from Liam Cohen's game plan
and what the offense was still able to do without
two of your biggest playmakers.

Speaker 5 (02:22):
I mean they were very crisp. The offensive line block
well in the run game. I thought McMillan, Shephard rocking,
Jarrett Miller. I thought they did a great job. In
the passing game. Kate Otten stepped up and made some
great plays on all three running backs made some plays
from that way. Liam was very creative. He moved the
ball around. We got yards. We just got to finish

(02:43):
it out. The only negative is the turnovers.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, So first of let's I guess go into those
couple are those three turnovers to the fumble and then
the two interceptions, And what you noticed about those different.

Speaker 5 (02:52):
Plays, Funnell, We got to put the ball away. I mean,
like the second player of the game. We got to
put the ball away, gave him good field position. We're
in scoring terror toy. On the other two, guy makes
a heck of a play on the flee flicker, but
we still got to come down and knock that ball
out of there.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Miller's got to get that ball out.

Speaker 5 (03:08):
The third one, I thought if he had to put
some air on it instead of trying to drill it
in there, I thought we'd have had a touchdown. But
we can't turn it over. We're doing great things on offense,
and we can cut that part of it out. I
think we'll be outstanding.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
And then what did you see from Bigger outside of
those interceptions, and what stood out about his game?

Speaker 5 (03:25):
He led the team. He gave us a chance to
win all the way up until the end. He gives
us a chance every week. He prepares, he runs when
he has to, he throws when he has to, He
understands what's at stake, and he upslifts everybody on the sideline.

Speaker 3 (03:38):
And I do feel like he's got a lot of attention,
rightfully so. Running backs have gotten a lot of attention,
rightfully so. But for both of them to succeed, the
offensive line is such a huge part, and it does
feel like they have really gotten to a place of
gelling together and being one of the best units on
this team in recent weeks. What have you seen from
them specifically knowing a little bit more about what they're
being asked to do in the level.

Speaker 4 (03:58):
They've come to.

Speaker 5 (04:00):
It's just the chemistry. I think Carves and Pakuchi do
a great job of making them guys understand what we're
trying to do and what they have to do to
win the ball game. Those guys are responding. They work
at it constantly. Carves as a tireless worker and it
shows on game.

Speaker 3 (04:14):
Day and then nine different players made a catch. Baker
had to throw fifty times, and for the second week
in row, he established a new career high in single
game completions. What did you learn about the depth, especially
of this offense to have so many different guys get
asked to step up in this game.

Speaker 5 (04:33):
We thought we had a lot of depth. Nobody just
saw it before, so until they all had to come
out at one time. We have a lot of depth
at receiver. We think we have some guys that can
make a lot of play. So we're comfortable with the
guys that we have. You know, we just got to
keep working at it.

Speaker 4 (04:47):
You mentioned Kate Oden earlier.

Speaker 3 (04:48):
I mean man nine catches, eighty one yards, two touchdowns,
and of course on National tight End Day, the made
up thing that's Hallmark holiday, but man Caid took it
to heart, passed Oj Howard for the eighth most receptions
by tight end in team history already, and second career
game with multiple receiving touchdowns.

Speaker 4 (05:04):
And it feels like each week we're.

Speaker 3 (05:06):
Just seeing more and more out of Cad and what
he can be to this offense. In this game in particular,
why was this a game that he went off on
so much.

Speaker 5 (05:14):
He was actually running wide receiver routes, not just inside
tight end routes. I mean he was running whips, He
was spinning back inside and they were hitting them, and
he was catching and running with the football. Kaid has
so much to unlock that it's exciting to see him
every week, even when Mike and Chris come back. But
it's exciting to see what he can do and the
things he's starting to do. It is really exciting.

Speaker 4 (05:35):
And take us through his couple touchdowns.

Speaker 5 (05:38):
Oh, like I said, though, the first one he did
a whip. He came back in and Baker hit him
right on the numbers and he scored a heck of
a touchdown. The second one he just was a button hook.
He just turned around and circled it. Baker put it
low and outside, and he makes those sketches all the time.

Speaker 3 (05:52):
As much as you never want to deal with injuries,
especially to your key guys like that, looking at someone
like Kid, as you said, you're unlocking some of these
new different things from him. Guys are getting reps that
wouldn't normally be, that are younger and progressing. Is there
a chance this could end up being a good thing
for the offense in the long term of getting guys
into positions and opportunities they wouldn't have been in.

Speaker 1 (06:10):
I believe it will be.

Speaker 5 (06:12):
It'll give everybody confidence, so if they do have to
play later on the year, they'll step up and make place.

Speaker 3 (06:17):
And then I know Kate is also leading the league
and snaps for tight ends, which you know, similar to
last year. What is it that we don't notice we
see all those like you said, the wide receiver routes,
when he's making all these catches in yards, what do
we not see about him?

Speaker 5 (06:28):
He's blocking? You know, he deals with a lot of
defensive ends and outside linebackers on a daily basis. He
holds his ground. He's very tough in there. He's very smart.
He can position you, he can power you. He understands
the game so well that it just it looks easy.

Speaker 1 (06:44):
I know it's not.

Speaker 5 (06:45):
It takes a lot of work, but he does a
great job at it.

Speaker 4 (06:48):
And you guys were three or three in the red zone.
What went well particularly there?

Speaker 5 (06:53):
Oh, execution, The execution was great. The receivers ran very
good routes. The running backs got us down there, and
he was throwing baked through them in there, and they
did a great job executing.

Speaker 3 (07:02):
Of all the names we had thrown out this week
of who we thought and expected to step up in
the wake of those wide receiver injuries, I don't think
Kim Jarrett really got mentioned as much, maybe just not
knowing coming off the injury what he.

Speaker 4 (07:13):
Was going to look like.

Speaker 3 (07:14):
But man, talk about some big, key splash plays for
you guys, What did he end up meaning to the
offense in this game? And were you even surprised of
how big of an impact he was able to make
having missed so much time.

Speaker 5 (07:25):
I was, and he was huge at the end in
two minutes. You know, usually you get winded about that time,
especially since he hadn't played much, but coming off surgery
and working out, he prepared for the moment. He was
ready for the moment. He made some big catches when
he was healthy, He made some tough catches for us.
And now that he's back healthy, you know, I'm excited
to see where he goes from here.

Speaker 3 (07:46):
And then Trey Palmer and Jalen McMillan going to be
you know, we knew they were going to be.

Speaker 4 (07:50):
Looked at more of these injuries.

Speaker 3 (07:51):
Four catches thirty five yards in a jet suite for
seventeen for Jalen and then two catches for twenty nine
yards for Trey Palmer.

Speaker 4 (07:58):
What did you see from each of those guys?

Speaker 5 (08:00):
I think Jalen's round them into a very good receiver.
His route running is the understanding of the game. His
maturity from when he first started in the beginning of
the seasons has grown leaps and bounds, and he's just
a gamer. He makes plays. When you put him out there,
he's gonna make a play.

Speaker 4 (08:16):
And for each of them, what would you like to
see more of? Again?

Speaker 3 (08:18):
As we talked about them, getting more snaps and more
opportunities during this stretch.

Speaker 5 (08:23):
Just polishing and finishing off, finishing off the top of
their routes, and that'll be big going forward.

Speaker 3 (08:27):
Casey Phillips here with head coach Todd Bowles. All right,
So Bucky nine carries for forty four yards and also
seven catches for forty yards. ESPN's Next Gen Stats said
that he forced a career high nine missed tackles and
has recorded a mistackle for st rate of forty point
six percent this season, which is the second highest among
players with at least thirty touches.

Speaker 4 (08:48):
That's a pretty crazy stat to me have.

Speaker 3 (08:49):
Just how many we've seen him make guys miss, but
to put a number on it like that is pretty incredible.

Speaker 4 (08:55):
What is it about him that makes him so elusive?
When I know every running back out there's trying to
make guys miss? Why is he so good at it?

Speaker 5 (09:02):
His vision and his stop and start. He can stop
and start and get back the full speak quicker than
most people. He can see the field, you know, it's
a gift. It's a gift. Everybody can't do that. He
can see the field, He understands what's getting ready to
happen to him. He can set his blocks up well
and he has a good feel for it.

Speaker 3 (09:21):
And now that we're already kind of almost to the
halfway point of the season, essentially, how have you already
seen him grow as a rookie and changed since he
came in here.

Speaker 5 (09:29):
I don't think he's changed. He's come in the exact
same way. He's the first player in the building. He's
not too far behind me. He's the first player in
the building. He's always the first one sprinting off the
practice field. His study habits are unbelievable. The way he
prepares and the way he plays and the way he
attacks the game. You would think he's been in the
league five years, but he hadn't changed at all. And

(09:51):
I don't want him to.

Speaker 4 (09:52):
That's great. And how about Rashad take us through his
game overall?

Speaker 5 (09:56):
Shot had a very good overall game. Take away to fumble.
He has some good runs in there inside tough. Ronzie
has some great catches. He's scored the touchdown on one
of them. He's very good in past pro. I thought
he played a solid all round game.

Speaker 3 (10:09):
He has three receiving touchdowns now this season, tied for
a single season career high and his eight receiving touchdowns
and seven rushing touchdowns since he entered the league. He's
one of three players in the NFL to hit those benchmarks,
joining Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey. Not bad company to
be in for that stat To see his ability to
have the balance in those areas, and especially now with

(10:29):
the injuries to Mike and Chris, to know how talented
he is at receiving.

Speaker 4 (10:33):
What has that meant to this offense.

Speaker 1 (10:35):
It's been huge.

Speaker 5 (10:36):
I mean, he's a very good all around back and
when he's in there, you never know what you're going
to get, whether it's running, whether it's blocking, whether it's
pass catching, whether.

Speaker 1 (10:42):
It's route running.

Speaker 5 (10:43):
He can do it all and that bodes well for
us and keeping people off balance.

Speaker 3 (10:48):
And Ryan Miller was one of those guys called up,
was out there essentially as the starter in that first
series with a three wide receiver set, three catches for him,
especially one with some contact towards the end.

Speaker 4 (10:57):
Of the game.

Speaker 3 (10:58):
What do you see as the role he'd have moving
forward and what you guys would like to see him contribute.

Speaker 5 (11:03):
Ryan's always going to be in the right spot He's
a tough, gritty receiver. He can block very well, he
has very reliable hands, and he's a very good route runner,
and he can play special team. So going forward, he
can play any of the three positions on the field,
whether it's X, whether it's Z, whether it's the slot.
He can play any of those positions and he fits
a huge role for us.

Speaker 3 (11:23):
I know, you guys finished nine or fourteen on third
down on offense and have the highest third down conversion
rate in the league to this point.

Speaker 4 (11:31):
What has the offense done really well on third down
to move the.

Speaker 5 (11:33):
Sticks, execution, understanding what the defense is trying to do
to him, and then executing.

Speaker 3 (11:39):
I know Baker ninth time this year that he has
scrambled for at least ten yards and has had more
conversions over the last couple of years on third down
scrambles than any other quarterback at that time. How big
of a part has that been of whether he's actually
doing it or the thread of it. How have you
seen that affect even the way that defenses approach the
team and what that can mean for those third down situations.

Speaker 5 (11:59):
I don't think he tried to do it. I think
it's necessary when he starts scrambling and when he sees
an opening, it's great to know he can take it
and still be able.

Speaker 1 (12:06):
To get down.

Speaker 3 (12:07):
So defense, overall, what did you feel like the defense
did well?

Speaker 4 (12:11):
And then what do you mainly wish had gone differently?

Speaker 5 (12:14):
I thought we stopped the run early, and I thought
we knew what was happening to us, and early on
we busted the coverage and then we missed the tackle
and gave him two free touchdowns. It's the four or
five plays that we don't do that ruin everything else
on defense, and that's the part we got to get
cleaned up on.

Speaker 3 (12:31):
I know, you guys forced a couple punts in a
row to open the third quarter, which included a three
and out when they actually had the least three and
outs in the league coming into the game. What adjustments
at halftime or execution changes seemed to happen where that
stretch was going really well?

Speaker 5 (12:45):
Defensively, we're a little more aggressive up front. I think
those guys were getting TFLs, putting them behind the sticks
a little bit, and you know, we got after a
little bit and they kind of put them in, put
them on their heels and.

Speaker 3 (12:56):
Then take us through the safety play and how big
that was at the time of the game.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
That was huge. Izzy came for that.

Speaker 5 (13:02):
Izzy came for a blitz and he came on the
Nathan think he was getting there right when the quarterback
was handing the ball off and caused the fumble. Tried
to get a touchdown, couldn't get the touchdown, but it
got us back in the ball game.

Speaker 3 (13:14):
I know that Izzian was stepping in for Tyke coming
off the concussion protocol and he became the third Buccaneers
defensive back since two thousand and five to record multiple
tackles for lost in a single game. The only other
people to do it Jordan and Antoine back in there.
So what have you seen from Izian? And again, just
having to play so many different roles and positions in

(13:34):
the way, he's able to get some unique stats like that.

Speaker 5 (13:36):
He's huge for us. I mean, you know you're going
to get somebody to plays full speed. You know, you
get somebody who can tackle. You're gonna get somebody who's
gonna make a play one way or the other. And
every time you look up, he's gonna be around the ball.

Speaker 3 (13:49):
I know Antoine's strip play at the goal line did
not count, And I'm not going to get you fined
by asking if you agreed with it or not, so
instead I'll just ask tell me your thoughts on just
what it's like to have a guy like Antwine who
you know can make these kind of plays, always makes
those hustle plays that no one was surprised he was
the guy down there almost getting to stop that touchdown.
What did that play mean and what does it say

(14:10):
about him?

Speaker 5 (14:10):
It's a great example to the younger guys as well
as the older guys that the play is never over
till it's over. And to see a guy like that
hustling since he's gotten in the league, playing and play
out it doesn't matter. He tries to finish every football
play and that's encouraging to see. Didn't have a good
enough angle to see whether it was out or not,
so you know, it kind of stood as it was.

Speaker 4 (14:32):
Oh, what are the challenges of covering a guy like
Kyle Pitts.

Speaker 5 (14:37):
It's tall, just making sure you're in position, and we
got to get him down when he catches the ball.
I think we let him out the gate twice. Meriwether
fell down one time, then we missed the tackle for
him to get to the other touchdown. He can catch it,
but you got to eliminate the yak yards or something
we tried to do, and we didn't get that done
in the first half.

Speaker 3 (14:53):
Looking at some of the chunk plays that the defense
gave up, did it seem like a consistent theme that
was happening with those or was it different things?

Speaker 5 (14:59):
Each time one was a mistackle, one we fell down.

Speaker 3 (15:03):
How about the defensive lines game, what stood out to
you about their performance?

Speaker 5 (15:07):
They started out playing to run well. Beata's very tough
on the inside to handle. Collijah plays fast and he
can make a lot of plays. And I thought Logan
from a run game standpoint, I thought he played very
well and he got better in that aspect of it.
And he's a little bit more in the pass game
from time to time. But the outside backers kind of
took care of the edge a lot. Got to learn
how to play the chips in the passing game a

(15:28):
little bit better than we played them and work our
games a little better.

Speaker 4 (15:31):
But you know, those guys that come along, I know CJ.

Speaker 3 (15:34):
Brewer definitely stepped up in his role. Three tackles, two
for loss, A couple of sacks, a couple of quarterback hits.

Speaker 4 (15:41):
What did you see about the way he stepped up?

Speaker 3 (15:42):
And that's given you the idea of, you know, knowing
he was someone you could trust to put in there
in those situations.

Speaker 5 (15:47):
Game's not too big for him. CJ studies. He's a study.
He's a studier. He makes sure he's prepared no matter what.
When he gets in the ball game and he's Johnny
on the spot, he makes plays.

Speaker 3 (15:58):
I know we saw that one play where Levante and
Antoine really got after Cousins on a blitz. Overall, how
did you feel about the pressure you guys were able
to bring and just you know, trying to game plan
against offense like that, the role that pressure needs to play.

Speaker 5 (16:11):
And when we brought it, I thought we were fine.
We didn't bring enough, We didn't get a chance to
bring enough. They got a lead and kind of start
running the football on us. So we were trying to
do run pressures more or less. But when we were
in position to pressure and pressure, I thought they were well.

Speaker 3 (16:25):
So Tyrek Funderberg played most, you know, the first half,
and then you brought Josh Hazen in the second half.
Tell me about each of their performances and also what
went into that decision.

Speaker 5 (16:33):
Tyreek had a rough first half. He missed some plays
here and there, he missed some tackles so and him
and Hayes were neck and neck anyway, So we decided
to give Hayes a shot. Different type of player. He
played aggressive, he played hard, he didn't give up anything.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
And then take us through the decision on the fake punt.
What made you guys decide to go for that?

Speaker 5 (16:53):
It was fourth and three, it was a look we
were trying to get and so we can run the
fake punt.

Speaker 1 (16:57):
We didn't get the look.

Speaker 5 (16:58):
We probably should have gotten out of it, and we
didn't get out of it and it kind of cost us.

Speaker 3 (17:03):
Let's look ahead to this Monday night football game. I
know that's a tough place to play out in Arrowhead.
What are the things that's going to make you guys
really work on, focus on and potentially alter Knowing that
that's an allowed atmosphere.

Speaker 5 (17:15):
Well, that being a very loud atmosphere and us getting
false starts, that's going to be critical for us to
stay on side and make sure we can move the
football defensively. They got Chris Jones, we got to deal with.
He's a different type of animal. They play very well
on defense. They have two good corners. They're tough upfront,
so offensively, it's going to be a challenge defensively. Patrick Mahomes,

(17:36):
Travis Kelce. That kind of says it all. We got
a lot of speed on the outside, so we got
our work cut out for us. They don't beat themselves,
so we can't beat ourselves to give us a chance
to win.

Speaker 3 (17:46):
When you look at someone like Patrick Mahomes, who can
play the game very differently from so many other people,
and he's someone you guys don't always face very often.
It's not like he's in your division or someone you're
playing a ton to get used to that, what are
the biggest things defensively that you have to focus on
and that you tell guys who maybe especially haven't faced
him yet.

Speaker 5 (18:04):
You got to make sure he does a great job
at ball fakes. You know, he can flash the ball
in front of your face and not throw it and
people jump and he takes off and runs. He can
get the ball out of his hand quick he can
get it through any tight spot and that makes it tough.
He's very accurate on the run and in the pocket
and he understands he understands where he is on the
field at all time. So everybody's got to be sharp.

Speaker 3 (18:25):
Now that we are at the closest thing, we have
to sort of a halfway point, now that.

Speaker 4 (18:28):
It's not an even number of games.

Speaker 3 (18:30):
What are the biggest things that you now would say
you know about your team at this point.

Speaker 5 (18:35):
I know we're tough, I know we'll fight, and I
know we'll be in every game. We just got to
eliminate some of the small things to help us get over.

Speaker 3 (18:41):
The hop So what would be one or two things
that you would want to see the second half that
would show you that those things have been addressed.

Speaker 5 (18:48):
The false starts have to go down, definitely, and the
mistackles and some of the communication issues have to go
down in the defense.

Speaker 3 (18:56):
There's been several different types of adversity recently for this team.
It was injuries, the Hurricanes, some tough losses. What have
you learned through this point in your career as a
head coach about coaching through adversity and how it is
similar or different to how you approach coaching any.

Speaker 4 (19:10):
Other day.

Speaker 5 (19:13):
That's going to be adversity. It's how you handle it,
how you work at it, and how you come out
of it. You can't be successful without adversity. So we're
facing some adversity right now, and then there are other
teams in the league facing that as well. But how
we handle it ourselves within the locker room, on the
practice field, and how we go out to the games
is how successful will be.

Speaker 3 (19:32):
And then finally, what are the things about having two
money night football games so close to each other?

Speaker 4 (19:37):
What are the pros and cons of that?

Speaker 5 (19:40):
Pros are you get a longer week you can next
rest day. The cons of that, you get a shorter
week the next week and you got to prepare for
a game.

Speaker 3 (19:46):
All right, well, coach, thank you so much for your
time as always, and good luck this next week.

Speaker 1 (19:49):
Thank you.

Speaker 3 (19:50):
Coming up next on Buccaneers Total Access, we'll have wide
receiver coach Brian McLendon.

Speaker 4 (19:53):
Brought to you by advan Health. This is Buccaneers Radio.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
Buccaneers Total Access brought to you by advent Health. Look,
Jarrett Golf, Bill high Snapp, there comes a pressure peace
sacked in the back fielding the thirty one yard line.
Levonte David shoots like a watching and Gottie Phill hie
A Dwopping Now more with Bucks team reporter Casey Phillips.

Speaker 3 (20:12):
Welcome back into Buccaneers Total Access. First half of the
show we had head coach Todd Bowles. Now, I am
so excited to be joined by wide receiver coach Brian mclinnon.

Speaker 1 (20:19):
Coach, thanks for being with us, Thank you for having me.

Speaker 4 (20:22):
Oh man, I know this past few weeks.

Speaker 3 (20:23):
Has probably been a bit of a whirlwind for you.
Will get more into your position room in a little bit.
For now, I just wanted to talk about this game,
just kind of the big takeaways for you guys on
the offensive side of.

Speaker 1 (20:33):
Things this week.

Speaker 6 (20:34):
Yeah, well, I think Coach Bowles hitting on the head
when he said it best, is that it's hard to
play against yourself and the other team. And I feel
like there's a lot of good that's done out there,
but the good can't be overshadowed by some of the
things that you do to hurt yourselves. And sometimes that's
that's kind of the mode that we've gotten into us
certain points. But you know, the high the highs are

(20:57):
the highs, the lows are the lows, either way it goes.
We just got to get back to work and kind
of make sure that we're not going out there and
the Bucks don't.

Speaker 1 (21:04):
Beat the Bucks.

Speaker 3 (21:05):
I'll think about how you know, it's Liam Cohen first
year here as the coordinator, and you're getting into it
in the rhythm, it felt like things were really starting
to click and flow and the run game and getting
a lot of different people involved.

Speaker 4 (21:15):
Then you lose Mike and Chris.

Speaker 3 (21:16):
You got to rewrite everything because as much as you say,
next man up, no one is Mike and no one
is Chris. Right, So to see what you guys were
able to do in this game, you know, nine different
guys making a reception, Baker throwing fifty times and gets
a new career high and single game completions and three
hundred and thirty yards. I mean, what did this say
about just the offensive depth Baker, Liam.

Speaker 4 (21:36):
Cohen, all of that.

Speaker 6 (21:37):
Yeah, I think it says a lot about a lot
of different people from It starts at the top, you know,
I mean the upper level of everything putting together the
roster that that's here of talented guys that can step
in and be able to do their job and do
their part when they're asked upon it. You said that nobody,
nobody will be able to the field the shoes that

(21:57):
Chris and Mike has left, but just the trust that
everyone has and the guys that are in the building,
you know, whether it be theo'll see or whether it
be the position coach, and whether it be the players
that go out there and put it all the life.
And I think that's what it says the most part,
for the most part. But you know, like I said,
at the end of the day, we've got to make
sure that we don't go out there and do things
that hurt us.

Speaker 1 (22:18):
Over there as well.

Speaker 6 (22:19):
But there was a lot of good to be said
that there are a lot of good to be seen
out there, and we just got to make sure that
that that stands out more so than some.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
Of the other stuff.

Speaker 3 (22:28):
I know, one of those things that went well three
of three in the red zone. That's always a great
stat not settling for three and getting seven, and what
really went well in that area in.

Speaker 6 (22:36):
Particularly well one we were able to run the ball,
us being able to run the ball and those guys
having to play that part of the game.

Speaker 1 (22:43):
That helped out a lot.

Speaker 6 (22:44):
And then thought, you know, Liam, the rest of the
offensive staff did a really good job of putting together
a good plan and the guys really going out there
and putting into life and going out there and executed
because they're the ones that got to go out there
and do it. So I think that they did a
great job of grasping what we were trying to get
done over here this week. You know, like I said,
when it comes to the plan and everything else, we
know it changed from week to week, and I feel

(23:05):
like those guys, you know, took hold of everything that
we were trying to ask those guys to do and
went out there and executed and made the plays when
it was asapaham, how much.

Speaker 4 (23:14):
Did have to change?

Speaker 3 (23:15):
And a it's a short week already, so that I'm
sure was a super fun addition to it. And again
as we talked about the difference in next man up,
but they're not the same type of guy, how much
did you guys have to adjust and change this week?

Speaker 1 (23:28):
It was a good bit. It was a good bit.

Speaker 6 (23:31):
But those guys, I tell you what, were very, very
vigilant and wanted to know what to do, wanted to
know how to improve, and wanted to know how they
could do their part to the best of their ability
so they can go out there and be a big
part of the piece of why you would be successful
over there in any part of the game plan. And
I thought they did an unbelievable job of that.

Speaker 1 (23:51):
So because it.

Speaker 6 (23:53):
Wasn't just the guys in my room that had to
take on a different role. It was the guys in
the tight end room. You know, you look at the
game that Kate had, he had a good game aim
and you know, the different personnels that we're putting out
there and putting different people out there, as far as
putting extra running backs out there, some those guys had
to take on a different role. So Baker having to
go out there and being able to kind of orchestrate
all of that stuff, and you know the old line,

(24:14):
you know, at different asking those guys do different things
as well.

Speaker 1 (24:18):
So it was just it was a team effort when
it comes to it, and I thought, like I said,
for the most part, man, those guys did.

Speaker 6 (24:24):
A great job of going in there adjusting everything and
putting all that stuff together.

Speaker 3 (24:28):
We're talking to wide receiver coach Brian McClinton, and I
know you guys talk all the time about the idea
of chemistry between a quarterback and a wide receiver, and
that that's a hard thing to try to speed along.

Speaker 4 (24:37):
That there's kind of a it's something a lot of
times only time will solve.

Speaker 3 (24:41):
How did you try to speed that up for some
of these guys that haven't been the ones the twos
getting nearly as many reps in practice or games.

Speaker 6 (24:47):
Sure, Well, that's that's the challenging part, you know, because
you got guys like like ra Kim Jared who's kind
of been out with been on our then just now
coming back and kind of starting get starting back, getting
phased in the things and just trying to make up
for that lost time with even if it's they're not
in and those guys are over there trying to get.

Speaker 1 (25:05):
Extra throws and extra steps and extra.

Speaker 6 (25:08):
Things right now, man to try to try to get
caught up to speed in that regard, and you know,
asking Trade to go and do do a number of
different things, asking j Max to do a number of
different things. So, like I said, it's even though they
might have been out there, they might have been doing
it at a different spot or doing it a different way.
And uh, that's that's the little intricacies that that kind
of go into practice, and that's why you practice and

(25:28):
that's why you got to go out there and work
hard to perfect those things.

Speaker 1 (25:31):
But like I said, I mean, it's it comes with
the business part of it too, you know.

Speaker 6 (25:36):
I mean it's football is football is as much as
uh as much as the good stuff comes with the
main injuries happen, you know, and so it's the reality
of it. So I mean, you got to you gotta
make sure that those guys are flexible enough to go
in there and being able to do those different things
and and up to the task when it's when they're
asked upon it.

Speaker 4 (25:54):
I know.

Speaker 3 (25:54):
Also, you guys finished nine or fourteen on third down,
and this season overall, you guys have the highest third
down person in the league. What has gone well in
that area all season long, and then to be able
to continue again with a different game plan this last game.

Speaker 1 (26:07):
Well, to be good on third down, you gotta be
good on first and second down.

Speaker 6 (26:10):
You know, it's hard to get third and forever, you know,
And so anytime that you're that you're staying ahead of
change and staying ahead of schedule, so to speak. That
that means you're being efficient on first and second down.
And that's probably been the biggest telltale sign of us
being able to be good on third down as of
right now. So we got to do keep doing a

(26:30):
good job of that and not creating those negative plays.
But when we could stay out our own way, you know,
and and not and not do things that hurt us
to put us in those negative play situations, then you
know we're normally pretty good.

Speaker 3 (26:43):
How did you feel like both Trey Palmer and Jalen
McMillan handled this game, knowing that they were gonna the
guys that were gonna be shouldering a lot of that
wide receiver load.

Speaker 4 (26:50):
How they handled it this week?

Speaker 6 (26:51):
I thought they handled it great. I think they're ready
for any step that needs to be taken. But really
being able just to kind of narrow their focus was
was a big goal of mine. And hey, we're not
gonna look at the grand scheme of things. We're just
gonna look at today. You know, we're gonna we're gonna
go out there, We're gonna be as good as we
can be today, you know, make sure we're better than yesterday,

(27:11):
and keep taking those same steps day by day until
you get the game day. And uh, those guys grasp
that really really well, And they were able to kind
of lock in and not get caught up in the all, well,
I gotta do this now, I gotta do this now.

Speaker 1 (27:23):
Now you don't have to do that. You just gotta
be good, good today. And uh and and after that.

Speaker 6 (27:28):
Uh, Like I said, when they when they had that approach,
I felt like and not just him, you know, it
was Ryan Miller, it was Rakeem, Jareded, it was you know,
it was it was Sheep. You know, those guys made
because all those guys got put in different roles. And
so I think that I think the room in general
we're able to handle that very very well by not
getting caught up into the broader scope of things and

(27:49):
just kind of, like I said, they're on their focus
on what they need to do at that At that.

Speaker 3 (27:52):
Particular time, I thought, Kim Jarrett, what a game for him?
Like you mentioned of, it's these other guys at least
have been playing. Yeah, this guys coming off IR and
came in and just made these incredible chunk plays, key moments, big,
big time plays. He did not look like someone who
had been on IR for a while. So tell me,
did you expect that?

Speaker 4 (28:10):
Had you seen that already in his little practice window
or for even you were you.

Speaker 6 (28:13):
Like, dang, Well, everybody's been really excited about him, you know,
since he's been here, and he's kind of flashed some
different things. You know, he's been nagged and it's been
hurt by nagging injuries last year a little bit this year,
and so you were hoping that he was able to
kind of go come back in and pick back up
where he left off at and he's shown that he's
been able to do that.

Speaker 1 (28:34):
Now.

Speaker 6 (28:35):
You know, my the biggest struggle didn't want to go
out there and overload him too soon and go from
zero to one hundred, you know, in a week. So
just making sure that we're really smart with and and
facing him back in in that regard. But was really
excited about him. I remember when I was in college,
I was recruiting him and obviously I didn't get him,
but uh but uh, but known about his talent and

(28:55):
his ability for a long long time, so to be
able to coach him and being able to kind of
keep bringing bringing him along with his development, I'm really
excited about that.

Speaker 4 (29:03):
So what are those things about him that made you
want him back then and again now?

Speaker 6 (29:06):
Well, first of all, he is a very very competitive guy. Okay,
all right, he likes to compete. He does a really
good job of judging and tracking the ball on some
of those deep balls and things like that, like the
ones you saw him go up there and go and
get and he actually, man, he has a really good
he has a really good knack for making plays once

(29:26):
he has a ball in his hand also, which that's
some of the stuff that you can't coach. And so
I'm like, all right, if we could test tighten up
some of this other stuff and then you know, let
his natural billity be able to take over.

Speaker 1 (29:36):
But I mean, but he's a very mean, tough.

Speaker 6 (29:38):
Guy, doesn't mind blocking, doesn't mind going in there, man,
being a part of the run front and everything else
as well. And so just like I said, just really
excited about having him back and you know, being able
to continue his development in that regard.

Speaker 1 (29:51):
I know.

Speaker 3 (29:52):
Ryan Miller another one you mentioned, getting called up out
there as a starter in the first series with the
three wide receiver set after being mainly practice squad guy
for a while.

Speaker 4 (30:00):
What did you see from him taking this big step
in a much bigger role.

Speaker 6 (30:03):
Yeah, the thing that Ryan does, he's a guy you
can trust in knowing what to do, very very smart,
doesn't mind being physical as well. But he's a guy
that you can put in at any one of the
receiver spots and you feel confident that he knows what
to do and he knows he's gonna be able to
do what these coach would do over there in that regard.
So he's a guy that you can trust out there, man,
with the responsibility of knowing what to do and knowing

(30:24):
how to do it and uh, and you can and
you can move him around.

Speaker 1 (30:28):
He's not just limited just playing the X or the
Z or even the eff at that and that in
that regard.

Speaker 6 (30:33):
So it really helps out with just being able to
give you quality depth over there at any position. So
you're like, all right, man, if this guy's not in Ryan,
you can be Ryan can be this guy. Or if
this guy's not in there, okay, Ryan can be this
guy over there also. So him learning that and him
being able to show that throughout practice and throughout training
camp and even throughout OTA's and all those stuff. Man,

(30:54):
that's what gives you the confidence and that ability for
him to be able to do that. And that's that's
why when he had this uppportunity to be able to
come in and get called up. You knew what you
were gonna get from him, and so that was probably
the biggest ability that he has, is his dependability.

Speaker 3 (31:09):
Looking at the last drive, I mean, that's a tall
order to try to get a touchdown with that little
time you know on the clock. But what is now
in hindsight some of the things you feel, like the
offense learned, your guys learned about a game winning a
tenth situation like that.

Speaker 6 (31:21):
Sure, I think when you look back at it, it's
really uncanny. We got Coach Bowles scripted a situation very
very similar to that in practice earlier that week, and
so you know, the one thing it does show is that,
hey man, there's a reason for why you do things
throughout the week. And so I thought that was really

(31:44):
really uncanny when all the guys were like, hey man,
this is just like the situation that we were in.
So guys really had confidence in knowing what was gonna
be called, what they expect right now from those guys,
what they expect tempo wise, and what they expect to
do right now for to try to save time and
everything else on the clock. So you know, I think
the biggest thing that showed is that, hey, man, this

(32:05):
the stuff you do throughout the week is kind of
you know, we're preparing you for something. And I thought
that was a great job by Coach Bowles putting us
in that situation during practice.

Speaker 3 (32:13):
And how about just the message to your guys now
of once Mike and Chris went down, what that message
was like, Now after they've gotten a weekend.

Speaker 4 (32:23):
Here, what are the biggest things that you're communicating to
your room.

Speaker 1 (32:26):
Yeah, it's still a long way to go.

Speaker 6 (32:28):
Each week brings its own new challenges, right, And if
you look back at all the stuff that we did good,
there's a lot of things that we got to make
sure that we're improving on and and that needs to
be the focus. So I mean, every day is an
opportunity that you get to improve on those things and
making sure that you know that you're upholding your end
or the bargain when it comes to what you asked

(32:49):
to do out there within the offense. And like I said, man,
we're gonna look at it day by day and practice
by practice and moment of the day. If it's a meeting,
if it's a walk through, if it's a practice and
that needs to be the funs.

Speaker 1 (33:00):
It doesn't need to be on anything else.

Speaker 3 (33:02):
All Right, We're gonna take a quick break here on
Buccaneers Total Access. We were talking to wide receiver coach
Brian Mclinton. Brought to you by Advan Health. This is
Buccaneers Radio.

Speaker 2 (33:09):
Buccaneers Total Access with head coach Todd Bowles. Now continues
brought to you by ad Van Health.

Speaker 4 (33:15):
Welcome back into Buccaneers Total Access. First half the show
we had head coach Todd Bowles.

Speaker 3 (33:19):
Now I'm excited to be joined by wide receiver coach
Brian Mclinton and coach, I'd love to hear just a
little bit about your background, that first year guy here
in Tampa. Let some of the fans hear about how
you got to this point and what made you want to.

Speaker 4 (33:30):
Take this job.

Speaker 6 (33:32):
You know, well, starting out, I grew up in Atlanta,
played my college Baldy University of Georgia Go Dogs, and
actually went and had a couple of coffee with Chicago
Bears once I was done playing professionally. That's when I
got into coaching over there under the head coach that
have recruited me and everything else. On the Mark Rick,
great guy, still talk to him to this day, have

(33:53):
a great relationship with him. And he got me into
coaching him and Mike Bobo, who's back over there at
Georgia right now. And I got into coaching in two
thousand and seven, and I was actually at the University
of Georgia for nine years straight from then until twenty
fifteen when coach Rick got let go, got a chance
to be the interim head coach there between when coach
Rick got let go, when Kirby Smart got there, and

(34:15):
so after I left there, I had a chance to
go to South Carolina to be the offensive coordinated core
offensive coordinated over there for a couple of years, and
then being an offensive coordinator on the will much champ.
So I was there for four years and then went
from there to University of Oregon for two and then
ended up back over there at the University of Georgia.
Got a chance to win the national championship and everything

(34:36):
else over there, back in my alma mater, and had
a bunch of opportunities, quite honestly, to make that to
make the jump over there to the NFL over over
a lot of those years, and for one reason or another,
just just haddened. And then and when Coach Bowles gave
me a call and Liam reached out to me this
year about it, you know, it was another It was

(34:58):
one of a few other opportunities that I got. And
to be quite honest with you, just to be able
to work with coach bowls, work on the coach bowls
and being able to work in the room that that
I was.

Speaker 1 (35:08):
I was really excited about the room that I'll be
able to coach, you know.

Speaker 6 (35:11):
Going over there and coaching Mike and coaching coaching Chris
Godwin and you know, guys like that.

Speaker 1 (35:16):
That's what excited me the most in this opportunity. So
jumped at it.

Speaker 6 (35:20):
And U I mean just feel like, you know, really
really blessed to be here, To be honest with you,
those guys bless me way more than I do them.
And just just enjoying every day right now I'm been
working with those guys and being in the building.

Speaker 3 (35:32):
Yeah, I imagine most people get a call on hear
Mike Evis christodwhen they say sold, that is a very
easy selling point there. So when you knew that they
were going to be here, I'm sure that again was
a huge selling point. What did you already know about
them prior to getting a chance to actually be their coach?

Speaker 6 (35:46):
Well, you know, coming from the college ranks, you knew
how great they were at that level.

Speaker 1 (35:50):
To be quite honest with you, coaching in college, you
don't see a.

Speaker 6 (35:54):
Lot of pro ball, You really don't, because you're doing
a lot of working on that Sunday preparing for the
next opponent, and so, but you you know about it.
So you kind of go and you do all do
all your research and looking at the guys and everything else,
and then you, you know, you pull the stuff up.
You know, obviously you knew they were great players, and
you look at the three four consecutive years of Chris
getting a thousand and ten years straight, the might get

(36:15):
in the thousand, and you're like, all.

Speaker 1 (36:16):
Right, mall these guys, these guys do it.

Speaker 6 (36:18):
And then you know people who've coached them, you know,
people in the building, and they just tell you the
type of human beings they are, because that's that's one
of the most important parts of it, you know, because
at the end of the day, game day is really
just one day, you know, but you work with them
every single day up until that point, so you want
to make sure that that they're the right type of people.

Speaker 1 (36:36):
Also, and so and my kids I got I have
three children.

Speaker 6 (36:39):
And they're they're huge football fans that they that they
they they love coming up and meeting the guys and
getting to know those guys and everything else and and
knowing that they're player and the people that they that
they that they are. Man, it's you feel excited about
your family meeting them and stuff like that. Also, so
uh that that was the biggest thing that really.

Speaker 1 (36:57):
Sold me on it.

Speaker 3 (36:58):
Yeah, that whole don't meet your heroes does not apply
to Mike, and like you've got to meet those guys
and they know they are that great. I always wondered
when you are coaching someone who is so good at
what they do, like you're coaching Lebron, you're coaching like
you're coaching Mike Evans.

Speaker 4 (37:12):
Are there times that you're like, what do I say
to this person?

Speaker 1 (37:15):
You know? What is that play? For?

Speaker 6 (37:17):
The biggest thing was is you know, Mike, both of
those guys want to be coached the.

Speaker 1 (37:25):
Awesome, which is awesome. They they know that there's improvement
in it.

Speaker 6 (37:29):
In every day there's an improvement to be trying to
get taken every single rep and they want the feedback,
you know, and I'm not gonna be the one that's
not gonna uphold my end of the bargain.

Speaker 1 (37:40):
I'm in.

Speaker 6 (37:40):
My first conversation with all those guys is like, hey man, look,
you guys are great players.

Speaker 1 (37:45):
I get it, but you know, at the end of
the day, I'm your coach. You know what I mean.

Speaker 6 (37:48):
My job is to make you make you the best
that you can be. And uh, and they are like, absolutely,
you know what I mean. It's it's they're not gonna
get somebody that's just gonna tell them, y, it's a
good job right now all the time. If there's something
and that's not bad, it's my job to tell him
it's bad so we can get it improved on. And
that's what those guys want, you know. They want to
be great, they want to be improved. They want the

(38:09):
improvement every single day, and they want to know if
it's not if it's not right, hey man, tell me
what I need to do to get this right. And
that's what's the most impressive about those two guys who
have accomplished all the things that they've accomplished, and to
be the players that they are, that they understand that,
you know that there's a process to being great, and
they want to get held accountable right now to U

(38:30):
polling area right now doing everything within that process.

Speaker 4 (38:33):
We're talking to White receiver coach Brian Clinton.

Speaker 3 (38:35):
So for Chris in particular, I think we'd all been
really excited prior to the season and thinking what is
this year going to look like for him in Liam's
scheme and back in that slot more, And then it
definitely paid off. It was what all of us had
been kind of thinking all this about to be his year.
We hate that, especially the injury coming when he was
thriving so much. Tell us why he was thriving in
this scheme and in the slot. What are the things
about him and this offense that just meshed so well? Well?

Speaker 6 (38:57):
I think, you know, Chris is just his disposition as
a football player is what helps him in this in
this system so much has asked upon in that position
to to to be a part of the run game,
to be a part of protection sometimes, to be a
part of, uh, you know, fixing things when it comes
to formationally and checks and everything else when it comes

(39:18):
to that, and uh, just his as his approach right
now to every single day, you know what I mean.
The guy takes meticulous notes. The guy, like I said,
I mean, if there is anything right now that can
be approved on, he wants to he wants to do it,
you know. And the thing is with Chris is you
have to be careful what you tell him because he's
gonna do what you tell him. You're gonna he's gonna

(39:38):
do with these coaches, absolutely, and so it may it
makes it makes the coaches around him have to be
at their best also because it's like, you know, no,
you know what I mean, I coach him to do that,
So that's why he's doing it. And so uh, I mean,
he just brings the best out of everybody, everybody in
the room, the coaches, just everybody in the organization.

Speaker 1 (39:58):
The same thing with Mike.

Speaker 6 (39:59):
But but the thing that that really just like I said,
that that probably marries him best of what we're doing
right now is his disposition as a football player to
go in there and you know, be the tough guy
to go in there and don't not mind fitting up
on linebackers and defensive ends and then can go out
there and and kind of be able to get open
on the nickels and the safeties and everything else.

Speaker 1 (40:19):
Man that kind of that that gets matched up with him.

Speaker 6 (40:21):
You know, having Mike out there helps out a lot too,
you know, because a lot of times some of their
top cover guy kind of follows Mike around and that
leaves whoever else on Chris that he can take advantage
of some So, I mean, I think, you know, it's
not just that it's the marriage of having the pieces
right now around him over there also is what benefits him.

Speaker 1 (40:40):
But you know a lot of the hard work and
everything else that he puts into every day, that's that's why,
that's why he gets the results that he gets.

Speaker 3 (40:47):
What are the hardest individual parts of who Mike is
and who Chris is to replace on the field.

Speaker 6 (40:54):
You know, the thing is having those guys out there,
like having coaches out there on the field. You know,
if something wasn't just right, you know, they could fix
it out there within those two and you know, you
they'll come and say, hey, coach, look, you know this happened.
This happened, so we did this, And I'm like, all right,
sounds good. I mean, that's that's what I would have
told you to do, you know, And so those but

(41:15):
that's probably the biggest thing that you miss right now
from those guys, and and just having that common force.
You know, sometimes those guys were relied upon so much too. Man,
if anything's not going good, one of.

Speaker 1 (41:28):
Them guys would make a play, you know.

Speaker 6 (41:30):
And so that was probably my biggest fear as a
coach going into you know, last game of going and
just just like okay, man, hey, those guys aren't out there.
You guys got to be the one that's gonna make
the play, you know what I mean. There's no more
waiting on Michael Chris right now to go out there
and figure it out, you know, and so you know,
you guys are gonna make it. And like I said,
I mean those guys and there was no sense of

(41:52):
that at all, you know, on Sunday, you know, those
guys went out there and.

Speaker 1 (41:55):
They took right to it. So but that was that's
probably the biggest thing that you missed most.

Speaker 3 (42:00):
And you mentioned the kind of people they are and
that they're just and especially I feel like for a
wide receiver room because we all hear the stereotypes right
about the divas, about the you know, and they could
not be further from all those stereotypes. How have you
seen that affect the next generations of wide receivers When
those are the guys that there are the vets that
they're working.

Speaker 6 (42:19):
There's nothing like your your your best players, me and
your best people.

Speaker 1 (42:24):
You know, there's nothing like it. There's no replacing that.

Speaker 6 (42:26):
There's nothing you could do to say, hey man, when
they're the hardest working, when they you know, take the
right notes, they take the right steps, they're all you know,
I mean, they're all they're detailed, they're all the stuff
you want your best players to be. When they when
they're that, that makes it very very easy to say,
hey man, well look you see these guys right here,
they're doing it and you see the results that they're getting.

Speaker 1 (42:46):
So I mean, just being great examples right now. I mean,
and they are vocal.

Speaker 6 (42:51):
They come out and they say hey man, guys, you know,
and try to and and and they're vocal leaders over
there also. But the biggest way that they lead is
by example. And because there's not there, there's no there's
no replace in that part of it.

Speaker 3 (43:02):
All right, we're gonna take one more quick break here
on Buccaneers Total Access. We'll be back with one more
segment with wide receiver coach Brian mclindon, brought to you
by Advent Health, as is Buccaneers Radio.

Speaker 2 (43:11):
Buccaneers Total Access with head coach Todd Bowles now continues,
brought to you by ad Van Health.

Speaker 4 (43:17):
Welcome back into Buccaneers Total Access.

Speaker 3 (43:19):
I'm joined by Wide Receivers coach Brian mclindon.

Speaker 4 (43:22):
So we've talked about all of us being in Morning
of Coasts. Of course we're losing Mike and Chris. I'm
sure for you it was a dark moment as well.

Speaker 3 (43:29):
But like you said, you guys got a lot of
great guys on this roster and wanted to dive into
them just a little bit more. Tell me about Trey
Palmer and what you knew about him coming in and
his biggest skill set.

Speaker 6 (43:38):
No known about Trey for a minute, like I said,
you know, coming up through the college ranks and when
he was over there even at LSU before you end
up transferring over there to Nebraska. And no, no, his
uh college coach really well, which college coach, Mickey Joseph
is a really really good coach. So I got a
chance to reach out to him taking a job and
I mean obviously. Man, the biggest attribute that he loves

(43:59):
about Trey and that everybody loves about Trade is how
is how well he can run. You know, That's that's
one thing that you can't coach. I mean, he's a
fast guy, really really explosive, but betrays a guy man
who learns really well. Also, I mean he's, uh, you know,
he's a guy that's kind of been forced to have
to play both of the outside spots for us man
for one reason or another, just to be in one

(44:19):
be able to take take advantage of the skill set
that he has, and and two out of necessity obviously
right now man through uh, through injuries and everything else.
And he's and he's done a really good job right
now that part of it as well. So just really
proud about you know, the growth that he's had and
just you know, just understanding that, hey, everything's not a
everything's not a race. Even though you're fast, everything's not

(44:40):
a race. You know, you know, play fast, but be
under control and everything be under control also. So I mean,
but just you know, his continued growth right now in
that area. But I mean that's the biggest attribute that
that you love about him. It's just his ability to
be able to create explosive plays for you and where
you're not having to go eight nine, ten plays over
there in the road and to potentially go one of
to and get him the ball and he can create

(45:01):
explosive play.

Speaker 3 (45:02):
How says chemistry with Baker at this point, because I know,
especially with explosive plays, talk about how important the timing
is and the chemistry is for that and the anticipation
of what they're gonna do and where they're going to be.

Speaker 4 (45:12):
Where do they stand on that?

Speaker 1 (45:13):
Yeah, I think I think it all goes into the
practice part of it. You know, I think all of those.

Speaker 6 (45:19):
Guys would to be honest with you man, that they
have good chemistry right now with Baker just because the
one way shape or form they've had to go and
they've had to rep get a lot of reps with them.
You know, Jay Mack and Trey, you know, both of
those guys been repping with Baker ever since you know,
Phase one, phase two, phase three stuff. So I mean
it's you know, those guys got a lot of bank

(45:40):
reps over there at it. And like I said, I
think that helps out a lot man in a situation
like right now where you got Okay, maybe you got
a bunch of bank reps that you can go in
and say.

Speaker 1 (45:48):
Hey, this is just like we did with you over
there during OTAs.

Speaker 3 (45:52):
Does that also mean that in your mind, as much
as we would never vote to not have micro Chris available,
that this could ultimately be a good thing for the
franchise moving forward to let a lot of these guys
get reps. Have you seen where this could be something
that suddenly guys are able to go to another level?

Speaker 1 (46:07):
Well, I'll say this, I know that there's nothing like
game reps.

Speaker 6 (46:11):
You know, as much as you try to simulate and
practice guys, getting these actual game reps definitely helps everybody.
You know, And like I said, you hate the circumstance
and which is taking place, but shoot, man, you know
they're bumps and bruises associated right now playing football. So
I mean, I think you know, all of those guys
understanding that they got to be ready and understand it

(46:33):
right now. I'm in the importance of Hey man, those
reps that you do get in practice. This is right now, man,
what's working towards and everything else. So, like I said,
those game reps, so those guys are getting I think
it's advantageous especially for us right now, man, moving forward,
even when you do get those guys back and whenever,
whenever that is and then and at the end of
the day, it does give you more quality depth because
now you know there are guys over there that have

(46:54):
played X amount of game reps over here, and they
know what it's like to They know what it's like
right now to go out there and and then and
then play full speed and know what, know how those
things right now can turn in the winter and.

Speaker 3 (47:05):
Losing and then we're talking about to see your coach,
Brian Mclinton. Same thing with Jalen McMillan. Tell me what
stood out to you looking at his college tape and
you guys choosing to bring.

Speaker 4 (47:13):
Him in here.

Speaker 6 (47:14):
Yeah, I think the one thing that that you loved
about j Mack was just his He he's just a
very very natural route runner, has very natural hands, judging
tracks the ball really really well, but just I mean,
very very smooth.

Speaker 1 (47:28):
And his transition plays on balance a lot.

Speaker 6 (47:31):
That doesn't take him a lot to have to change
direction and everything else when it when he's going full
speed one way, and man, he could put his foot
and the ground take one of two steps and be
full speed in another direction. And so those are the
things you look at as a as a as a
guy say all right, man, you know, can I develop
this guy's a route runner? Can the guy does he
have the bill Billy be able to go out there
and get open and beat man the man, Because in

(47:52):
critical situations, that's kind of what you're gonna get. Uh,
for the most part, you're gonna get some you know,
get man the man the third down and in the
red area. So you gotta have that, you feel confident
that have the ability to go out there and do
those things.

Speaker 1 (48:03):
And he kind of displayed he displayed a lot of
that during his college take What was it that.

Speaker 3 (48:07):
He was doing specifically in preseason that we just heard
his praises being sung all the time in terms of
training camp in preseason and Baker seemed to just be
loving him, especially a lot of those practices we got
to see, and then it felt like regular season there
was a little bit of a drop off in their
connection with each other. I know there's one play on
Sunday where it looked like there was a bit of
a miscommunication of where he was going. Sure, what seems

(48:28):
to be the thing in preseason that was clicking so
well that then maybe.

Speaker 4 (48:31):
Has dropped off a little bit.

Speaker 6 (48:32):
Well, I think you know, during during pre season it
was the thing, the thing that everyone fell in love
with with j Mac along with that ability, I mean,
he's a competitor to you know, goes out there, man,
he kind of gets he gives you juice, He gives
you you know, he doesn't mind going out there, doesn't
mind saying stuff, he doesn't mind feeling good after, you know,
letting people know he feels good.

Speaker 1 (48:53):
After that confidence after a good play.

Speaker 6 (48:56):
And and so you know when it was so much
that that was kind of that that was kind of
lightening people up around them, and and uh and and
having a positive effect.

Speaker 1 (49:03):
On on his teammates.

Speaker 6 (49:04):
So that those are some of the things man, that
was happening real early right now in camp. And uh
and like you said, I mean there are ebbs and
flows to to it all right now in those games.

Speaker 1 (49:13):
And I think you know how how it.

Speaker 6 (49:14):
Happened in the early part of the season, it was
really just you know, those guys and and the looks
right now that kind of Chris was getting in and
Mike were getting more were a little more advantageous right now, man,
And then the looks is than the looks as he
was getting. Then he kind of got banged up over
there a little bit, and you know, last week was
his first game back, so, like I said, hoping to
being able to get back in those swing swinging things.

Speaker 3 (49:34):
When it comes to that too, what are the biggest
challenges for a wide receiver coming out of college typically
that you see of this is what it's gonna take
to make it to the NFL that maybe was not happening.

Speaker 4 (49:46):
They're just the the biggest challenges that you have to
kind of help them through.

Speaker 1 (49:49):
Well, uh, they're there.

Speaker 6 (49:50):
There are very few programs out there, and I won't
get in, you know, to to which ones, but there
are a few programs out there that every Saturday or
every gate, every day that you go to practice that
they are that there are twenty two NFL football players
on the field, right So they might go and then
they might play three or four corners a year that
are bona fide NFL players. Every Sunday you're going against

(50:13):
an NFL corner, you know, and so every day of
practice you're going up against the NFL corner. So sometimes
you know, those guys are just so much better than
the guys that they play against that they don't necessarily
have to do some of the technical.

Speaker 1 (50:25):
Things right when it comes to route running, releases and
everything else like that.

Speaker 6 (50:28):
So to have to do it right and do it
right all the time, repeatedly, down after down after down
a lot of times, they're just not real used to that.

Speaker 1 (50:37):
And so getting them.

Speaker 6 (50:38):
Caught up in speed right now to understand, hey man,
the importance of the play that you don't do it
that's the play right now that you're going that you're
going to you're gonna be easily.

Speaker 1 (50:47):
Covered, you know, and so and you can't have plays,
you can't have plays like that.

Speaker 6 (50:51):
So just understanding that part of it is probably the
biggest growth that you see from the young guys opposed
to the older guys.

Speaker 3 (50:58):
And then I'm sure it's been nice to have an
VET like Stirling Shepherd when you do have a lot
of young guys here. What has he meant both before
Mike and Chris had gotten injured and then since then
of what his roles being man.

Speaker 1 (51:08):
Shep shep. The first thing that he gives you, man,
it's just his energy. He's been great for the room.

Speaker 6 (51:16):
He's great on the sideline, unbelievable on the sideline, but
just stay you know, a calmer force when he has
to be a kind of a pick me up, get
going guy right now, probably more times than not, but
just a guy that's played a bunch of ball that
knows what it takes to go out there and being
successful and understanding right now, man, just the habits that
you got to have to do that. It's been really

(51:37):
really great having him because you know, whether he did
it right or did it wrong early on, he doesn't
mind saying, hey, look I should have did this a
little bit better earlier, you know, or.

Speaker 1 (51:47):
Hey look I did this and this helped out a lot.
I mean, it's it's very very good.

Speaker 6 (51:51):
So the vets in the room are being unbelievable and
he he is just I mean, and he's been a
huge part of that equation and just really.

Speaker 1 (51:59):
Really to have him in the room right now.

Speaker 4 (52:01):
Well, coach, thank you so much for joining us. We
really appreciate the time.

Speaker 3 (52:04):
We know you got a lot going on right now
and prepping for this next Monday night football game, So
thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (52:08):
Thank you guys.

Speaker 3 (52:09):
All right, let's get it for us on this edition
of Buccaneers Total Access. We're brought to you by Advent Health.
This is Buccaneers Radio.