Buccaneers

During his fourth appearance since returning from a groin injury, Mike Evans, the wide receiver for the Buccaneers, showcased an impressive performance with nine catches, 159 receiving yards, and two touchdowns, leading Tampa Bay to victory over the Chargers. Head Coach Todd Bowles expressed his admiration for Evans’ consistent ability to excel despite changes in his environment over the years.

“It never ceases to amaze me,” Bowles stated, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. “And he does it the right way, that’s what makes it so hard. It’s probably why he doesn’t get the accolades he deserves. But he does it the right way. And when you put it in his area, he’s determined to make a play and get it in the end zone—there’s no stopping him. And so from a team standpoint, you got to catch yourself or you’ll end up watching him instead of coaching. It was unbelievable what he did today.”

“He’s been impressive because, no matter who’s here, who’s coaching, or what the situation is, he consistently produces and performs at a high level. It takes incredible mental toughness and discipline to maintain that level of performance through various coaching changes. His greatness has been astonishing; he’s easily one of my top two or three favorite players ever, and I believe he’s cherished by everyone.”

Buccaneers

Quarterback Baker Mayfield praised his team’s physical playing style after their dominant performance in the trenches against the Chargers in Week 15.

“That’s a physical football team,” Mayfield noted, as reported by Scott Smith of the team’s website. “That’s what they pride themselves on, is rushing the ball and being physical. So to flip the script on that is huge for us.”

Falcons

The Falcons managed to secure a win in a gritty matchup against a struggling Raiders team, but their offense struggled throughout the game. Quarterback Kirk Cousins acknowledged the need for improvement, especially after throwing his ninth interception in the last five games.

“Yeah, I think I do need to play better; that’s not a mystery,” Cousins confessed, referencing comments made by Grant Gordon of NFL.com. “The last few weeks have highlighted my need to improve. Raheem says it, and it’s obvious; I go through my preparation process each week aiming to perform at my best, and that remains my focus.”

Head Coach Raheem Morris echoed Cousins’ sentiment while also responding to inquiries about transitioning to first-round QB Michael Penix Jr.

“He needs to step up his game,” Morris acknowledged. “We’ll review everything, but it’s clear he wants to play better, and we need him to improve. We’ll work on that process starting tomorrow.”

“Everyone on our roster is here for a reason. We have plenty to improve on, and those discussions are customary in football. The quarterback position garners much attention as there’s only one player on the field, so our primary goal is to win the next game—that’s our mindset moving forward.”

• Falcons linebacker Lorenzo Carter was fined $11,255 for unnecessary roughness (facemask) during Week 14.