Buccaneers

Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin is yet to record 50 receiving yards in a game this year, but his impact on the field has still been felt. Tampa Bay QB Baker Mayfield reflected on a play where Godwin made them right on a pressure that should have killed the play, and praised him for doing the dirty work many guys don’t want to do.

“Yeah, there was one specifically that I should have canned the play,” Mayfield said, via the team’s website. “You know, we motioned him over into the boundary, and it looks like they’re just rotating the safeties, going from the safety down on the right side to safety down on the left side, and they end up bringing a pressure, so I’m supposed to can the play. Chris makes it right, makes it completely right, ends up inserting and washing Nick Scott down [and] Bucky [Irving] ends up splitting the track between Tristan [Wirfs] and him, and it’s just things like that that are not going to go on a stat sheet, but it’s vital for us to stay ahead of the chains.”

“A guy like Chris that’s the caliber of player he is, the true professional he is, he’s going to continue to do the right things in the run game for us to set the example for the young guys that it does take everybody to have success in this league. So, Chris, he does a ton of dirty work, so [we’ve] got to continue to try and get him more and more involved.”

Buccaneers WR coach Bryan McClendon expanded on Godwin’s blocking, saying he takes the professional approach to every aspect of the game with full effort and willingness.

“In order to be a good blocker…in order to block somebody you’ve got to want to block somebody,” McClendon said. “That’s the first thing. When it’s called upon for him to do so, he has absolutely no problem doing it and actually likes that part of it. Him embracing that part of the game, moreso than anything else just kind of shows the person that he is and his approach to everything. When it comes to knowing what to do and how to do it in any part of the game, he’s always done a great job of it, and doing that in the blocking part of the game. He takes the same approach.”

Falcons

Falcons QB Michael Penix has gone 3-2 since his return from injured reserve, recording 1,157 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and just one interception. Atlanta S Jessie Bates thinks they are a “completely different team” with Penix on the field. 

“His story is very unique,” Bates said, via Tori McElhaney of the team’s site. “It tells you a lot about the person he is. When No. 9 is out there, this team is a completely different football team, and I really truly believe that he is a franchise quarterback.”

Panthers

Panthers HC Dave Canales told reporters that the team’s defensive coaching changes are about helping the players find their confidence.

“I know it’s my responsibility to put the players in a position where they feel confident, they feel ready to go. I just want to see the guys connected. I want to see them excited about going out there and executing the plan, playing fast, playing physical. The effort has been there. Those things are right, but I know we can make strides with being able to get everybody on the same page,” Canales said, via NBC Sports.