Buccaneers

Buccaneers rookie LB Josiah Trotter has quickly emerged as a key on the defense, leading the team in tackles, interceptions and tackles for loss through five games. Tampa Bay veteran LB Alex Anzalone couldn’t say enough about Trotter’s energy and praised his ability to impact seemingly every play.

“I think the biggest thing I enjoy is just his energy and presence,” Anzalone said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “You can feel it on the field playing next to him. Having a rookie next to you isn’t necessarily always, you know, there’s a growth element that happens, and it’s not like I’m playing next to a veteran that’s telling me certain plays are coming and things of that nature.”

“But the best thing about him is I just feel his presence every run play, every pass play, and he’s trying to make the play. That’s his foundation, and that’s what makes him a great player.”

Trotter is happy with his statistics but knows there are other ways he can impact a game that won’t show up in the box score. The rookie also talked about the advice he follows from his dad, Jeremiah Trotter Sr., who spent 11 years in the NFL and earned four Pro Bowl selections.

“There are also other stats that go with that, that you want to be able to accumulate,” Trotter said. “But there’s other ways to impact the game as well. Definitely tackling. As a linebacker, that sort of drives you. Just make tackles. I missed some. When you’re able to lead the team in tackles, that’s what you want to do.”

“That’s what my dad says. If you’re going to be able to make a mistake, just do it fast and do it physical. If you do that, that’s always going to erase a mistake, or if the whole defense is playing like that it’s going to erase mistakes like that. But just play free and do your job.”

Panthers 

The Panthers are coming off a big 32-26 win over the Lions in Week 5 that featured a heavy Run-Pass Option approach, resulting in QB Bryce Young throwing for 329 yards and two touchdowns, WR Tetairoa McMillan having 14 receptions for 192 yards and two touchdowns, while RB Chuba Hubbard had 122 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Carolina HC Dave Canales said they’ve always utilized RPOs and praised OC Brad Idzik. 

“We’ve been running them for 2 1/2 years. … So it wasn’t really an emphasis that we said, ‘Hey, it’s this week guys, we’re really gonna (emphasize RPO).’ It’s always been a part of what we’ve done, throwing different combinations on some of our runs,” Canales said, via Ted Nguyen and Joseph Person of The Athletic. “Giving (Young) the option to throw the ball in seams, to the flat, different things like that. But I told Brad, ‘Stomp the puddle out till there’s no water left.’ It’s a fun part when those things come alive.”

McMillan featured in the slot receiver role in Week 5. He thinks lining up there lets him use his IQ as a receiver. 

“I think being able to play in the slot just allows me to play a little bit more football. Allows me to use my IQ for the game and just find the open holes, find the zones that we can attack,” McMillan said. “I feel like Brad does a great job of putting people in the right spots and making this offense go.”

Idzik is looking to instill an “attacking, aggressive nature” to their offense. 

“One of our calling cards is attacking everything together. I want our whole offense to feel like when a play call comes out of my mouth to Bryce, and out of Bryce’s mouth to the huddle, they feel like we have an attacking, aggressive nature,” Idzik said. “I want to instill that in our guys in the way we work in practice. I want them to feel that from me and my energy and our coaches’ energy.”

Saints

After falling to 1-4, Saints owner Gayle Benson called the team’s start unacceptable and was clear they aren’t playing up to her standards. Saints QB Tyler Shough agreed with Benson’s tough evaluation, but made it clear they won’t let the added pressure change how they do business day to day.

“She wasn’t saying anything that wasn’t already known, and she did a really good job of highlighting the expectations, and we have those same expectations for ourselves,” Shough said, via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.

“We can’t let it regardless, because we win a game and you’re the greatest people ever, and you lose some games and it’s the worst thing ever. So I’ve said it before: We’re going to have a really good chance to go on a run here. I think it starts with controlling what we can and all of a sudden the narrative changes, or not and we continue to slip and we’ve got to find a way to control that.”

Saints HC Kellen Moore responded to Benson’s comments about the team not being where they needed to be and said they’re all on the same page and want the same thing.

“It’s where we’re at. We’re 1-4, missed a few opportunities right there,” Moore said, via PFT. “We all want the same thing. We’re all shooting for that. We’ve all got the same objectives and we just gotta get better moving forward.”

• Saints DC Brandon Staley talked about how the LB room has handled Kaden Elliss‘ absence: “We’ve got a bunch of other guys that we know are quality players that can fill in and play the right way. It may not be in that same way we use Kaden (Eliss), but I liked the way both of those linebackers played in the game against Minnesota.” (NOF Network)
• Staley also touched on owner Gayle Benson’s comments about the standard not being met: “I think all of us take that comment and know just how much she cares… As Mrs. Benson said, we have high standards here, Super Bowl standards, so that’s what we’re committed to every single day.” (NOF Network)