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Opening Remarks: "As far as the injuries go, I'm going to let (head athletic trainer) Rick (Burkholder) talk to you but briefly I'll hit (the injuries). (T) Nate Menkin has a throat cartilage problem. A slight tear in there so he's going to be out for this game. (S) Kurt Coleman is out with the sternum contusion. Rick is going to talk to you about (RB LeSean) McCoy, (DT Mike) Patterson and (QB Michael) Vick when we're done here.
"Listen, we look forward to this challenge this week of playing Tampa Bay. We understand all (of) the circumstances going on with their reunions and all of that. We're going down to play football. That's what we're doing. The guys have come off (of) a good week of practice here. They worked their tails off and look forward to getting down there and playing a football game."
On whether S Colt Anderson will start in place of Coleman: "Colt will start."
On how Menkin sustained a throat injury: "Yeah, it happened during the last play during practice."
On how significant Menkin's injury is: "I think he's going to be okay. We had him see the throat specialist and he should be okay."
On what point during the season Anderson was fully recovered from his knee injury: "I thought after he got through about four games he was feeling better (and) moving around better. We put him in there early (during the season) in the secondary when we had an injury. It probably wasn't fair to him but you could see him improve. Through special teams you could see him improve in his speed, in his trust (in his knee), and all those things when you're coming off of an injury you see. I think he's back now and feels good."
On whether Patterson's illness has anything to do with his previous brain condition: "No, but I'm going to let Rick talk to you. He's going to tell you guys (more)."
On whether it serves as extra motivation to win that the Buccaneers are celebrating their 2002 Super Bowl run this weekend with the Eagles in town: "No, listen, a couple guys asked me about that. No I don't feel that. We're down there to play this Buccaneers team and get ourselves ready to do that. Really (there's) not a lot of people on this football team that was around during that time. I'm talking about player-wise, so we're here to play this Tampa Bay team with this Eagles team and play well."
On whether it serves as motivation to him personally since he was a member of that Eagles team: "That was a long time ago. They don't have a lot of people there that I know now. The game at that time stuck in my crawl. Right now? I want to play this team and play well against this team."
On what he thinks this Tampa Bay team does well that concerns him: "Their running back is a tremendous football player. Their quarterback is a very good football player. I would tell you that this is one of the better offensive lines that we've played both in the pass and the run game. The quarterback is very efficient. He understands the run game, he understands the checks, (and) he understands what to do with the ball in the pass game. He puts his team in very few negative positions with the ball in his hands."
On what WR Riley Cooper adds to the offense in the red zone: "He's playing well. (He's a) big, strong, (and) physical kid."
On whether he is concerned that the defensive linemen are all playing a new scheme under defensive line coach Tommy Brasher: "There's going to be a bit of learning that takes place but I understand that. They've worked at it very hard here. They'll be okay. Really it comes down to man on man and we play hard and aggressive and they'll do that."
On whether the linebackers and safeties will have to change the way they play against the run: "I think that's a positive thing. That would be the positive end of it."
On his relationship with Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano: "He's a great guy. My youngest son actually had a chance to go up to one of their camps that they have on the campus (at Rutgers University). Greg was very cordial and open. He's a good person. (He) does a lot of good things."
On whether G Evan Mathis can play at a high level if he is not being coached under the scheme that offensive line coach Howard Mudd implements: "Listen, he's a phenomenal athlete. I think his style and Howard's style (works well together). That's not to say he couldn't do the same thing somewhere else. He's one of those guys that has the athletic ability to play either side of the ball really. He's big and strong enough to do that."
On whether the team thought about Mathis potentially playing in a different line system when they signed him to a contract extension last offseason: "Yeah, that's how I felt."
On what G Jake Scott has done to help the offensive line in a short period of time: "This is a very unique thing that he did, just coming in off the hiatus that he had. To be able to come in and play at the level that he's played at, I haven't seen that very often. I'm not sure I've seen that at all in my career. He's a smart kid, he understands the system, he's tough, and if I didn't say smart once I'm saying it twice. He's very, very intelligent. (He's a) good football player."
On whether Mathis has taken his play to a higher level this season: "I think he's played well this year. I think that's beneficial to not only his career but also to our team. But he's playing good football right now."
