Buccaneers

The Buccaneers have lost five of their last six games going into Week 16’s matchup against the Panthers, which carries playoff implications with both teams at 7-7 competing for the NFC South title. Tampa Bay HC Todd Bowles said he wants players to take more accountability and feels they’ve responded to his demands this week.

“Accountability could be doing little things right, it could be teammates talking to each other, you’re talking to yourself, coaches talking to each other,” Bowles said, viaRob Maadi of the Associated Press. “We understood the message after the ball game. We met on it, we talked about it, we got it out of our system. Everybody is hard at work and trying to do the right things to win the ball game.”

Tampa Bay relinquished a 28-14 lead in Week 15 before losing 29-28 to the Falcons. Bowles said the players got his message after the comeback loss.

“They got the message,” Bowles said. “It’s football, guys. I don’t know. There have probably been a billion stories written when coaches have lost that got (ticked) off and said something to their guys. It’s not an issue. We’re fine.”

Bowles added that they are moving on from the recent defeat and getting back to work.

“You’re going to lose some games in this league,” Bowles said. “We’ve all lost some throughout our entire lives. You don’t like it that day, but you get up the next day, put your head down, you go to work, and you try to correct the little things, and you move on. You don’t hold it and make it any tougher than it has to be. It’s a football game.”

Bowles said rookie CB Benjamin Morrison is “finally healthy” after dealing with shoulder and hip injuries: “I think he’s finally healthy, so you’ll probably see the real Benjamin Morrison that we drafted. He had a couple of weeks to take in some things mentally and get physically right. He’s probably in the best place he’s been this year.” (Greg Auman)

Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving was fined $6,349 for a violent gesture, and QB Baker Mayfield was fined $14,491 for a violent gesture.

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