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Conference Call: Bucs Coach Raheem Morris

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HEAD COACH RAHEEM MORRIS

(on if playing an unfamiliar opponent may help the Buccaneers end the losing streak)

I wouldn't say all of that; the Tennessee Titans are a tough team to play. They have one of the better lines in the game; they come out ready to play. They play in a tough division just like us so they are kind of just like us in that fashion where they play tough teams every single week. We have to go out and play the Tennessee Titans who are a tough football team and we have to find a way to get off the skid just like you mentioned in the beginning and alluded to. We are going to play our best game because it's the most important game of the season because it's the next one.

(on if there were any good signs in the loss to the Packers)

This game is week to week. You have to prove yourself every single week, you have to go out and play. You have to play harder every single week and this league is rough. Make no mistake about it, it is the best league in professional sports and you have to come out every single week and get ready to play a tough, physical opponent.

(on what made the Buccaneers put in a waiver claim on LeGarrette Blount)

Well you never can say that you knew he would be able to play right away but you like the talent that you saw on tape as far as college. Obviously, looking at him throughout the whole process of the draft and then having a chance to watch him run for you guys in the preseason. Once you guys made the decision to let him go, we made the decision to try to pick him up and put him on our active. We got him into our system and let him sit around a couple of weeks and learn and let him figure it out and find out what he can do. Once we figured out what he could do we decided to acclimate that to our offense and now he is just growing and trying to get more of a role and be more productive for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and he has done a good job for himself here.

(on what the biggest reason is why they haven't been able to win lately)

They are always tough, there are no excuses. We haven't been able to play fast enough, hard enough, smart enough, and consistent enough in order to have more wins and that's the bottom line and that's the same way it's going to be every single week.

(on why they claimed Albert Haynesworth and how he is fitting into the locker room)

He has done a nice job. It was kind of a perfect situation, a perfect waive because we had our three-techniques both go down within a matter of two weeks. Albert (Haynesworth) was on the waiver wire there so we had the ability to claim him and had the ability to get him into our system and teach him some things. He had two very productive games and we are just trying to find a way to get him better and try to help him help us get a win.

(on Albert Haynesworth's attitude and if it may be his "last chance")

I don't know about all of that. I think he is just coming here and looking forward to the opportunity to getting out there and have the ability to go play. His attitude has been great, he has been good around the guys, the guys have been good around him. He is getting acclimated to his new city and hopefully this thing can work out for him.

(on how Albert Haynesworth has played)

He has played decent. He went out there the first week and had eight tackles and did a nice job for us and created some disruption, played 47 snaps or whatever the case may be. Then the following week he went out there and made some disruption and played pretty tough against the world champs and hopefully he can get out there and play well and put a couple more games together where he is playing well like he is right now.

(on if Haynesworth is playing well enough that they will consider a more long term deal for him)

All of that is yet to be determined. We always evaluate our roster every single year but we are certainly happy that we have him right now and we are certainly happy to look into him furthering his role here as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.

(on if Chris Johnson is still the priority focus for the Tampa Bay defense)

You better defend Chris Johnson. You are talking about a guy that is well respected in this league that is probably the fastest human in this league. He can absolutely break out of his slump or whatever everyone is calling it in one play. It's a matter of him getting off and doing what he has to do. He has a really good offensive line in front of him with a great blocking tight end in Craig Stevens. Those guys really get it going. The quarterback Matt Hasselbeck does a great job of orchestrating what he needs to do. It's a matter about this team getting better and you can see it one tape, so these guys are a tough opponent for us and for anybody else.

(on why Josh Freeman's numbers are not as good as last year)

There is no doubt that he is not playing as well as he did last year. We have to play faster and make more plays for him as an offense. We have to go out and we have to protect him a little bit better. He has to do all of his things better. It's always going to come down to who plays faster, who plays harder, who plays more consistent, and we haven't had the consistency out of Josh Freeman that we need in order to have a winning record and that's the case of it right now. Hopefully, he will snap out of it and do some really good things for us down the stretch because all we have guaranteed is six more games. We have to go out there and play well in each one with the Tennessee Titans being the most important.

(on what stands out about the Tennessee Titans on tape)

You see the guys go out there and execute the physical play that has been the Titans' tradition for a long time. I remember even since Jeff Fisher was there that these guys came out and they were very physical presence up front both on the offensive and defensive line that's always how it has been and that's how they continue to run this thing right now. They have done a wonderful job of getting these guys acclimated to what they want to do and some of the different things they have put in for the new quarterback and some of the different things that they have put in as far as defense. They have come out there and executed and you see the toughness on the defensive side of the ball as well is the offensive side of the ball with Cortland Finnegan and Michael Griffin and all of those guys coming out hard, playing hard, playing fast, playing physical. It's going to be a tough game for us to go out there and get a win.

(on what he remembers about playing for Titans coach Chet Parlavecchio)

Chet (Parlavecchio) is my guy. Chet was our high school head coach. He did a great job. He is physical, he is tough, he is enthusiastic. He is a bloody nose guy, he is my guy.

(on if Chet Parlavecchio or Lance Schulters talks more)

Lance (Schulters) definitely has him in the talking category. Lance is down here trying to learn how to coach some DBs and he has done a great job of being Jimmy Lake and having the ability to go back to Tennessee this week will be a nice little reunion for him as well.

(on if Chet Parlavecchio is a good fit in the NFL)

There is no doubt man, whether you are a good coach or you are not and Chet was certainly a great coach for a lot of years at the high school level and certainly helped out a lot of youngsters especially from my area and my neighborhood. It's not easy to go into those areas and those neighborhoods and help some people out. I certainly owe Chet (Parlavecchio) a lot of credit for being able to go and do those things that he has done for high school football and now he is able to take his talents to the pros and I'm really excited for him..

(on if he is prepared to see Jake Locker if Matt Hasselbeck is unable to play)

I know Matt Hasselbeck is a very tough guy and I look forward to seeing Matt because I know how tough he is, I know he is going to want to play, I know he is a competitor. I watched him play with a broken hand before and go out there and do different things. Jake Locker was one of my favorite guys that came out in the draft last year. I have a very good relationship with him and I feel like he will come out and give them a great effort too if he had to go. Both of these guys are very well prepared, smart, physical guys that can go out there and make plays at any given time.

(on how Myron Lewis is playing)

(Myron) Lewis is doing well man. He has had an opportunity to get out there, he started out the season a little bit injured but now he has gotten the chance to go out there and play a little bit for us. Last week, everyone is probably going to judge him on the last play but you have to go zero coverage to try to stop the chance and he lost to a very good wide out there in Jordy Nelson, but other than that he is doing a great job for us.

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