NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Lions

Buccaneers

Buccaneers QB Tom Brady said he wasn’t upset to miss out on a Pro Bowl selection this season and is more concerned about “winning football games.”  

“I think there [are] a lot of people who end up being deserving of a really cool accolade like that,” Brady said, via ProFootballTalk. “I’ve been very fortunate to be picked a bunch of times, and I think it’s really great for other guys to get picked too. It’s hard sometimes to pick just a few guys. This year, there [were] a lot of great candidates at a lot of positions and a lot of teammates that I wish they would’ve made it. You’ve just got to keep trying to go out there and earn it. I think ultimately, for me, it’s about winning games. I think individual accolades have a certain place, [but] the most important thing for me has always been about winning football games. I wish we were 14-0 at this point, [but] we’re not — we haven’t deserved it. We haven’t played to that level yet, but hopefully we can play at a much higher level this Saturday.”

Falcons

The Falcons plan to officially interview interim HC Raheem Morris for their full-time head coaching vacancy. But Morris rightly views every day since he was given the interim title as part of his interview. 

“Every single day I communicate with [team president] Rich McKay, twice a week I communicate with [owner] Arthur Blank,” Morris said via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “All of those things are looked at as interviews. . . . Everything we do is an interview. It always will be, and it always has been. You always have to remember that with everything that you’re doing.”

Lions

Lions TE T.J. Hockenson said he is grateful for his Pro Bowl selection after recovering from multiple injuries as a rookie, including torn ankle ligaments, a broken leg, and a concussion. 

“It was definitely a tough situation,” Hockenson said, via Kyle Meinke of MLive. “It truly means a lot to all the people that voted. Obviously, the city of Detroit, just being able to play for this city obviously means a lot. It truly — something like this — it’s not just one person. I think a lot of people go into it. I think I’m just really grateful.”

Hockenson mentioned that he had the support of his teammates and the organization in his return from injuries. 

“There were a lot of guys in the locker room that really, you know, laid it out there, ‘As long as you work hard, as long as you do what your trainers tell you and what everyone is telling you, you’ll be able to come back,’” Hockenson said. “That really meant a lot. A lot of guys, like I said, had my back throughout the offseason, texting me, just trying to make sure things were going well, everything was going well. Ended up having to do all that and being able to come back and play. Not only just being able to play, but being able to play at such a high level, you know, obviously means a lot.”

• The Detroit Lions are hosting veteran DB Josh Hawkins for a visit this week, according to Aaron Wilson.