NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

• Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles said the team will increase the workload of RT Tristan Wirfs, who suffered a high ankle sprain against the Browns and has missed the last three games. (Jenna Laine)
• Bowles added S Antoine Winfield is day to day after re-aggravating his ankle injury. (Laine)

Falcons

It was an inauspicious first start for Falcons third-round QB Desmond Ridder, as he completed only 50 percent of his 26 pass attempts for only 97 yards in Atlanta’s 21-18 loss to the Saints. But Falcons HC Arthur Smith said it’s important to treat the game as a learning moment. 

“Like I told Desmond (Saturday), whether he threw for 400 yards or threw for 100, it wasn’t going to define his career,” Smith said via the Athletic’s Josh Kendall. “There will be a lot to learn from. The things I saw, procedure-wise, he had a lot of command. Now we have to find some solutions and make more plays. We have to get on the other side of this. It was another close game. We had our chances.”

Panthers

Panthers interim HC Steve Wilks isn’t willing to talk about making the playoffs and doesn’t want to hear it from anyone in the locker room after the loss to the Steelers.

“I thought the focus was fine. The execution did not prevail,” Wilks said, via Darin Gantt of Panthers.com. “Still not worrying about it last week, not worrying about it now. We’ve got to worry about trying to get ourselves right to win a football game. I don’t want anybody in this building talking playoffs.”

• Wilks said QB Sam Darnold “made some good throws” Sunday and will continue to be the team’s starter against the Lions. (David Newton)