NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints, Jameis Winston

Buccaneers

Now that he has been elevated to the active roster for Week 3, Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles believes that WR Cole Beasley could wind up playing for Tampa Bay this week.

“I think he could,” Bowles said of Beasley, via Pro Football Talk. “He’s quick, catches up to speed [really] fast, he understands the system. He’s played and he’s got a lot of reps under him, so if we needed him, I think he’ll be ready.”

• According to Aaron Wilson, the Buccaneers worked out LB Ulysses Gilbert.
• According to Jeremy Fowler, Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette was fined $13,367 for his part in a melee with the Saints.
• Buccaneers CB Carlton Davis was fined $13,261 for unsportsmanlike conduct and LB Devin White was fined $11,139 for unnecessary roughness. (Tom Pelissero)

Panthers

When asked about the Panthers’ identity this season, HC Matt Rhule responded that they must start winning games and wants to have a strong defense and balanced offense. 

“You know what, respectfully? I’ve talked a little bit about it. Until we win, nobody wants to hear me talk about that. We’ve gotta go win. I’m gonna leave it at that,” Rhule said, via Joseph Person of The Athletic. “We want to play great defense. We want to be balanced on offense. We don’t want to beat ourselves. I’ve talked a lot about it. But we want to go win a football game.”

Regarding the Panthers’ home crowd booing them, CB Jaycee Horn admits that it is frustrating for the team but acknowledged that he understands why it’s occurring given Carolina is 4-13 at home over the last 17 games. 

“We’ve got a job to do, so I can understand the frustration. But me personally, I feel like there should be a certain limit on it. If you’re coming to every home game booing, you might as well not even come,” Horn said. “But it is what it is. We’ve all got a job to do. Whether they’re booing or cheering, we need to get the job done and win.”

Panthers WR Robbie Anderson said he’s inspired to play for Rhule and thinks the team must perform better for him. 

“I’m playing this game for coach Rhule more than anything. He deserves it. He’s getting a lot of blame that it’s not (on) him,” said Anderson. “Knowing what we know as a team, he’s telling us what we need to do. He can’t coach and play.”

Saints

Saints QB Jameis Winston feels like they are beginning to form their identity and install more aspects that are working. 

“I think everything is going to be something we can work on, but I feel like we’re starting to kind of gather our identity of what some of our guys can do, what they do best,” Winston said, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN. “I think we can start putting that in more moving forward.”

Regarding a couple of forced passes to WR Jarvis Landry and TE Juwan Johnson, Winston believes he was too impatient on both plays and should’ve checked down. 

“Impatience. That was the big thing,” Winston said.

As for the New Orleans’ 20-10 loss to the Buccaneers, HC Dennis Allen feels they played well for most of the game but missed opportunities on downfield plays. 

“We knew that was going to be a field-position game,” Allen said. “We knew that we were playing a really good defense, and I thought for the first three-and-a-half quarters we played the game the way it needed to be played. I thought we missed some opportunities at some big plays down the field, and I thought we maybe tried to go to the well a little bit too often in terms of taking those shots down the field.”

• According to Jeremy Fowler, Saints CB Marshon Lattimore was fined $13,367 for his part in a melee with the Buccaneers.