National Football League

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: REACTION TO THE BENGALS-BUCS GAME

Published Oct. 11, 2010 10:11 p.m. ET

foxsports

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis:

"It's a game where we didn't do a lot of things exactly right early on, but we kept it a close game. We've just got to keep pressing the metal until we get it right. ... We didn't do things exactly right, and we look no further than the end of our noses at what we're doing wrong."

Bucs coach Raheem Morris, on the mood in the locker room:

"Just exuberance. It's a young football team. They're going to be happy. They're going to be humble. There's nothing better than that. We brought everybody. We brought our practice squad. We brought everybody we needed to come to this game and help us win. And they all did it."

Bengals QB Carson Palmer, on S Cody Grimm's interception return for a touchdown:

"He guessed and ran to the route that we were running. Looking back now, I shouldn't have thrown it. I wish I wouldn't have the thrown the ball, obviously."

Bucs QB Josh Freeman:

"It's 3-1 (the Bucs' record).It took us 15 weeks to win this many last year. I think it just gives us a lot of confidence to show us that we can win a tight game. If it's a tight game going into the fourth quarter, no matter what the situation is, if we stick together as a team, we can come out and (win)."

Bengals S Chris Crocker, on allowing the Bucs to rally:

"As a team, we just fell apart."

Bucs RB Earnest Graham:

"Last year was very disappointing. With all of the hiccups we had between (coordinators) and what was going on in the locker room, this team is together like family. That's the characteristic of these guys in the locker room."

Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco, on the fourth-quarter pass that deflected off his hands and was intercepted by Sabby Piscitelli:

"I tried to get to it, but I couldn't get my hands all the way on it. I did the best I could."

Bucs KR/WR Micheal Spurlock, on fumbling a kickoff return, then making a big catch late:

"My attitude was to put it in the past and play the next play. Hopefully I would get another opportunity to make a play and redeem myself. I did, and it came at a great time."

Bengals WR Terrell Owens:

"It's a matter of concentration. It isn't anything that the coaches don't harp on every week, and every week is pretty much the same thing. I don't know how you correct it. We're adults. We're professionals. We just have to find ways to eliminate those mistakes."

Pat Yasinskas, ESPN.com:

The Bucs are for real. We're not talking dynasty just yet, and they might not even be a playoff contender. But the Bucs are 3-1, and this was their biggest win of the year. Unlike the first two, it didn't come against Jake Delhomme or the guy who replaced him (Matt Moore) in Carolina. It came against Carson Palmer, generally considered a good quarterback. The Bucs went on the road, fell behind a decent team and had enough talent to come back and win. This one was a major sign of progress.

Chick Ludwig, Cincinnati Enquirer:

All the Bengals had to do was be conservative and the game was theirs. But no. They stood on the gas, hit the wall, and ... disintegrated. Owens and Ochocinco aren't Batman and Robin. They're Heckle and Jeckle. And Jerry Lewis manages a game better than Marvin Lewis.