The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won two-straight games for the first time this season, after convincing wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars, both on the road.
While the offense has usually been the reason for getting this team a W, it’s the defense that has been coming on strong of late. They’ve allowed just 33 points over the past two games, and the emergence of rookie linebacker Devin White has been a big reason why.
In Sunday’s win over the Jags, White had a monster first quarter, becoming the first Bucs rookie in franchise history to record an interception, fumble recovery and defensive touchdown in the same game.
White delivered the postgame speech in the locker room after the win, and head coach Bruce Arians sung the rookie’s praises for his big performance. And, when you go back and look at the replay of White’s fumble recovery and touchdown, you get an idea of why the Bucs saw him as the future cornerstone of this defense.
Take a look at this tweet, courtesy of Bucs staff writer Carmen Vitali.
(Note: White is the Bucs player behind part of the goal line.)
Watching White's performance from Sunday and a big thing that stuck out – White doesn't take his eyes off the QB… like ever.
Watch below on his TD. He sheds Fournette without ever taking his eyes off Foles, which helps him recognize the ball is out to get the scoop & score pic.twitter.com/mXKp7I93AY
— Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV) December 3, 2019
Tampa Bay took the former LSU linebacker with the fifth overall pick in April’s draft, and after a rough start to the year in which he dealt with tonsillitis and a sprained knee, White has started to come into his own.
Or, as he put, he’s “a big boy now.”
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