The Tampa Bay Bucs defense had not been able to find any consistency until Sunday against the Saints. All season, that side of the ball was nothing but hills, but something clicked against the Saints.
One reason for everything coming together could be linked to the return of Antoine Winfield Jr.
After playing in Week 1 against the Commanders, Winfield Jr. had missed the previous four games with a foot and ankle injury. With his return on Sunday, he brought with him the turnover charm because the defense was hawking the ball away from the Saints. They forced three turnovers: Tykee Smith forced a fumble and caught an interception, and Zyon McCollum grabbed an interception of his own.
Winfield Jr. grabbed that forced fumble and returned it for a touchdown, but his impact goes beyond that. The defense’s focus on him allowed Smith and McCollum to be forgotten about in coverage instead of being the main focus point for an offense.
It could be the sign of things for this Bucs defense, and it develops into an elite unit.