3. January 7, 2024 | Week 18 2023 @ CAR | Tampa Bay 9, Carolina 0
Stat Line: 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 FF
The Bucs entered Bank of America Stadium with a lot on the line. They were in position to clinch the NFC South for the third-straight season. The team was able to turn around a 4-7 start, stringing together four-straight wins in December. However, a loss to New Orleans the previous week made this game do-or-die. A Bucs win would give them all the glory. If not, the winner of the Saints-Falcons matchup would be crowned division champs.
Tampa Bay struggled to find a rhythm on offense, but it did not matter— the defense rose to the occasion. The Bucs held the Panthers under 200 yards, giving up zero points. It was an impressive showing, but the story might have ended very differently without Winfield.
The game started with five consecutive punts between the two teams. Then, the Panthers made a big splash play. Early in the second quarter, Bryce Young felt the pressure on third down and escaped to his left. He kept his eyes downfield and found a wide-open DJ Chark with an open path for a 43-yard score. There was nothing between him and the pylon. It seemed all but inevitable that Chark would get in the end zone.
Winfield was somehow able to catch up to meet Chark at the two-yard line. The Panthers receiver decided to dive to reach the ball across the goal line, a decision he would soon regret. Winfield dove with Chark, jarring the ball out. It landed in the end zone, where Jamel Dean would recover it, keeping Carolina scoreless. Winfield added a sack and a tackle for loss in the second half en route to protecting the NFC South title.
2. December 3, 2023 | Week 13 2023 vs. CAR | Tampa Bay 21, Carolina 18
Stat Line: 8 tackles, 1 INT, 3 PDs, 1 sack, 2 TFLs,
What makes Winfield so dangerous is that he can impact the game in every way, at any time. He put it all on display vs. Carolina. The Bucs went into the game with a 4-7 record, searching for a spark to turn their season around. With Winfield’s leadership, they got it done.
He brought Young down in the third quarter on third down as a well-disguised blitzer. Winfield also put the game to rest on the Panthers’ final drive. With 2:21 remaining from fourth-and-one, Young took the snap down 21-18, looking to extend the drive. Pocket pressure caused the quarterback to roll to his right and fire downfield to Adam Thielen. Winfield ran across the…
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