Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Excels in second season

Winfield, who totaled a team-leading eight tackles (six solo) and a sack in the Buccaneers' 41-17 win over the Panthers in Week 18, finished the 2021 regular season with 88 tackles (62 solo), two sacks, two interceptions, six defensed passes overall, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles over 13 games.

Winfield fell just six tackles and one sack short of his rookie-season totals, which were accomplished over 16 games. The standout safety once again was a key component of the Buccaneers' elite run defense, but he was even better in pass coverage than 2020, allowing just a 55.6 percent completion rate and 5.0 yards per attempt on the 27 passes he faced as a primary defender. Winfield should continue serving as an essential component of the defense during the postseason after posting 18 stops, a forced fumble and an interception during last year's championship run.