The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hit their Week Nine bye with a 6-2 record that is tied with the defending-champion Philadelphia Eagles for the most wins in the NFC. A very successful first half of the 2025 season was probably most notable for a series of close wins driven by Baker Mayfield and the offense's clutch-time heroics.

That said, the Buccaneers' defense had a promising first half that has built confidence on that side of the ball for the stretch run. Tampa Bay has two defensive touchdowns, ranks third in the NFL with 25 sacks and has created 12 takeaways, tied for third in the league. Rookies such as Jacob Parrish and Elijah Roberts have made an instant impact and are already entrenched in the starting lineup, and the safety duo of Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith looks like one of the best back ends to a defense across the league.

There have also been some very big splash moments created by that crew, and that's what we're here to discuss in one of our annual bye week Roundtables. In this case, Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix, Buccaneers.com Contributor Gabriel Kahaian and I are going to debate what the top defensive moment of the first half of the season was for Tampa Bay. We'll each choose one, and since we won't be duplicating picks, order matters. Bri picked last when we discussed the top offensive moment of the first half, so she rotates up to the top spot, followed by Gabe and then me.

You're up, Bri. Please tell us what the Bucs' top defensive moment from the first half of the 2025 season was.

Brianna Dix: Anthony Nelson Pick-Six

I could have gone with gone with Antoine Winfield Jr. flying across the field and knocking the ball loose from Casey Washington inside the five-yard line to prevent the Falcons' touchdown in Week One, but Anthony Nelson's highlight-reel play deserves lavish praise. No, this is not recency bias.

Against the Saints in Week Eight with the score tied at zero, Nelson flipped the momentum in favor of Tampa Bay and spearheaded the Bucs' defensive onslaught. In the second quarter, Nelson deflected Spencer Rattler's pass intended for Foster Moreau and tipped it to himself. He returned it three yards for a touchdown, lowering his shoulder to deliver a strike on Rattler before plowing into the end zone. This play came at a desperate time for Tampa Bay after the Saints' defense made a stout goal-line stand. Nelson's play reinvigorated the Tampa Bay squad and silenced the rambunctious Saints' faithful inside the dome.

Nelson won NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his contributions in Week Eight and he also nabbed 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble. He helped punctuate the victory that provided the Bucs with additional cushion in the NFC South hunt with a 6-2 record before the bye week. With Haason Reddick sidelined due to injury, Nelson stepped up and rallied the defense on the road. He had a phenomenal outing in New Orleans and it was one I had to celebrate.

Gabriel Kahaian: Lavonte David's Late Game Interception in Seattle

As with Bri, I also could have gone with Winfield's heroics in Week One (Scott might be floored when he realizes this play is still up for grabs.) However, I am going to go with a play that further cemented Lavonte David's legacy: his pick against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5.

The week before, The Bucs were coming off a loss against the Philadelphia Eagles and entered Lumen Field looking to get back on track. Both secondaries were banged up heading into the contest with key contributors on each team sidelined by injury. What unfolded was an aerial masterclass from Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold.

Tampa Bay jumped out to a 13-0 lead before Seattle battled back with touchdowns on both sides of halftime. The second half started with five-consecutive drives that ended in the end zone between the two teams. Both Mayfield and Darnold eclipsed 300 passing yards and threw multiple touchdowns. It was truly a game that would be decided by whoever had the ball last. At the moment, that team looked to be the Seahawks.

After the Krewe executed a five-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a Sterling Shepard touchdown, the game was tied at 35 with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. Darnold at this point, had thrown for over 330 yards and had four passing touchdowns to his name. It was time to lead one more drive, get into field goal range and salt the game away. The Buccaneers had other plans.

Here's the breakdown. On the second play of the drive, Seattle snaps the ball on its own 32-yard-line. Tampa Bay sends a blitz with Winfield getting a free run at the quarterback. Meanwhile, SirVocea Dennis is winning his battle against the blocking running back, getting closer to Seattle's signal caller. David, who is in coverage, finds Cooper Kupp in his airspace and sticks to the receiver. Darnold starts his motion as Winfield collapses. Dennis puts his paws up to disrupt the pass and it barely gets through, but not before scraping the top of Logan Hall's helmet at the line of scrimmage. With the ball in the air, David instinctively runs to it, dives and hauls in the interception with one hand, setting up Tampa Bay in pristine position to win with a walk-off field goal. And that they did, giving the Buccaneers a 38-35 win and a 4-1 record.

That interception marked David's first of the season and gave him a total of 14 throughout his legendary career. He's one of only four players in NFL history to record at least 40 sacks, 30 fumble recoveries, and 10 interceptions throughout a career. Even though it was David who secured the turnover, it was a complete defensive effort that led to the game-changing play. That is why I believe it is the best defensive play this far into 2025.

Scott Smith: Antoine Winfield Jr. Separates Casey Washington from the Ball

Alright, I'll bite. I feel like Bri and Gabe are handing me the answers to the test, and I'd be a fool to look a gift horse in the mouth. The top single defensive moment from the first half of the Buccaneers' 2025 season came in Week One, when safety Antoine Winfield Jr. – as he has done so many times in recent seasons – saved the team from disaster.

I don't think you can underestimate the importance of Tampa Bay's Week One win in Atlanta. The Falcons were the darlings of the prognosticators eyes, ready to unseat the Buccaneers from their four-year run as NFC South kings. Young quarterback Michael Penix was ready to burst on the scene after a promising 2024 end-of-season cameo, and the defense finally was going to have the pass rush it has been seeking for ages.

And sure enough, the Falcons did look good on that afternoon in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. In fact, it had taken a two-minute drill and a special play from rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka to give the Bucs a three-point lead with 52 seconds left. The problem for the visiting team was that, in 2024, these were exactly the sort of leads they couldn't hold on to, including an overtime loss in their last visit to Atlanta.

As if on cue, Penix scrambled for 12 yards then completed four straight passes for 51 yards. Because the Bucs had missed the extra point on the previous touchdown, the Falcons only needed a field goal tie, and they were down to their last timeout with 16 seconds left and the ball on the Bucs' 26. Penix was looking for more.

Wide receiver Casey Washington lined up wide left and ran a little hesitation go route. There was a bit of brief contact with Jamel Dean, but the Bucs were playing zone and the cornerback let Washington go when he headed upfield. Winfield and Tykee Smith are in Cover Two but Winfield is shaded closer to the hashmarks than the sideline on the left half of the field. At the time that Penix lets the ball go, there are 13.26 yards of separation between Washington and Winfield according to NFL Next Gen Stats. The ball is only in the air for 1.3 seconds and NGS has the completion probability at 55.1%. Watching it live, it looked very much like Washington was going to catch it on the run and easily stride into the end zone, with no time left for the Bucs to retaliate.

Instead, Winfield covers that ground astonishingly quickly and gets to Washington milliseconds after the ball hits the receivers' hands. Before he can draw it in, Winfield slaps it away, clipping Washington in the process so that the receiver goes sprawling to the ground. After one more crack at the end zone failed, the Falcons were forced to go for the game-tying field goal and, shockingly, Younghoe Koo missed from 44 yards out. The Bucs got the win and first place in the NFC South, something they as of yet have not relinquished, to the upstart Falcons are any other team.