A behind-the-scenes look at the Buccaneers' Week 14 matchup with the Lions

Bucs vs Lions

HC Dirk Koetter

WR Mike Evans

CB Javien Elliott and CB Robert McClain

Bucs Huddle

DE William Gholston

WR Freddie Martino

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fans

S Keith Tandy

LB Lavonte David and LB Kwon Alexander

LB Lavonte David

LB Lavonte David

QB Jameis Winston

QB Jameis Winston

Bucs vs Lions

WR Chris Godwin, QB Ryan Griffin, DE Will Clarke, OT Leonard Wester, P Bryan Anger, OT Caleb Benenoch, G/T Kevin Pamphile and TE O.J. Howard

TE O.J. Howard

LB Kwon Alexander

OT Evan Smith

DE Patrick O'Connor

S Keith Tandy

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and QB Jameis Winston

LB Kendell Beckwith, HC Dirk Koetter and LB Lavonte David

Bucs Prayer Circle

Bucs Helmets

Bucs Fans

DE William Gholston

Military Veteran

Military Veteran

Bucs vs Lions

Bucs vs Lions

DE Will Clarke

C Joe Hawley

C Joe Hawley

C Joe Hawley

Bucs vs Lions

OT Donovan Smith

OT Donovan Smith

OT Caleb Benenoch

G J.R. Sweezy

Bucs vs Lions

RB Doug Martin

Bucs Fans

RB Doug Martin

WR Mike Evans

TE O.J. Howard

WR Chris Godwin, WR DeSean Jackson and TE Alan Cross

QB Jameis Winston

RB Doug Martin

National Anthem

HC Dirk Koetter, QB Jameis Winston and WR Mike Evans

Bucs vs Lions

National Anthem

National Anthem

National Anthem

National Anthem

National Anthem

National Anthem

National Anthem

National Anthem

LB Lavonte David, LB Kwon Alexander, DT Gerald McCoy, WR Mike Evans and QB Jameis Winston

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fans

DT Gerald McCoy, WR Mike Evans, LB Kwon Alexander, LB Lavonte David and QB Jameis Winston

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fans

TE O.J. Howard

QB Jameis Winston

Bucs vs Lions

Bucs vs Lions

RB Doug Martin

S Justin Evans, CB Brent Grimes, LB Kwon Alexander and LB Lavonte David

Bucs vs Lions

HS COTY Nate Varnadore

Bucs vs Lions

OT Donovan Smith, QB Jameis Winston, TE Cameron Brate and G J.R. Sweezy

WR Chris Godwin

OC Todd Monken

TE Alan Cross, TE O.J. Howard, RB Peyton Barber and TE Antony Auclair

Bucs vs Lions

OT Leonard Wester

TE Antony Auclair and OT Leonard Wester

OT Leonard Wester

TE Antony Auclair and OT Leonard Wester

DT Gerald McCoy and OT Leonard Wester

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fans

Bucs Fans

DE Will Clarke

WR DeSean Jackson

Lions WR Marvin Jones Jr and WR DeSean Jackson

DE Will Clarke
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense forced three turnovers on Sunday against Detroit, which could have been a winning edge if not for the five turnovers committed by Tampa Bay's offense. In the end, Detroit won the game, 24-21, on a 46-yard Matt Prater field goal with 20 seconds remaining.
The first of those Buccaneer takeaways came from a familiar source: linebacker Lavonte David. With three minutes left in the first quarter, David caught up with tight end Eric Ebron after a short reception and was able to poke the ball out of Ebron's grasp. A wild scramble ensued, and after several players on both teams failed to corral the loose ball, David took care of the matter himself, falling on it at Detroit's 39-yard line.
Incredibly, that was both the fifth forced fumble and the fifth fumble recovery of the season for David, making him the NFL's top master of that art. The proof is right in the rankings in those two categories, as the Buccaneer linebacker is second in the NFL in forced fumbles (one off the lead) and first in opponent fumble recoveries.
Most Forced Fumbles, NFL, 2017
**Player** | **Pos.** | **Team** | **FF** |
Yannick Ngakoue | DE | Jacksonville | 6 |
Lavonte David | LB | Tampa Bay | 5 |
Joey Bosa | DE | L.A. Chargers | 4 |
Demarcus Lawrence | DE | Dallas | 4 |
Terrell Suggs | LB | Baltimore | 4 |
Not surprisingly, the rest of the top five in forced fumbles is comprised of edge rushers, who tend to get their forced fumbles primarily on strip sacks. Lavonte David does not have a sack this season. He does have a lot of fumble recoveries, though.
Most Opponent Fumble Recoveries, NFL, 2017
**Player** | **Pos.** | **Team** | **FF** |
Lavonte David | LB | Tampa Bay | 5 |
Reshad Jones | S | Miami | 3 |
Barkevious Mingo | LB | Indianapolis | 3 |
C.J. Mosley | LB | Baltimore | 3 |
Tahir Whitehead | LB | Detroit | 3 |
This list, in contrast, is mostly linebackers. It's also worth noting that David is the only name to appear on both top-five lists. Not only is he the only player in the NFL with at least five forced fumbles and at least five fumble recoveries, he's the only player in the NFL with at least three in each category. There are only seven players in the NFL, including David, who have forced at least two fumbles and recovered at least three opponent fumbles.
**Player** | **Team** | **FF** | FR |
Lavonte David | Tampa Bay | 5 | 5 |
Demarcus Lawrence | Dallas | 4 | 2 |
Barkevious Mingo | Indianapolis | 2 | 3 |
C.J. Mosley | Baltimore | 2 | 3 |
Adrian Clayborn | Atlanta | 2 | 2 |
Jadeveon Clowney | Houston | 2 | 2 |
Dante Fowler | Jacksonville | 2 | 2 |
Though he has set new career single-season highs in both fumble categories this year, David is not new to taking the ball away from opposing players. In the six seasons since he entered the NFL as a second-round draft pick in 2012, David has been among the league's best at both forcing and recovering fumbles.
Most Forced Fumbles, NFL, 2012-17
**Player** | **Team** | **Pos.** | **FF** |
Robert Quinn | LAR | DE | 19 |
Von Miller | DEN | LB | 18 |
Lavonte David | TB | LB | 17 |
Ryan Kerrigan | WAS | LB | 17 |
Cameron Wake | MIA | DE | 17 |
Most Opponent Fumble Recoveries, NFL, 2012-17
**Player** | **Team(s)** | **Pos.** | **FR** |
Lavonte David | TB | LB | 11 |
J.J. Watt | HOU | DE | 11 |
D'Qwell Jackson | CLE/IND | LB | 9 |
Julius Peppers | CHI/GB/CAR | DE | 9 |
Craig Robertson | CLE/NO | LB | 9 |
Again, those two lists are markedly different, other than David's presence, because edge rushers usually lead the league in forced fumbles, while the fumble recoveries list is more varied.
In terms of Tampa Bay's own franchise history, David's five forced fumbles are the seventh-highest single-season total. Broderick Thomas (1991) and Stylez G. White (2007) share the record with seven. David's five opponent fumble recoveries in 2017 have set a new Buccaneer record; the previous mark was four, first set by Bill Kollar and Cecil Johnson in 1979, then matched by Ivory Sully in 1986 and Jovan Haye in 2007.
David's career mark in opponent fumble recoveries is nearing a franchise record. The only player in team history with more than David's 11 is future Hall of Famer Ronde Barber.
Most Career Opponent Fumble Recoveries, Buccaneers History
**Player** | **Pos.** | **Seasons** | **FR** |
Ronde Barber | CB/S | 1997-2012 | 12 |
Lavonte David | LB | 2012-17 | 11 |
John Cannon | DE | 1982-90 | 11 |
Cecil Johnson | LB | 1977-85 | 10 |
Lee Roy Selmon | DE | 1976-84 | 10 |
The Buccaneers' other two takeaways against the Lions were interceptions by Brent Grimes and Robert McClain. Both players pushed their season INT totals to three, tying rookie safety Justin Evans for the team lead in that category. The last time the Buccaneers had three different players get at least three interceptions each was 2013, when David had five and Mason Foster, Keith Tandy and Johnthan Banks all had three.
Grimes now has 33 career interceptions, including seven in his two seasons as a Buccaneer. Among active players, Grimes stands fifth in picks, right between Richard Sherman and Aqib Talib.
Most Career Interceptions, Active NFL Players
**Player** | **Team(s)** | **Seasons** | **INTs** |
DeAngelo Hall | ATL/OAK/WAS | 2004-17 | 43 |
Terence Newman | DAL/CIN/MIN | 2003-17 | 41 |
Reggie Nelson | JAX/CIN/OAK | 2007-17 | 35 |
Aqib Talib | TB/NE/DEN | 2008-17 | 34 |
Brent Grimes | ATL/MIA/TB | 2007-17 | 33 |
Richard Sherman | SEA | 2011-17 | 32 |
Tramon Williams | GB/CLE/AZ | 2007-17 | 32 |
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | AZ/PHI/DEN/NYG | 2008-17 | 30 |
Darrelle Revis | NYJ/TB/NE/KC | 2007-12 | 29 |
Johnathan Joseph | CIN/HOU | 2006-17 | 28 |
Eric Weddle | SD/BAL | 2007-17 | 28 |
After notching his third interception of the season on Sunday, Grimes has now met or exceeded that total every year since 2013, a run of five consecutive seasons. Grimes is the only player in the NFL who has at least three interceptions in each of the last five seasons, though Talib could still join that group if he picks off two more passes over the next three weeks.
Grimes also had six interceptions in 2009 and another five in 2010 before injuries cost him a total of 19 games during the 2011-12 campaigns. That means he has seven seasons with at least three interceptions since 2009, more than any other player in the NFL in that span.
Most 3-Interception Seasons, NFL, 2009-17
**Player** | **Team(s)** | **3-INT Seasons** |
Brent Grimes | ATL/MIA/TB | 7 |
Antonio Cromartie | SD/NYJ/AZ | 6 |
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | AZ/PHI/DEN/NYG | 6 |
Aqib Talib | TB/NE/DEN | 6 |
8 others tied with | 5 |
Though the Buccaneers lost the turnover-ratio battle – and thus, the game – on Sunday, the defense did get at least three takeaways for the third time this season. Tampa Bay's defense has been one of the league's best at forcing turnovers since the arrival of Mike Smith as defensive coordinator in 2016.
Most Takeaways, NFL Teams, 2016-17
- Baltimore: 57
- Tampa Bay: 53
- Kansas City: 50
Philadelphia: 50
L.A. Chargers: 50