It's time for another round of "Performance Preview," in which Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix and I make our picks to click for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' next game. This is more than just a brief bit of game analysis, it's a competition. That's right: We're keeping score

The rules are simple: Bri and I each pick one Buccaneers player on Friday and explain why we think they are poised for a big game. We can't duplicate picks so order may matter, and this week I have the power for the first choice. Since neither of us would be impartial enough to do the judging after the game, we've asked Team Reporter Casey Phillips to step in as the guest judge each week.

Last week, we both put our faith in wide receivers, but for very different reasons. Brianna went with Chris Godwin, reasoning that his performance in Week 13 against Arizona showed us a player who is very close to being back to full strength, and 100% Chris Godwin is a great asset to an offense. I chose Kameron Johnson not for what he would add in the passing game but because I was trying to wish into existence a big play or two in the return game. Johnson was fine in that regard but didn't hit a big one, so that didn't really work out. Meanwhile, Godwin caught five passes for 55 yards. That might not have done it in another week, but it was certainly enough this time around.

Therefore, I knew what was coming from Casey. This is how our tyrannical judge saw it:

"After a few weeks of Scott's domination, Bri has a definite win this week with her selection of Chris Godwin. He was the team's lead receiver and posted another 20+ yard catch. It's been great to see the way he's looking more like the pre-injury Chris Godwin."

Hmm. Last time I checked four (as in my weeks of domination) is more than "a few," but it's true that my winning streak is over. Here's our updated Performance Preview Scoreboard:

Brianna Dix: 6

Scott Smith: 6

Push: 1

Four weeks to go and we're all knotted up. You could cut the tension with a knife! Let's see who takes the lead next.

Scott Smith: Rachaad White

I may be guilty of galaxy braining this competition in recent weeks, and you could reasonably accuse me of that here. It seems pretty clear that Bucky Irving is back to being the main engine in the Buccaneers' rushing attack, which means it's never certain how many touches Rachaad White is going to get going into a game. And Sean Tucker is still getting a decent number of reps, too, especially around the goal line, so there are only so many footballs to go around. Just two games ago, White only got two carries in a win over Arizona.

But hear me out here. Head Coach Todd Bowles said earlier in the week that wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan are "in play" to potentially return for Thursday night's game. They will likely be question marks heading into game day, but let's be optimistic here and assume, for the sake of this argument, that at least one of them is ready to suit up. Meanwhile, tight end Cade Otton is a major question mark for the game, leaving the Buccaneers with only two tight ends in Payne Durham and Devin Culp. Depending upon who is indeed active on Thursday night, this could be a game in which the Bucs need to lean on three and four-receiver sets rather than two-TE packages.

Well, if that happens, now you have to think about the quarterback protection plan. Utilizing two tight ends would be a safer way to combat a Falcons pass rush that has quietly been quite good. Atlanta ranks third in the NFL with an 11.00% sacks-per-pass play rate and the trio of Leonard Floyd and rookies Jalon Walker and James Pearce is no joke. In multiple-receiver sets, you're going to need your one running back on the field to pitch in quite often in protecting Baker Mayfield. And who is the Bucs' best running back in that regard? Yep, Rachaad White.

So that's my path to seeing White get a good share of the playing time this week. And if you're on the field, you have a chance to get the football. The other part of this is that I think White has looked pretty good running the ball lately. Decisive. North and south. He averaged 4.8 yards on 11 carries last week, 5.4 on seven carries in Week 12 and 5.1 yards on 10 carries in Week 11. Don't get me wrong: I fully expect Bucky Irving to be one of the Bucs' main weapons against Atlanta. I just think there's also room for Rachaad, and if he can get the ball into the end zone for the first time in eight weeks, I could win this thing.

Brianna Dix: Antoine Winfield Jr.

I just have a feeling that this is going to be a vintage Antoine Winfield Jr. performance. Safety Tykee Smith leads the Bucs in tackles with 90 but he is doubtful to play against the Falcons, with Winfield setting the tone as the last line of defense. Yes, part of me selecting Winfield is due to my conjured replay of his iconic goal-line play in Week Seven of the 2023 campaign, where he chased down Falcons' tight end Kyle Pitts and knocked the ball loose for a touchback. The controversial play was ruled a touchdown due to no clear pylon camera angle but Winfield's jaw-dropping hustle was on full display. He covered the entire width of the football field and hit approximately 20 miles per hour on the play.

Whether a tackle for loss on Bijan Robinson or a sack on Kirk Cousins, I anticipate a breakout game for Winfield. He has totaled 68 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, four quarterback hits, two interceptions, seven passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery this season. Winfield has primarily played in the post as the free safety with Smith down in the box as the strong safety, but if Winfield is around the action more at the line of scrimmage in Week 15, he may have more opportunities to rack up stats. The interchangeable safety is instinctive with effective recognition of play designs that puts him in advantageous positioning. Winfield plays with balance and takes effective angles to the football.

He has shown flashes throughout the 2025 season with impactful play but against the Falcons, Winfield takes it up a notch. The Falcons have a myriad of weapons on offense and Kirk Cousins has an impressive track record against the Buccaneers' defense but in prime-time, I see Winfield being a game-wrecker.