Up until the final play – a failed two-point conversion attempt – the Bucs defense stood tall, paving the way for a 17-16 win over Carolina to clinch the team’s first winning season since 2010.

It was the story of splash plays, at critical moments, and Tampa Bay needed every single one of them to hold off the Panthers.

The secondary intercepted quarterback Cam Newton three times, all key turning points, as the pass rush forced the former league MVP off his mark and into some poor decisions during his 237-yard outing. Lavonte David added two sacks, once to force the Panthers out of field goal range and the other on third down, while Kwon Alexander’s 10 tackles led the front seven.

“Everyone stepped up today, the whole defense,” cornerback Brent Grimes said. “[Keith] Tandy had two picks and we had a lot more opportunities to get picks. We were just playing good ball today and it worked out for us.”

For his part, Grimes gave Tampa Bay its first touchdown, jumping in front a pass on the opening drive of the third quarter and jogging back 31 yards to take a 10-7 lead. That was just a highlight in the 10th-year corner’s afternoon. Grimes, one of the underrated free agent signings of 2016, also broke up a few passes in single coverage en route to earning the defensive game ball Sunday.

“When we win, we make plays,” Grimes noted. “We just have to know that that’s a big deal for us – we have to make some plays in the secondary.”

As evidence to that point, you need only to consider one of his stats. Grimes’ interception gave him four on the season. The Bucs are 4-0 in those games.

“I think everyone can see why we brought Brent Grimes here,” coach Dirk Koetter said, dishing out praise to the entire backend of the defense including Jude Adjei-Barimah and Javien Elliott. “Brent Grimes is such a ball-hawking corner. That was a big play. Keith Tandy has just been red-hot at safety. He’s been red-hot. I feel great about Vernon Hargreaves on the other side.

“That’s one area that we’ve made a lot of improvement in this year, the secondary,” Koetter continued. “The good news is we’re in good shape moving forward as well.”

Aiding the secondary’s playmaking was a steady pass rush. Though Robert Ayers was lone member of the front four credited with a sack, Newton was often on the run and forced into early decisions. Gerald McCoy broke through on occasion, while Noah Spence played through a dislocated shoulder, popping it back in himself to stay on the field.

“That doesn’t surprise me with the type of player Noah is,” Jameis Winston said. “I think I would’ve done the same thing, honestly. 

“… I could talk more about the defense than any records. They had an amazing game. When you think about the five-game winning streak we had, that’s what they were doing. I’m definitely blessed that we have guys on defense who are tenacious and find a way to make plays happen.”