Bucs linebacker Devin White has had a slow start to what was supposed to be a breakout season in Tampa Bay. But the third-year defender got back on track against New England on Sunday night. White recorded five tackles, a pair of quarterback hits and a pass breakup in his best effort of the season. On the first of White’s hits on Mac Jones, the linebacker forced an errant throw into coverage. Antoine Winfield Jr. intercepted the pass after a Ross Cockrell deflection for the Bucs first turnover of the game.

White has as much (or more) talent as any linebacker in the NFL. The key for the LSU product has always been playing under control enough to make a positive impact. In the first few weeks of the season, we saw his recklessness get the best of him at times. He took out teammate Lavonte David in Week 2, allowing a big catch-and-run by Kyle Pitts. In Week 3, White knocked Carlton Davis off a Desean Jackson route in man coverage, allowing a 40-yard catch-and-run by the veteran wide receiver.

“Devin’s been really solid,” Arians said on Monday. “He has a tendency sometimes to freelance a little bit because he has so much talent. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.”

White is an ascending talent, but to keep the arrow going up, he’ll need to play more under control in space. He has a tendency to chase the first thing he sees, as Arians indicated, rather than just doing his job. As a result, White gets himself out of position at times and overruns some stops in the open field. After nine sacks a year ago, White doesn’t have any this season. He’s blitzed plenty, but has missed several sacks by failing to throttle down and finish. Still, if the Bucs captain can keep playing like he did in Week 4, his season will get back on track quickly.