Facing the Falcons for the first time this season, the Bucs hung around and went back and forth with their NFC South division rival for much of the afternoon. Ultimately, in the low-scoring affair filled with plenty of defense, Tampa Bay’s offense was held to just 13 points in the 16-13 loss.

The Bucs did stay in the game in exciting fashion, from forcing quarterback Desmond Ridder to lose three costly fumbles to a 31-yard Baker Mayfield scamper late in the fourth quarter to get them into scoring range and make it a 13-13 contest.

Alas, it was not enough to keep the Bucs from being a .500 team and they no longer lead the division. There is not a ton to be impressed by, but there are some positive performances to glean from and analyze further.

WR Mike Evans

On the Fox halftime show, former Buccaneer Rob Gronkowski put the performance of Mike Evans best when he stated that he is a “difference-maker.” Week in and week out, Evans is one of the sails that really gets the ship of the Bucs’ offense moving, and he did so in a big way in the first half.

Mike Evans ended the first half with four receptions for 71 yards, 40 of which coming on that touchdown where he beat Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell and made a play that has looked so routine for him in his career.

Besides that touchdown, Evans kept the Falcons’ defense honest throughout the afternoon, which opened up chances for other players in the passing game. One player did capitalize, although it is not who you might think (more on that below).

S Antoine Winfield Jr.

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. and Falcons WR Drake London – Photo by: USA Today

Not only was Sunday the battle of two division rivals but also two free safeties that should be considered the top two in the league. Antoine Winfield Jr. definitely held up his end of the bargain.

It was another day of Winfield making plays, but the biggest came in the fourth quarter. Desmond Ridder presumably capped off a 92-yard drive with a 12-yard scramble into the end zone, but that is where the playmaking and instincts of Winfield changed that outcome.

Racing from behind Ridder, Antoine Winfield Jr. peanut-punched the ball out of Ridder’s right hand to force a fumble and because it went out of bounds in the endzone, it kept the Falcons from scoring and instead gave the Bucs the ball back on their 20. The Bucs’ defense routinely came through to keep them in the game, but this play was the biggest of the unit doing so.

OLB YaYa Diaby

If you did not catch SR’s latest Fab 5 column, YaYa Diaby made a proclamation to get his first NFL sack this weekend. No, Diaby did not enter the sack column, but he entered a different one that was more important.

Following a Deven Thompkins fumble, Atlanta’s offense got the ball all the way down to the Tampa Bay 1-yard line. Looking bound to score, YaYa Diaby had other ideas. Desmond Ridder let the snap get away from him on first-and-goal, and it was Diaby who hustled and outmuscled him to recover it. Ball really doesn’t lie.

For YaYa Diaby, it is potentially the start of him breaking out and becoming a playmaker on the defense. Fellow outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka already sees it. “It’s YaYa time every time,” Tryon-Shoyinka said after practice this past week. “He’s going to pop off one of these weeks. He’s definitely due.” On one play versus the Falcons, it was YaYa time. Hopefully, for the Bucs, he continues to impact games. Entering the sack column is next for him.

RB Rachaad White – The WR?

Bucs RB Rachaad White and Falcons S Jessie Bates III – Photo by: USA Today

Say what you will about Tampa Bay’s run game, but Rachaad White was impressive in a different fashion – as a receiver out of the backfield. White had six receptions for 65 yards on the game, including 22 and 20-yard catch and runs.

It is evident that he looks more comfortable catching the ball than taking carries. When doing so, White looks shifty and elusive making ballcarriers miss, and he even showed off his hurdling abilities.

White looks like a completely different player as a receiving back and getting him more involved in the offense that way could be key to unlocking the talent that the Bucs saw giving him an increased workload. It may have gone under the radar last year, but he had 50 receptions and had some key moments hauling in passes. Maybe he is the receiving weapon the Bucs have lacked outside of the Mike Evans-Chris Godwin duo.

OLB Shaq Barrett

How about the Shaq attack coming back?

Shaq Barrett’s strip-sack to close out the first half was a joint effort with rookie defensive lineman Calijah Kancey to bring down Desmond Ridder. Barrett also pressured Ridder into a couple of inaccurate throws and deflected a pass in what was an overall promising effort as he looks to round into form after his Achilles injury. Going back to his sack, it kept the Falcons from taking a lead going into halftime and the first of three forced fumbles for Tampa Bay’s defense.

ILB Lavonte David

Another game, another noble showing from the elder statesman on the Bucs’ defense. After being all over the field against the Lions, Lavonte David was again a menace. He had a team-high 13 tackles as well as a tackle for loss and pass deflection. Perhaps more importantly, David helped limit the Falcons’ tight ends from being able to do much. The past two weeks have been a display of David turning back the clock, and he has shown no signs of slowing down.