Buccaneers Play of the Year Nominee: Keith Tandy Interception vs Philip Rivers

As we all collectively decide which play of the 2016 Buccaneers season was the best, we take a look at perhaps one of the most significant moments of the year. When Keith Tandy intercepted Philip Rivers in to seal the road victory against the Chargers, he not only made the play of the year, but perhaps set his career on a new path altogether.

For the Buccaneers and their fan base, it was a crucial win in Week 13. The situation was simple: On the road to the west coast, beat a team with playoff aspirations and keep your own post-season goals alive and well. Lose, and well, it wasn’t over mathematically.

28-21 in the fourth quarter with a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback driving his team into striking distance looking for a tying score which would feel much more like a knockout blow than most.

Rivers had his offense on the Bucs’ 31-yard line with one-yard needed for another first down and three downs to do it with.

Some conventional football wisdom says second and short is the perfect down to go deep for a big strike. This thought process took a blow on this play.

With San Diego lined up two receivers to the left side of the offense and one on the right, the Bucs answered with a nickel package putting Javien Elliott in the slot to bump Chargers receiver Dontrelle Inman coming off the line from the slot.

Perhaps it was this bump which threw off the timing of Inman’s route and the route of #16 who ran an inside post route which looks to have been intended to rub – or pick – the defender as the two receivers crossed into Inman’s move up field.

Instead, Tandy had plenty of room to follow his man into the outside route breaks and when Rivers launched the ball into the air he was “in his hip-pocket” so to speak, running step-for-step with the man who had helped get the Chargers off to an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Perhaps it was the age getting to San Diego’s gunslinger, or maybe he lost a little confidence in the throw seeing Tandy all over his guy who was designed to be open screaming up the sideline towards the endzone. Either way, the ball fell short of its target and the attacker turned into the defender.

The Buccaneers’ back-up safety who was starting in place of the injured Chris Conte, who had experienced a recent folk hero type rise himself, found himself with great inside position against a drifting receiver as the ball neared the goal line.

When the two went up, Tandy had the clear advantage, but Inman used his long arms to disrupt and scrape at the ball as much as he could to prevent the interception, but was unsuccessful.

The ball was Tampa’s, and the game itself would be as well with a few smart plays and some kneel downs by Jameis Winston.

What makes this moment more impactful than most however, is what it gave to the fans of this franchise. For years now, we’ve all grown accustomed to waiting for the gut-punch moment where our beloved Bucs snatch defeat from the grips of victory.

In past year’s this would have been a defensive pass interference giving the Chargers the ball on the 1-yard line. This would then lead to a touchdown which would lead to a quick 3-and-out so that Rivers could move his team into game-winning field goal position.

After wins against the aforementioned playoff destined teams though, this one was different. Bucs fans had some reason to believe this group could close it out with the big play needed. It dared to think the win was just one big defensive play from a win like it was in the early 2000s.

And for the first time in years, they’re faith was well placed. As Rivers looked dejected and beside himself with disbelief, the Buccaneers rallied around their unexpected hero and celebrated knowing it had put their team in position to go into the final quarter of the season in great shape.

We know how it ended for the team, but without this play perhaps Tandy doesn’t start even when Conte comes back to health.

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Maybe he doesn’t secure four interceptions in the final five games, and maybe this team doesn’t come an eyelash from making the playoffs in Dirk Koetter’s first season as the head coach.

Mike Smith is coming back for 2017 and hopefully even further into the Buccaneers’ future.

Plays made by the likes of Tandy here certainly aided in his decision and belief he has something special growing in Tampa. What looks on film like a simple turnover made on an underthrown pass is in reality the spark which lit a belief in this team which wasn’t there before.

Pretty significant if you ask me.

We aren’t asking me though, we’re asking you. So what do you think of this play and how it stacks up against the other big plays from the 2016 season? Let your voice be heard!