5 big winners (and 2 losers) from Buccaneers' nail-biter 20-17 win over Cardinals

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned a huge 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, snapping a three-game losing streak.

The importance of the win can't be overstated as the Carolina Panthers continue to apply pressure in the NFC South, improving to 7-6 and just a half game behind Tampa Bay for the division lead.

In their first win in over a month, which Buccaneers rose to the occasion in a crucial victory, and which left a lot to be desired?

Biggest winners and losers from Buccaneers' 20-17 win over Cardinals

Winner: Antoine Winfield Jr. 

Another game, another game-changing play by Winfield Jr.. It’s something he has become known for during his Buccaneers career. 

The Cardinals marched down the field with ease on their first possession, but Winfield came away with a clutch interception off a deflection by Jamel Dean to end the drive. 

The interception ended up being the difference in the game, as it took points away from Arizona when they were in position for a field goal at minimum, and the Buccaneers ended up winning by only three points.

Winner: Bucky Irving

Irving made his long-awaited return after being sidelined since Week 4 due to a combination of injuries and personal reasons. 

Against the Cardinals, he was back like he never left, just when the Buccaneers needed him the most. Irving rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown, and added a pair of catches for 20 yards. A fresh, hungry Irving leading the backfield as Tampa Bay enters the homestretch and gears up for a playoff push is just what this team needed.

Loser: Wide receiver drops 

Drops were a big problem by wide receivers today. Most notably, Chris Godwin Jr. dropped a touchdown on a perfect pass from Baker Mayfield. 

Emeka Egbuka dropped another perfect pass that would’ve gone for a huge gain.

Drops took points off the board on multiple occasions against the Cardinals, and the Bucs are lucky it didn’t ultimately cost them the game.

Winner:  Chase McLaughlin

McLaughlin made both of his field goal attempts, including a 57-yard field goal to extend Tampa Bay’s lead to 20-10, setting a new franchise record for most 50+ yard field goals made in a season. He is currently 9-for-9 on such kicks.

Those points proved to be the difference in a three-point game, and having a reliable kicker is a huge blessing that won’t go unnoticed — especially after the Buccaneers suffered without one for so long.

Winner: YaYa Diaby

Diaby once again looked like the Buccaneers’ best pass rusher, getting home for a sack and recording 2 quarterback hits. 

Diaby is up to 6 sacks on the season and with five games left to play, he looks poised to pass his career high of 7.5 from his rookie season.

Loser: Haason Reddick

To be fair, this was Reddick’s first game back from injury. But after handing him a hefty $14 million contract this offseason, the Bucs expected the former premier edge rusher to be a major boost to their pass rush.

Reddick had plenty to prove facing the team that drafted him in his first action since Week 7. Instead, he finished with just two tackles and no quarterback hits.

He did flash a few times, getting into the backfield and making Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett uncomfortable, but “almost” isn’t what Tampa Bay paid for. The Bucs made Reddick their highest-paid pass rusher to finish plays, yet he’s produced only 1.5 sacks in eight games.

Winner: Baker Mayfield

Just a week after suffering a shoulder injury that sent panic through the entire Bucs organization, Mayfield powered through and didn’t miss a game.

He played a solid outing on Sunday, throwing for 194 yards and a touchdown, and as mentioned earlier, his receivers’ drops kept those numbers from looking even better. He also added 27 rushing yards, including a crucial third-down scramble that extended Tampa Bay’s first touchdown drive of the day.

He wasn’t perfect, but he played well enough to win despite not being at full health. The Bucs will need this version of Mayfield for the rest of the season as they enter the homestretch and look to win their fifth consecutive NFC South title with the Panthers on their tail.