Robert Ayers on Bucs' surging defense: 'We're hungry'   Published Robert Covington Jersey : Dec 16, 2016 at 01:14 AM           Around the NFL Writer                          The least-discu sed turnaround of the 2016 NFL season is taking place in Tampa Bay.     The ' surge towards the postseason has taken a backseat to other storylines partially because it's been spurred not by the star quarterback but a lock-down, smothering defense.     Since Week 10, the Bucs have allowed the fewest points per game (12.8), have the most takeaways (14) and allowed the lowest pa ser rating (62.5).     It hasn't just been one unit that stepped up during afive-game winning streak. is back to wrecking games like a defensive tackle. found his footing after early-season struggles. Rookie corner ' improvement is off the charts, pairing well with veteran . And safety entered the lineup to make huge plays, displaying the depth of Mike Smith's defense.     On Friday, pa s rusher joined NFL Network's to discu s what spurred the Bucs' mid-season turnaround.     "We're hungry," Ayers said. "You got to give a lot of credit to the coaching staff. And the players, we really bought into it. We had some tough games early, you know we had some injuries too,  Calvin Murphy Jersey but we had some tough games. And we took an oath to each other and just really wanted to dialin on what we needed to emphasize, the importance of communication and hunting out there and everybody being on one page. And it's really showed up the past few weeks. We're still not where we need to be, we can still can make a lot of improvements. We're still looking to go out there to hunt and be a dominant defense. We want to create our own legacy and start this thing going in the right direction."     The Bucs have held four of their last five opponents below 20 points and have a takeaway in four of the past five games ( Russell Westbrook Jersey the longest streak by a Tampa defense since 2009-2010).        Two of those takeaways belong to Tandy, who has typified Tampa's turnaround. Filling in for an injured , Tandy has been a surprise upgrade. The fifth-year pro flies to the ball with confidence and bad intentions. His back-to-back game-sealing interceptions make the highlight shows, but it's his other plays that should keep him in the lineup when Conte returns healthy from a chest injury. Tandy is constantly around the ball, makes lightning quick reads and reactions. Last week he was thrown to five times as the primary cover man, he allowed just one catch for six yards, broke up a pa s and had an INT, per Pro Football Focus.     Sunday night's tilt versus the will go a long way in defining how Danuel House Jersey  serious a contender the Bucs will be down the stretch. Ayers, for his part, isn't afraid to talk about a Lombardi Trophy being the goal.     "That's the only reason I play. I play to win. I play to get to the , so some people may say they don't want about it. I do take it one game at a time, but that's what it's all about," Ayers said, noting he lost a as a member of the 2013 . "... That's all I care about is winning, so, it's definitely on my mind all the time, but like I said, you've got to take it one game at a time, but that's what I'm here for, that's what I'm in the league for. I'm not here for anything else but to get a Clyde Drexler Jersey  ring. So that is what I want. I'm hungry and I'm trying to get there. You've got to take it one game at a time, one step. But it's definitely on my mind, I can't speak for anyone else but that's what I want and that's what I'm hungry for."     If the Bucs shut down , and on Sunday night, the world might finally take notice of the most underrated defense in the NFL.       This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue. Click here Click here Click here