Bucs defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson and the Bucs defense were winners Sunday.

Just a few short weeks ago, most Bucs fans were not just ashamed at how the Bucs defense had sunk under now defrocked defensive coordinator, they were aghast.

Under Bates’ watch, the Bucs set a heinous franchise record for consecutive games allowing 25 or more points. Not long ago, the Bucs defense was a stone wall. Under Bates, the defense looked like a track meet with linebackers and defensive backs racing to chase down ballcarriers galloping toward the end zone.

Since Raheem the Dream took over the defense, there has been significant improvement. So much so that now the Bucs defensive players are winners.

That’s the summation of Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. In his wrap up of Sunday’s games, he ranks the Bucs defense yesterday as winners.

For a week, the unit looked like the late-1990s edition, forcing five turnovers and consistently keeping Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeckoff balance. It was a ray of light in a three-week run that has been more competitive than any other stretch this season. That’s the good news. The bad news is Tampa Bay is going to have to finish the season against New Orleans and Atlanta, so we’ll find out if the recent grit is legitimate.

If Raheem the Dream is able to save his job and return next season, it will be because of the job he has done in turning around the Bucs defense.