DETROIT _ Jameis Winston and his Bucs teammates had just dropped a few records in Motown, where the hits kept coming.
Shaq Barrett's first-quarter sack gave him 16.5, tying him with Warren Sapp for the franchise record held since 2000.
Rookie cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting sealed the Bucs fourth straight victory when he returned an interception 70 yards into the end zone where 40 family members were going crazy.
But nobody was in a sweeter rhythm Sunday than Winston, and he knew it when he stepped to the post-game podium.
Playing with a fractured thumb on his right throwing hand which prevented him from picking up a football until Friday, Winston passed for 458 yards and four touchdowns in the 38-17 win over the Lions.
It topped the career-high Winston set of 456 yards a week earlier in a win over the Colts, making him the first player in NFL history to pass for at least 450 yards in consecutive weeks. His 30 touchdown passes also reset his own 2016 franchise single-season mark.
Winston's timing is perfect considering that he only has two more games to convince the Bucs he should be their quarterback for at least 2020, if not beyond.
"I hope I helped myself," Winston said. "Because I definitely want to be here in Tampa."
Though brief, it was the first public acknowledgment that Winston hopes his recent performances will result in him remaining with the Bucs rather than becoming a free agent in March.
If there still are any fence-sitters about whether the Bucs need to find a way to lock up Winston and Barrett for 2020, well, put on the tape of the past two games.
For the second game in a row and the fifth time this season, Winston threw an interception on the Bucs' first series. Yes, he leads the NFL with 24 interceptions.
Not only did he overcome that, but receiver Mike Evans was out with a hamstring injury. Scotty Miller had to leave the game when he aggravated his hamstring on a 33-yard reception for his first NFL touchdown. In the third quarter, Chris Godwin went down with a hamstring injury that "doesn't look good," according to Bucs coach Bruce Arians.
Oh, and the Bucs were without left tackle Donovan Smith, whose knee injury forced him to miss his first game in five seasons, ending a streak of 77 starts.
"I thought he was fantastic," Arians said of Winston. "Just give them one and let's go play and let's win the game. That first quarter was light's out. Every ball was on the money. I can't say enough about him."
Shaking off the interception, Winston passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter. It was the most yards in the first quarter by any quarterback this season and the NFL's third-most the past 40 years _ behind only Peyton Manning (247) and Jim Kelly (229).
Winston had some discomfort gripping the football Sunday. But trainer Bobby Slater fashioned a customized glove he wore on his right hand to give him extra protection and support.
"It's just squeezing (the football), it's always going to hurt," Winston said. "But it's not about me. It's about this team. I'm going to do my best to get healthy. A lot of us are going to do our best to get healthy. We're kind of low on receivers right now. I'm just happy we won this game."
They won because the Bucs' defense dominated the first half as Winston built a 24-3 lead.
Barrett tied Sapp's record when he came off the edge to sack Lions quarterback David Blough.
"Tell Shaq welcome to the club, but work not done!" Sapp texted to the Times after the game.
The debate used to be about which player the Bucs can least afford to let out of Tampa Bay _ Winston or Barrett? The correct answer is quickly becoming neither.
Winston is in the final year of his contract that pays him $20.9-million. A long-term deal may still seem unlikely, but the franchise tag would pay him between $25 million and $27 million on a one-year contract.
Nobody expected a record-setting season from Barrett when the Bucs signed him to a one-year, $4-million deal as a free agent from Denver. He had only had 14 career sacks in five seasons with Denver as an apprentice to great pass rushers such as Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.
But he started the season on fire, with nine sacks in his first four games. His six forced fumbles also are the most in the league.
"I love having my name etched in stone next to (Sapp's) name," Barrett said. "I'd love to be the (leader), that's my goal going into the next game.
The Bucs have until March to sort all this out.
Usually, teams have to decide whether to use either a franchise tag or a transition player tag. The first guarantees a player the average salary of the top five highest players at their position in exchange for essentially forgoing free agency.
The transition tag guarantees the right of first refusal to match any offer the player may make with another team. It is a one-year contract equal to the average salary of the top 10 players in the league at the player's position.
Because 2020 is the last year of the collective bargaining agreement, the Bucs will have use of both the franchise and transition tag.
Arians may have lost all the Bucs leverage after the game when asked about Barrett's future.
"He ain't going anywhere," Arians said.
"I like that," Barrett said. "I think I'll be here for sure. I like it here. They like me here. I don't want to go nowhere, man."
It will get tougher for Winston and the Bucs. They play Saturday against the Texans, who are 9-5 and lead the AFC South. Godwin, Evans and Miller may be out.
Even so, games like Sunday's just make it more obvious that Winston and Barrett are record-setting players.
You don't let those artists sign with another label.
