TAMPA, Fla. -- Gerald McCoy summed up the mind-set of the suddenly stingy Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense.Its our job to keep the other team from scoring, the four-time Pro Bowl tackle said. If they dont score, they dont win.The streaking Bucs (8-5) have been as effective as anyone in shutting down opposing offenses during a five-game winning streak that has propelled the team into contention for its first playoff berth in nine years.Jameis Winstons leadership and progress as a second-year quarterback has commanded most of the attention during the surge, however the play of the McCoy-led defense has been just as important.The Bucs have held their last five opponents under 21 points, the longest such stretch for the franchise since the last three games of 2009 and the first two of the following season.You have to go back to 2008 for the last time it happened within the same season.Theyre just playing with a lot of confidence, coach Dirk Koetter said, reflecting on Sundays 16-11 victory over New Orleans , which was held without a touchdown for only the second time in the 11 seasons the quarterback/coach duo of Drew Brees and Sean Payton has been together with the Saints, who lead the NFL in total offense.The Bucs intercepted Brees three times, giving them a league-leading 23 takeaways since Week 5, and forced New Orleans to settle for field goals on two drives inside the Bucs 5-yard line.Tampa Bay had the NFLs worst turnover differential through a 1/3 start. The defense has worked its way up to a tie for 11th while helping the team win seven of nine to climb into position to challenge for its first division title and playoff berth since 2007.Its great to see, Koetter said. Some of these guys on defense have been beat up for a few years. Its great to see these guys having the success theyre having, it really is.McCoy, the third overall pick in the 2010 draft, is in his seventh season and has yet to make the playoffs. He shrugged off a question about whether he feels Tampa Bays defense, which during the current winning streak has held every opponent under 350 yards, is underrated.I dont care, were winning. ... Were winning because were playing together, not turning the ball over and were taking the ball away, McCoy said. Were winning because were playing as a team.And because many of the moves general manager Jason Licht made to fix the defense during the offseason are beginning to pay off.The Bucs drafted cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III in the first round after signing veteran pass rusher Robert Ayers, Jr., cornerback Brent Grimes and linebacker Daryl Smith in free agency.Ayers had Tampa Bays lone sack against the Saints. Hargreaves and Grimes had two of the three interceptions off Brees.Winston noted that the defense has given some of the leagues best quarterbacks fits while allowing just over 12 points per game in wins over Seattle, San Diego and New Orleans the past three weeks.Our defense has been playing amazing. It starts with our leaders ... Clinton McDonald, Gerald McCoy and Lavonte (David) have taken it to a whole new level, Winston said.What they did to Philip Rivers last week, what they did to Drew this week, what they did to Russell Wilson the week before, we are playing good football, Winston added. But weve got to continue to get better.The young team is confident it hasnt peaked.The Bucs travel to Dallas (11-2) for a prime-time matchup Sunday night, then finish the regular season at New Orleans and home against Carolina.It doesnt matter what your record is. You can get hot at any time, Hargreaves said. Were hot right now, and were going to try and keep that going.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLWholesale Custom Nets Shirts . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. Custom Nets Jerseys .Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats. http://www.customnetsjersey.com/ . But now that hes in the NHL, the Calgary Flames centre showed big improvement in that department by scoring the winner in the eighth round of a 5-4 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Drazen Petrovic Jersey Large . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. Julius Erving Jersey Large . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season.Sydney coach Andrew Gaze has dismissed criticism that the Kings are trying to buy their way to an NBL title.Since the season started, Sydney have added former NBA players Josh Powell and Steve Blake to an already-strong roster which also includes two-time league MVP Kevin Lisch and fellow Australian star Brad Newley.Everyone is playing by the same rules, everyone is out there trying to recruit the best players they possibly can, said first-year coach Gaze, who has the Kings sitting atop the ladder with five wins from their first six matches.One thing I have learnt in my short time here is that the speculation and the lack of knowledge of what people are getting paid and the rumours that go around is quite comical.We would certainly be one of the teams that are at the top end of spending.But I dont think were doing any more thann a couple of others.ddddddddddddThe NBL have lifted the salary cap this year from a hard cap of $1 million to a soft cap of $1.1 million.Teams may exceed the soft cap provided that they pay a salary equalisation subsidy.Its not against the rules to pay players whatever you want, Gaze said.But I dont think were in that extreme category where we might be facing some prospects of, depending on the end numbers, being involved in having to pay some taxes.But I dare say that a few other clubs either are, or they are not telling the truth.The Kings have played four of their first six matches at home.Three of their next four are on the road in an eight-day spell, starting with a trip to Cairns on Saturday. 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