ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Detroit Lions defensive tackle Akeem Spence hasn’t thought too much about what would happen if he sacks his former quarterback, Jameis Winston, on Sunday, but there will be a celebration.

And it might include eating a W.

“That’s a possibility,” Spence said Wednesday, laughing hard after being asked if he’d do that as a celebration at Winston. “I’m going to think of some meaner celebrations. That’s a cool one, so that’s a possibility.

“Look for that one.”

Akeem Spence hopes to draw a bead on Jameis Winston as he did here against Falcons WR Taylor Gabriel. Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire

This game has mattered a lot for Spence since he signed with Detroit from Tampa Bay in free agency this offseason. Once the schedule came out and he saw the Lions would be traveling to Tampa in December, he considered it “like a Christmas gift.”

First, Spence is from the state. Second, he still makes his offseason home in Tampa. Third, there is some bitterness from Spence about not returning to the Buccaneers after what he felt were four good seasons in Tampa Bay where he was trying to help build a winner.

Spence had 5.5 sacks in four seasons in Tampa Bay, recovering three fumbles and being a part-time starter in 2014, 2015 and 2016 after starting 14 of 16 games as a rookie out of Illinois.

This year in Detroit, Spence has 24 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He has started seven games, mostly since Haloti Ngata was lost for the season. Spence said he chose Detroit after receiving overtures from Atlanta and Carolina in free agency. But that the Lions showed the most interest.

And now, he’s ready to face his old team, calling it “kind of personal.”

“Oh absolutely extra motivation,” Spence said. “Soon as I walked in the building, that training room, man, said Tampa Bay Buccaneers, like my face just lit up this morning.

“Obviously we didn’t get what we wanted done last week, but this week, I got some s--- to get off my chest.”

He said he enjoyed his time in Tampa, though, and developed good relationships with some of his defensive teammates. So while he said he was "bitter," he called it a "good bitter" that he didn't end up staying with the Buccaneers after last season. Spence said “it’s hard” for the Bucs to win consistently, although he couldn’t pinpoint as to why. He said each coach has a different philosophy with how they handle the job in Tampa Bay. One thing he pointed to is coaches trying to use the heat as an advantage where players see it as a disadvantage during the offseason.

He felt the Bucs haven’t found “the right formula” yet. It’s a formula that hasn’t worked for Tampa Bay this year, either, as the Bucs are 4-8 and out of the playoff race. Tampa Bay has finished over .500 just three times in the past 10 years.

That would include making sure Winston doesn’t get to eat a W – something the Lions saw another quarterback do Sunday to them. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco ate a W in his news conference following Baltimore’s 44-20 win over the Lions on Sunday, and Spence couldn’t believe it. It's something he doesn't plan on seeing for the second straight week.