Bounceback Year For Antoine Winfield
June 12th, 2023
For Joe, the turning point of the Bucs’ 2022 season was the debacle in Cleveland.
Coming off their best game against Seattle and a bye week, the Bucs traveled to the struggling Browns (sorry for being repetitive) and Jacoby Brissett. For reasons not fully understood, the Bucs decided to play the game safe (Translation: Keep your opponent in the game).
It was as if the Bucs or the shot-callers on the sidelines were still hungover from too many Augustiner-Bräu Helles in Munich.”Sluggish” would be an understatement.
Then, with the game tied late, Tom Brady was moving the Bucs down the field with ease, leading a late drive to victory like he had done so many times.
Then, inexplicably, shockingly, Brady had the plug pulled and the ball taken out of his hands. After the game, it was learned the coaches were scared Brady might throw a pick, even though he entered the late-November game with a grand total of two picks through 10 games. And he hadn’t thrown a pick through 98 percent of that Clevleand game.
Play for overtime, the Bucs coaches thought. Brilliant!
In overtime, the Bucs not just lost the game, but two of their best players to injuries: Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield.
The Bucs would go on to lose three of their next six games to close the season with an 8-9 record. Having Winfield and Wirfs miss games sure didn’t help, albeit the Bucs won their division.
Winfield was dinged up last year and didn’t have his best season, One reason was he played a lot more nickel corner. Another was his concussion.
Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports really believes Winfield is going to bounce back this fall and maybe be better than he was in his 2021 Pro Bowl season.
…Winfield has just four interceptions in three seasons, but opposing quarterbacks have just a 67.3 passer rating targeting him.
A Pro Bowler in 2021, Winfield had 80 tackles, six quarterback hits, four sacks, an interception and three passes defended last season. He’s in the conversation as one of the best young safeties in the game, but has the opportunity to become one of the elite players at his position in 2023.
Yes, this is a smart choice. Winfield going back to his original position should result in the same top-shelf level of play he demonsrated in his first two seasons.
This is why some believe the Bucs secondary is damn strong. Joe agrees.
The only thing that concerns Joe about Winfield is his concussions. He missed multiple games in 2021 and in 2022 because of concussions..
Bucs coach Todd Bowles emphasized Winfield was not moved back from nickel to his original safety position to help prevent additional concussions.
Joe doesn’t fully buy that. If the Bucs aren’t concerned about Winfield’s concussions, they ought to be. The Bucs ultimately lost a young stud (Ali Marpet) due to a concussion. They don’t need to shorten Winfield’s career by being flippant.
June 12th, 2023 at 6:03 am
CONCUSSIONS OR NOT , IT’S ALWAYS GOOD WHEN YOU CAN MOVE A PRO-BOWLER BACK TO HIS ORIGINAL POSITION, ANTOINE’S
June 12th, 2023 at 6:15 am
AS I WAS SAYING ABOVE ANTOINE ‘S PLAY SLIPPED A BIT WHILE PLAYING OUT OF HIS NATURAL POSITION..HE’S GOING TO BE A GREAT SAFETY AS HE WAS BEFORE THE CHANGE..( I JUST PRAY THAT TRISTEN WIRFS CHANGE TO OTHER SIDE WON’T AFFECT HIS PRO-BOWL CALIBER OF PLAY…IF ANYONE CAN MAKE THE SWITCH & STILL MAKE THE PRO BOWL, IT’S TRISTEN WIRFS ! ! !
June 12th, 2023 at 6:30 am
caps lock?
June 12th, 2023 at 6:36 am
I ALSO BET THAT IF WE HAD RYAN NEIL AT THE OTHER SAFETY POSITION IN 2021 IN THE PLAYOFF GAME AGAINST THE RAMS, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE TO HELP ANTOINE OUT AGAINST THE MUCH TALLER KOOPER KUPP & WE WOULD HAVE BROKE UP THAT LONG DEEP PASS OVER THE MIDDLE THAT GAVE THEM THE BALL IN FIELD GOAL RANGE & ULTIMATELY LOST US THE GAME…BUT, HINDSIGHT IS ALWAYS 20/20…
June 12th, 2023 at 7:37 am
If the Bucs aren’t concerned about player concussions, I’m sure the players are, especially the Winfield’s and company.
June 12th, 2023 at 7:44 am
There is something strange about this guy. I expect him to have a terrible year. And he’s injury prone so don’t expect more than 8 games out of him.
June 12th, 2023 at 8:15 am
this dude screaming on everyone in caps…smh
June 12th, 2023 at 8:16 am
What do you mean “strange”?
June 12th, 2023 at 8:21 am
big hair…don’t care…
don’t fuss….get concuss
June 12th, 2023 at 8:41 am
Yes, Winfield needs to go back to his original safety position. He was pretty bad in the nickel position. Very concerned about his concussion issues.
June 12th, 2023 at 8:50 am
One more head hit should result in him rethinking his career.
June 12th, 2023 at 8:50 am
One more head hit should result in him rethinking his career.
June 12th, 2023 at 9:00 am
Don’t worry sports fans, soon we won’t have to worry about concussions. Within a few years this will be the NPL. The National Panties League. With the continued changes to “make our sport safer”, the NFL is wussifying the league. It will be flag football before long.
June 12th, 2023 at 9:47 am
TOMMY MORDUE Says:
June 12th, 2023 at 6:36 am
I ALSO BET THAT IF WE HAD RYAN NEIL AT THE OTHER SAFETY POSITION IN 2021 IN THE PLAYOFF GAME AGAINST THE RAMS, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE TO HELP ANTOINE OUT
————-
That, along with typing in all caps, is about the dumbest thing ever. Winfield had Kupp one on one… no additional help. Whomever was at the other safety position had other responsibilities… nobody covers for a safety, they are the last line of defense. Antoine bit hard on the short route and got beaten over top… it was cover ZERO… no help. That was ALL on Antoine… it happens. It’s football.
June 12th, 2023 at 10:09 am
more than 7 concussions is considered no joke…
i’ve had 2 or 3 in my life from slamming my head on the hard concrete of new york city pavements…
we used to play football on concrete as kids, and a game called “kill the carrier” as well, when you gang tackle to the ground who ever has the ball…
so i took concussions as a youngster playing street games on hard city concrete – and often my head was slammed on the hard pavement – and you know what — that really hurts
June 12th, 2023 at 10:57 am
“kill the carrier”
Turns boys to boys with cuts, scrapes, bruises, and hurt pride lol I’d rather get hit then run into the trunk/hood of a parked car tracking a pass. Had 1 concussion in my life, it was in HS and the moment I knew I was on the wrong side of the ball playing kick return.
June 12th, 2023 at 11:42 am
Dooley Says:
“Had 1 concussion in my life, it was in HS and the moment I knew I was on the wrong side of the ball playing kick return.”
.
.
I’ve had a couple, but the worst one was also in HS football. Playing safety, and a running back that out-weighed me by 30 lbs ran through our front 7 untouched straight at me. I made the tackle, but got trucked. I spent the rest of the game confused about why the score board was at the wrong end of the field and had trouble figuring out which sideline I was supposed to be on. LOL
June 12th, 2023 at 1:04 pm
Kill the carrier oh man just brought back some great memories. Thanks for that.
June 12th, 2023 at 2:13 pm
Say what you want about his play slipping but Jordan Whitehead is what was missing.
We need a safety that plays like Whitehead did on the strong/nickel side so Winfield can play Free and roam like he did more with Jordan.
He can do this because Ryan Neal can tackle.
Winfield is also a great tackler which is why Bowles used him up on the line and at nickel.
We didn’t gain as much as we lost, so back to Free he goes.
Now we need Ryan Neal to be the Top 5 coverage guy PFF says he is and for Zyon McCollum or Christian Izien to be good at nickel.
June 12th, 2023 at 5:30 pm
There was no “late drive to victory”. There were false start and delay of game penalties, lots of incomplete passes, and a late 4th quarter sack that set up Browns’ game tying drive. Ok, CNN Joe.