NFL’s Most Porous Pass Defense Likely Cost Antoine Winfield, Jr.
January 4th, 2024
So safety Antoine Winfield Jr. didn’t make the Pro Bowl this season and a lot of people are bitter about it, including Winfield’s dad, a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback himself (2008, 2009 & 2010) with the Vikings.
The qualifying votes are divided evenly between fans, players and coaches.
Once upon a time Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy had low fan vote totals year after year, but coaches and players made up for it and put him the Pro Bowl.
So why Winfield didn’t make it? Joe can’t use that tired excuse, ‘He plays in Tampa.’ Heck, Winfield has played in about 20 prime time games in his four-year career, including a Super Bowl. And he went viral after flashing his famous peace sign at Tyreek Hill in that Super Bowl.
Winfield also has big-time stats this season.
Of the three NFC safeties named to the Pro Bowl, none plays for a team with a winning record, so that wasn’t a factor with the Bucs at 8-8.
Joe can only conclude that the Bucs’ atrocious pass defense cost Winfield dearly No team has allowed more passing yards this season than the Bucs.
Tampa Bay also ranks 26th in yards allowed per pass attempt, and 22nd in first downs allowed through the air and in touchdowns allowed.
Regardless, the Winfield snub is very hard to believe. Cardinals safety Budda Baker, one of the three NFC Pro Bowlers, missed five games this season and has zero passes defensed and no forced turnovers. And the Cardinals’ pass defense is on par with the Bucs’ struggling unit.
January 4th, 2024 at 2:14 pm
My man was robbed!!!!!
but just like you say about him…..
I say…..the most inept offense, having only one read, gets ME into the PB.
January 4th, 2024 at 2:20 pm
He will be an all pro so that’s all that matters
January 4th, 2024 at 2:23 pm
As long as he’s paid like a pro bowler.
January 4th, 2024 at 2:30 pm
Could Pro Bowl voters be open to accepting dark money ? Surely not.
Cynicism rears it’s ugly head.
January 4th, 2024 at 2:34 pm
There is no logical reason. Voting standards need to change. Bad for Winfield in a contract year. Better for Bucs in contract talks.
January 4th, 2024 at 2:48 pm
A lot, if not most, of the voting is habit or name recognition. Blame the media for making the Bucs the reason that Winfield did not get in. I don’t think he was talked about that much and other players get a lot of their information from ESPN and CBS and the like.
January 4th, 2024 at 2:53 pm
What a shame…
Too bad Dean and Davis are allowing over 70% of passes thrown at them to be completed.
I wonder if the Bucs will cut C. Davis this off-season. He will be making @ $20M in 2024.
Most overpaid B in the NFL…
January 4th, 2024 at 2:54 pm
* Most overpaid CB in the Nfl..
GD effing phone.
January 4th, 2024 at 3:03 pm
Budda getting in over AW is a crime. AW is better in almost every stat.
January 4th, 2024 at 3:06 pm
The Bucs weak D doesn’t cross anyone’s mind – if they don’t know enough about Winfield to know what a great year he’s having to vote him in – why would they be thinking of the Bucs pass defense and what a rotten year they’re having?
The truth is Winfield’s best games occurred in front of too few people who cast a vote. And that Buddha Baker is a legacy Pro Bowl guy who’s made 6 of the last 7 pro bowl teams. A lot of people just vote for who they know. Regardless of the kind of year he’s having.
January 4th, 2024 at 3:11 pm
Makes me think that the only reason is because he is a Buc. I’m also thinking that he is going to want to play somewhere else.
January 4th, 2024 at 3:17 pm
So Bowles sending the house every 3rd down cost Winfield a pro bowl.
Bowles HAS TO GO!
The rules of the game have changed. His style of Defense is out dated.
It’s time to move on.
January 4th, 2024 at 3:17 pm
This is so fd up.
The Buccaneers are a disrespected franchise in general.
Lavonte David should be a 10 time Pro Bowler to go along his Golden Jacket.
Winfield is suffering the “Bucs bias.”
We are just a franchise that is looked down upon.
Winfield is suffering the “Lavonte David treatment”
January 4th, 2024 at 3:35 pm
When you are forced to be playing with the lawn chair corner backs you are simply guilty by association. It is what it is. If I were antoine, I’d simply have a talk in quiet to my ‘brothers’.
January 4th, 2024 at 3:41 pm
Ten four on being the most overpaid buc in history marine. Davis needs to man up and play. I know he has at least one good game in all that talk of his.
January 4th, 2024 at 3:42 pm
Dean and Davis didn’t help him and neither did the boneheaded DC.
January 4th, 2024 at 3:44 pm
Glazer family; Please Roger, do something to help keep the salary down. If we pay him we might lose Evans.
January 4th, 2024 at 3:45 pm
Bowles pass defense has been bad since 2019, he’s shown little change in his schemes or coverages. Teams pass at will and will continue to do so.
January 4th, 2024 at 4:21 pm
That pass defense won’t matter when he’s named All-Pro. Most casual fans are idiots and vote for a name they recognize. They think the name Budda is cute, so they vote for it. If Winfield were an outspoken a$$hat that brings attention to himself he’d get votes.
Every single executive in the NFL would pick Winfield over Budda Baker.
January 4th, 2024 at 5:17 pm
Any chance he misses out on the Pro Bowl but ends up be selected All Pro as a safety?
January 4th, 2024 at 5:34 pm
As if you needed any more proof that the pro bowl is an absolute joke.
January 4th, 2024 at 5:36 pm
techerman nailed it.
Bucs players have to perform at 3x the level of others just to get any recognition.
January 4th, 2024 at 5:39 pm
Pro bowl is like college bowl games . They didnt let fsu in so alabamas qb could throw for 116yds .
January 4th, 2024 at 7:04 pm
The Bucs pass defense is mediocre, due to philosophy and the scheme employed by TB. A lot of off coverage and soft zone, allows the receivers free coverage and the QB to get rid of the ball quickly. Not to mention, the many miss communications.
January 4th, 2024 at 8:39 pm
The Pro Bowl don’t mean jack these days and it hasn’t in a long time.
January 4th, 2024 at 9:02 pm
True about the Bucs pass D but the Card’s D with Baker is not exactly the 1999/2002 Bucs or ’85 Bears either. They stink!
January 5th, 2024 at 2:52 am
That Joe, is a very very very poor excuse if anyone involved is saying that or thinking that!!!
Right up there with But Ronde was a system corner!
Geez!
Go Bucs!
January 5th, 2024 at 7:35 am
Yes he definitely got screwed just like Levante David did for years and years and years for some reason they look over Buccaneers no matter what’s going on
January 5th, 2024 at 7:37 am
Hopefully we can get him under contract for the next few years and I’m sure he’ll make the Pro Bowl
January 5th, 2024 at 8:37 am
Does anyone really care about the Pro Bowl. Its a friggin joke. a lot of players don’t really care. Probably most players are relieved when not selected to the Pro Bowl. Thats why so many bow out. So Winfield Jr, Wirfs, Vea we know your Pro Bowlers thats what counts. Enjoy the time off. Sorry Mike.
January 6th, 2024 at 4:34 am
A lot of it is name recognition. If you are voting for someone at a position you don’t know anything about you just put down the name you recognize. If Winfields name was Yabadabado Wide Receiver Assassin Winfield everyone would remember that name and mark him down. Everyone recognizes the name Buddha Baker. If his name was Tim Baker, not so much.
January 6th, 2024 at 6:48 am
Some players make the HOF due to being named ProBowler every year on Autopilot. *cough* JoeT *cough*