Bucs safety Antwon Winfield Jr., coming off a career year and signing a big contract in the offseason, said he had a goal in mind. for him to be better than before. But while he was a huge contributor to Tampa Bay’s defense last season, things didn’t go according to Winfield and the team’s plan through 10 games this season.
The All-Pro defensive back hasn’t been able to replicate last season’s performance in terms of playmaking and has struggled in terms of tackling. He has regressed unexpectedly, and assistant defensive coordinator Larry Foote spoke on Monday about how Winfield can break out of a slump and get back on track late in the game.
Antwon Winfield Jr. wasn’t himself as an All-Pro and playmaker.
Bucks FS Antwon Winfield Jr. and 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Antwon Winfield Jr. hasn’t been his typical playmaking self this season, and one wonders if that’s due to the ankle and foot sprains he sustained in the Bucks’ season-opening win over the Commanders. There will be some people. Winfield missed the next four games and did not return until Week 6 against the Saints.
He had his best play of the season in this game, recovering a Spencer Rattler fumble and returning it 58 yards for a touchdown. Other than that, “Tweeds” hasn’t made much of an impact, except for a sack against the Ravens on Monday Night Football the following week. The camera angle is different Back in Week 8, he stopped Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts from taking the ball out of his hands at the goal line.
That pales in comparison to last year, when he was a one-man defensive wrecking crew.
2023: 17 games, 122 total tackles, 12 passes defended, 6 forced fumbles, 6 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, 3 interceptions.
2024: 6 games, 48 total tackles, 2 passes defensed, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery
The biggest concern is Winfield’s tackling. His missed tackle rate has increased from 7.9% to 12% (per Pro Football Focus), and after being rated the best safety out of 95 players by PFF last year, he currently ranks 80th out of 89 players.
It was expected (and should have been) that his game would regress slightly, but not by this much. Maybe he’s not the best safety, but he’ll still be in the top five or top 10. The fact that he has fallen this far in the standings correlates with the Bucks’ defense’s own struggles, and they desperately need him to bounce back.
Bucks co-DC Larry Foote: Antwon Winfield Jr.: “There’s no need to press”
Bucks FS Antwon Winfield Jr. – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Despite his departure, assistant defensive coordinator Larry Foote still believes in Antwon Winfield Jr. Foote knows what it’s like as a former defenseman who experienced the ups and downs of a 13-year playing career. He likened Winfield’s play to that of a slugger trying to break out of a slump.
“Everyone has to really focus on getting to the ball. That’s just my belief,” Foote said of Winfield and the team fixing their tackling issues. “Just like in baseball, you can go into slumps.Winfield – He hasn’t missed that many tackles, he’s probably missed more tackles in one season than he has in his entire career.
“It’s tough. You have to concentrate. Look at the ball more – it’s hard to beat guys in this league. We gave up some big plays with some missed tackles, but no one We have to take another step, get our hands on the basics, get everyone together and keep our heads up. The main thing to focus on is getting off the block. needs to put more hat on the ball.”
It takes one big extra-base hit to bring a baseball player out of a slump. That’s definitely a home run. Winfield is past the point of making big plays of his own.
“He’s got to keep playing,” Foote said of how Winfield will get back into shape. “When you’re playing the safety position, you might not get as many chances if the quarterback doesn’t throw you the ball. He doesn’t have to press. Everybody has [gone] Despite missing tackles in this league, Winfield should be fine. I’m sure you’re all used to splash play. [are not] So we are sounding the alarm. He has done us many good things. What I see is that he probably misses more tackles. He will fix it in the future. ”
Is Antwon Winfield Jr.’s struggles due to injury?
Bucks S. Antwon Winfield Jr. Photo courtesy of USA Today
Could Antwone Winfield Jr.’s struggles be due to his ankle/foot injury in Week 1? He appeared on the injury report again in Week 9 with a foot injury, but he hasn’t been 100% this season. Most likely not.
“I don’t know – you’ll have to ask him that,” Larry Foote said. “It’s hard to take guys down in this league. I can speak for myself. I’m perfectly healthy, but I missed the tackle that I normally do. It’s hard to put guys on the ground. It’s tough. Like I said before, I challenged guys to get off the block and put their hats on the ball more… It’s tough to beat guys.”
Foote gave a very coach-like answer, but it’s fair to wonder how much Winfield’s foot injury has bothered him and slowed his explosiveness. There’s no excuse if he’s playing on the field, but it might help explain why he doesn’t make the weekly highlight reel.
His return to form will be critical if the Bucks want to have a chance to play in the playoffs this season. Still, the entire team will need to appear and play in the final seven games of the season. A win to improve to 7-0 would ensure Tampa Bay makes the playoffs, but they would need to go 6-1 to continue playing football into January.
“No matter what, December and January are going to be the ones we remember, so I’m looking forward to seeing him bounce back,” Foote said.
