Coaching Around Antoine Winfield’s Concussion
November 15th, 2022
Pro Bowl safety Antoine Winfield, Jr.
The NFL has strict return-to-play protocols for players following a concussion. So when cleared, a player is considered 100 percent ready.
Pro Bowl safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. was back in the lineup Sunday after missing two games because of a concussion. However, it seems Bucs defensive playcaller/head coach Todd Bowles wasn’t ready to consider Winfield 100 percent healthy.
Speaking Tuesday on the Buccaneers Radio Network, Bowles noted that he worked around Winfield’s brain when crafting the gameplan.
“He’s just coming off a concussion, so you don’t really want him up there in the action,” Bowles said of Winfield. “So we wanted him back patrolling the middle a little more. He’s our best middle field player as well. We wanted to make sure we has some sure tackling if [Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker] got out of there, and we were playing a little more man coverage so Sean [Murphy-Bunting] was more adequate to handle the slot. And Sean did a great job last week, as well. We kind of went with that lineup and we’ll see what we go with after the bye week.”
Joe gets Bowles’ thought process, but it really makes you wonder about concussions. If Winfield was 100 percent, then why be worried about keeping him out of “the action?”
And if he’s his brain wasn’t 100 percent, then what was he doing on the field?
On any NFL field, “the action” is everywhere. So Bowles’ comment is perplexing unless the Bucs weren’t sure if Winfield would be available Sunday in Germany.
Regardless, with a bye week, Winfield should be back to his old self — blitzing and bearing down on the Browns’ tough running backs when the Bucs return to the field in Cleveland.
November 16th, 2022 at 12:33 am
SMB has looked his best this year than he’s been a Bucs (I’ll give him picks in three games in a row 2020 playoffs) Gotta resign Dean though. Licht and Bowles should draft a sick slot CB in the first or second round. Make Logan Ryan DB coach.
November 16th, 2022 at 12:46 am
SMB just isn’t impressive at all to me. Signing Dean should be the priority IMO.
November 16th, 2022 at 1:31 am
Every concussion makes another one more likely. And the NFL’s concussion protocols probably don’t require 100% recovery of brain tissue, if they even bother to do scans to look for swelling.
Winfield is one concussion away from needing to seriously consider retirement.
Having him stay out of collisions right now makes a lot of sense.
November 16th, 2022 at 3:14 am
Concussions aren’t a big deal. No one actually knows what the rate of CTE is in the general population. It’s all BS. There are concussions that are legit bad, that need a real recovery time (although the recovery time for each person may be different), and there is nonsense we’re plagued with now where doctors just call everything a concussion because they don’t want to get sued.
November 16th, 2022 at 4:15 am
Rod … Apparently concussions aren’t a big deal in Rodneyville, until they happen to you that is. Kinda like the difference between minor surgery & major surgery. Minor surgery is when you get cut on. Major surgery is when I get cut on.
Beyond the physical damage that can occur to the brain, there’s also the psychological implications. Played ice hockey growing up all the way through college, back in the days when no one wore helmets (my wife says that explains a lot all by itself). Get a good ‘stiff arm’ to the head while being checked & it got your attention, and KEPT IT for quite awhile. Not fun seeing stars when you’re playing indoors.
Maybe that’s why Todd Bowles said what he said. The NFL errs on the side of caution nowadays I’m sure when it comes to concussions. But the psychological impact MAY continue on for a little while once the player takes the field again. Bowles was probably just being cautious.
November 16th, 2022 at 8:09 am
The more media magnifies this, the more I say shutdown contact football. There is NO 100% solution on concussions in a contact sport. Keep bringing this up and the only 100% solution you should get is FLAG FOOTBALL!!!! I’d you truly want concussions out of the game, let’s all please stop supporting the NFL.
November 16th, 2022 at 8:24 am
Agree, you don’t want Winfield coming up and sticking his head in there to make tackles. You want to keep him on the field, so let him play coverage for now.
November 16th, 2022 at 10:01 am
It makes sense to not have him playing run support initially.
I like it.
November 16th, 2022 at 1:11 pm
I think SMB let that first TD happen because he messed up an assignment need to go back watch the tape