Antoine Winfield Jr. Isn’t The Same Player
November 11th, 2024
Joe isn’t seeing the same Antoine Winfield Jr. who was an All-Pro safety last year.
And it’s got to be tied to Winfield’s foot injury that came in the final garbage-time minutes of the Bucs’ Week 1 win against Washington.
What else could it be? He’s not a check-collector kind of guy. He’s the opposite.
The photo above shows Winfield chasing rookie 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall and engaging him at the 11 yard line. Winfield couldn’t make the tackle. Touchdown, San Francisco.
To make matters worse, Winfield hesitated on his approach to Pearsall and Tom Brady expressed his surprise on FOX that Winfield didn’t make the play.
Sound familiar? Winfield hesitated against the Chiefs a week ago on a first-half deep throw. Instead of a pass breakup or an interception on a ball Winfield was tracking in a centerfield-type position, it was a completion to Andre Hopkins.
Todd Bowles called out Winfield for the gaffe on live television at halftime.
Winfield had six official forced fumbles last season but has none this season (yes he was robbed against Atlanta).
Winfield has no interceptions this season, either, and he has just one sack after the leading the team last year with six. Other Winfield playmaker-type stats are down, as well.
But it’s really not about stats for Joe, Winfield doesn’t look like the same player.
Perhaps this bye week is exactly what Winfield needs to recapture his glory.
First NFL TD for Ricky Pearsall ‼️
📺 #SFvsTB on FOX pic.twitter.com/J8kjN1jYLB
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 10, 2024
November 11th, 2024 at 1:22 pm
You know who else isn’t the same player?
BAKER MAYFIELD
November 11th, 2024 at 1:26 pm
hes cutting back on ped usage like camarda
November 11th, 2024 at 1:28 pm
Ya just don’t pay safeties that kind of money.
November 11th, 2024 at 1:28 pm
Trask To The Future Says:
You know who else isn’t the same player?
BAKER MAYFIELD
^^^^^
Totally! He’s the best player on the team. Last year it was AWJ and maybe Camarda … talk about not the same. Baker is top 5 QB in the league right now. Definitely best vet QB per dollar.
November 11th, 2024 at 1:28 pm
That’s what happens when u over pay
November 11th, 2024 at 1:36 pm
omg i can not believe that camarda “cheech & chonged” his way right out of the league…
pathetic unravelling…it’s like a tanard jackson type story
November 11th, 2024 at 1:37 pm
Paying $21M for a game-wrecker.
Dude wreaked havoc last year but that was his ceiling and this year he’s just off.
He’s a really good player, but not going to take over a game.
November 11th, 2024 at 1:38 pm
Got paid. Way overpaid. Licht likes waiting til the last min to overpay his picks instead of being more proactive.
November 11th, 2024 at 1:41 pm
Maybe he’ll rebound this year some but playing at last year’s level every year is a tall order for such a small football player. Safeties take a beating.
November 11th, 2024 at 1:42 pm
When Belichick is here next year , they’ll probably trade him if they can. Thing against Winfield but when you have a defense this poor you don’t need a max contract at that position. That money could be better spent on a pass rusher
November 11th, 2024 at 1:43 pm
Joe I’m so glad you noticed the hesitation. He had the angle too.
Take a look at the floater to McCaffrey, it appears that he didn’t react to the ball and McCaffrey just ran under it. Isn’t it the safety’s job to help contain or contest the throw.
Watch the Jennings 15 yard catch near the end that moved them into field goal. Not Winfield but cornerback missed tackle allowing 10 yards of YAC.
If the aren’t pressing receivers at line to reroute them to the middle of the field then that DB has to secure the tackle.
Sloppy tackling and no semblance of strategy by DC/HC in the closing minutes of a game.
Bucs really do need a culture change, this crapshow is unfair to the fans sitting in 100 degree weather to be have lost 3 straight games at home. The Raven game was the only one that was out of reach but yesterday’s game and the Falcon’s loss are killers.
November 11th, 2024 at 1:45 pm
He’s being coached down. Every promising young Bucs defensive player has regressed or not developed. Vea, JTS, Yaya, Kancey, Devin White (exhibit A), Davis when here (now he’s playing well in Detroit with good coaching), Dean, Winfield, Whitehead. Britt (LOL). Braswell doesn’t have a chance. This is coaching fraud at its worst.
I guess the Glazers and Jason are just going to hold their noses and wait for Lovie to out Raheem the 2011 collapse so it’s overly obvious to everyone, even those who get religious about Lovie. Wish it could be today.
November 11th, 2024 at 1:46 pm
one corner is missing, and the other safely is no longer the player he once was – or doesn’t really care to hit any more…
and it’s rubbing off on winfield…his cohorts are slacking…
and it’s not like he’s gonna follow newbie zyon’s lead…even tho he should – because zyon is working hard and playing relatively well most of the time…
in fact he’s a borderline pro bowler this year, at this point – wow i can’t believe i’m even typing that…but he is
November 11th, 2024 at 1:49 pm
Winfield got his bag and he is out there making business decisions like his partner Whitehead.
November 11th, 2024 at 1:53 pm
what exactly does that mean ^^^
“he’s out there making business decisions”
everyone keeps typing that in comments…i read it all the time in the comments…
what the heck does that actually mean ???
i’m being serious…i see it written in comments often that guys are making business decisions on the field…
please explain…???
or do i have to ask the hawk tuah girl 🙂
November 11th, 2024 at 2:00 pm
I’m more disappointed in Whitehead to be totally honest.
November 11th, 2024 at 2:08 pm
Just watched the play that cost the Bucs the stop and it is 100% a muff by Winfield. With 21 seconds the Niners run Jennings on a run route towards the sideline he catches the ball at about the 45, Winfield has a clear path to bring him down right away keeping him in bounds, he hesitated, then missed a tackle so that Jennings could pick up another 12 yards plus got out of bounds. That gave the Niners the ball at the 30. If he makes that tackle that FG is from about 55 instead of 45-48 yards. Watch the play, a $30,000,000 safety has to be the man to tackle Jennings. Earlier in the game McCaffrey caught a 6 yarder near the sidelines and Winfield made a weak tackle attempt and Christian tiptoed another 7 yards!
November 11th, 2024 at 2:18 pm
Simple he’s injured
Stop bashing the guy
The bye will do wonders youlll see
November 11th, 2024 at 2:19 pm
to be fair, he doesn’t have much of a supporting cast back there. Hes most likely torn between covering his area, and wondering if thunderflop or haze will do their job. Same for mayfield missing on the short timing routes with b recievers…
November 11th, 2024 at 2:27 pm
This entire season changed once Bucky fumbled at the 25 yard line up 30-27 with less than 3 minutes to go in Atlanta.
Losing hurts but ALL 6 losses this year have been BRUTAL!
November 11th, 2024 at 2:57 pm
Winfield. Another senseless injury with Todd in charge. His decisions have cost the Bucs this season and his job
November 11th, 2024 at 3:14 pm
How can you not say paycheck isn’t part of the equation? Take the money out of the conversation and maybe the hype got to his head? He played lights out to get a new contract so what’s the incentive this year? He’s been a non factor this year and the amount of poor angles, tackling, etc and the consistency of those issues is not just from a foot. A poor angle of attack is a poor angle of attack.
November 11th, 2024 at 3:16 pm
Also, any comment from Joe on C. Davis lights out game last night? Two interceptions would be nice right about now.
November 11th, 2024 at 3:52 pm
On one play he had the player for a loss and went for the strip rather than make the tackle and the runner got loose and turned it into a big gain. Just make the tackle, that would have been a big play in itself.
November 11th, 2024 at 4:00 pm
Yeah, and everyone here was saying to get rid of C. Davis, like they are mewling to get rid of Todd.
The schemes were ok but the execution was off a lot of the time. It was on sometime. I still think we need a younger DC but I am all for keeping Bowles as HC. ATM the stars don’t line up. That’s mostly because the stars aren’t on the field.
November 11th, 2024 at 4:10 pm
If someone wants to see the Bucs go 2-15 or worse next year, sure, just keep Lovie around.
Watch how flat they come out after the bye. They will redefine flatness. The Bonneville salt flats will look mountainous compared to Lovie’s Bucs after the bye.
The Glazers and Licht know what to do, their track record proves this. But Jason learns from his mistakes, unlike the Bucs double failure of a coich. He will find a way to retain Liam, he will find a real Head Coach named Bill, and he will also make sure Bill understands he will have a full time Defensive Coordinator named Robert, and will be a collaborator on the roster but not the supreme commander.
Winning ways and winning days are returning in 2025.
November 11th, 2024 at 5:43 pm
Dave Pear, I hope you’re right. Look at the difference with the Chargers this year mince they got a real HC. Next year, draft edge, then edge ,then LB, then LB and go get some CBs for the new HC and DC.
November 11th, 2024 at 7:48 pm
Winfield Jr. looks slow and very tentative. A safety is supposed to remind the opponent’s receivers why it isn’t a good idea to challenge the back end of the defense. Not sure what he is doing back there. The other guy (Whitehead) looks even more lost. Nothing with this defense looks in sync. OK to blame it on the coach but it isn’t overly complicated. See ball. Get ball. Punish the other guy.
November 11th, 2024 at 7:51 pm
This Team is just not that good without their all pro WRs they are what
Made this team plus the pass rush was always suspect coming into the season
November 11th, 2024 at 7:59 pm
Officially Grossly Overpaid.
November 11th, 2024 at 10:10 pm
He will turn it back around next year when healthier. Team has no LB help and lacking corners, AW likely trying to cover too much of those areas. He will bounce back like Budda Baker has been doing for AZ.
November 11th, 2024 at 11:32 pm
He’s honestly looking worse and worse with each passing week.
Same with Whitehead.
And all the DBs who are injured (which is barely any of them)
Defense line and OLBs are an absolute joke.
And even my boy Lavonte finally looks old.
Tl;dr; this defense is a steaming pile of rancid dog 💩
November 12th, 2024 at 2:51 am
Maybe during the worthless preseason they could have “communicated” how to tackle.
November 12th, 2024 at 6:00 am
Winfield had the foot injury and still isn’t up to par. He is still young, and after the bye we could see a solid comeback. Hoping.
Trask to the Future – Baker has grown and found his fit with the Bucs. Many out there in the sports media have Baker as their top favorite. He is offense and defense playing his heart out every single week. The coaches must be seeing something we don’t with Trask and why he isn’t put on the field. He seems like a good guy. But if he is such a good QB why haven’t teams reached out for him? You can bet many teams would love to have Baker.
November 12th, 2024 at 7:47 am
Follow the money, he got paid.
November 12th, 2024 at 8:50 am
It’s all Bowles fault. Left Winfield in the game against the Redskins until late in the game when we were blowing them out and he got hurt (Godwin same thing). Bowles defensive schemes also hurting Winfield as well as Whotehead. Whitehead balled out for the Jets and looks like trash since he came back to Tampa. FIRE BOWLES!!
November 12th, 2024 at 11:06 am
Trask To The Future Says:
November 11th, 2024 at 1:22 pm
You know who else isn’t the same player?
BAKER MAYFIELD
—————————————————-
TTTF, You have OCD which is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Mayfield is playing great even with 3rd string WR’s. Get a new hobby. The world needs bingo players.
November 12th, 2024 at 11:22 pm
Yup! Neither does Whitehead Joe. I don’t get it. Really I just do not get it.
I don’t think anyone on the Bucs has given up. We don’t have a Lovie/Rah type team. I just do not get it.
Go Bucs!