Larry Foote Acknowledges Antoine Winfield Struggles
November 19th, 2024
Bucs defensive assistant Larry Foote.
Joe just has to believe All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield is hurt. He doesn’t look remotely the same as he did this summer, forget about last year when he was named All-Pro.
Winfield was sick during training camp the way he raced all over the field in scrimmages. He was perhaps faster than Joe had ever seen him. And Winfield played lights-out ball against the Commandos to open the season.
It was very late in that game, a decisive Bucs win, that Winfield hurt his foot. He missed the next four games.
(Missing four games with an injured foot sounds to Joe like a fracture or a severe sprain.)
Even inside linebackers coach/defensive run game coordinator Larry Foote all but said Winfield may be having his worst season as a pro.
“Winfield – he hasn’t missed a lot of tackles, and it seems like he’s missed a majority of his tackles in one season than he did through all of his career,” Foote said. “It’s tough. We’ve got to concentrate. More hats to the ball – it’s tough to bring guys down in this league.”
So how does Foote help Winfield prevent missing so many tackles? Foote said the first step is to get to the ball — it’s hard to make a tackle if a defender isn’t in position to make a tackle.
So hustle and good things will happen.
“We’ve got to harp on the fundamentals – wrapping guys up, keep your head up,” Foote said. “The main thing to focus on is getting off of blocks. We need more hats to the ball.”
Foote also said in regards to the pass defense that the Bucs have decided to go back to square one and focus on fundamentals. For Joe, that seems smart.
Joe was starting to believe what Todd Bowles might want to do could be too complicated and maybe he needed to dial back his defense.
Joe’s first order of business would be to let defensive tackles be defensive tackles and turn them loose on a quarterback on every passing down. Quit trying to be cutesy having them pretend to be safeties and drop back into pass coverage.
The Bucs didn’t draft Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey in the first round for their coverage skills.
November 19th, 2024 at 8:10 am
They mentioned last night the 49ers / Texans system doesn’t fool offenses. They just play fast and hit people and don’t miss assignments. Sounded a lot like Dungy/Kiffin Tampa 2.
Bowles is relying on complex schemes too often. Too smart. Too much communication. Just let these dudes cover, run and hit.
November 19th, 2024 at 8:13 am
” Todd Bowles might want to do could be too complicated and maybe he needed to dial back his defense.”
Totally agree. Probably should have been a red flag when seeing quotes about JTS playing safety lol.
It’s like he wants to blitz every down but also drop a DT or DE into coverage or multiple edge rushers into coverage.
I think it was Bowles himself saying something about letting lions be lions or some other animal reference, when talking about the way we played the Eagles in the playoffs last year, when we were letting Dean /Zyon / etc play press aggressive coverage and getting pressure with our front 4.
Go back to that. You’ve overthought things way too much this season and it’s not working man.
November 19th, 2024 at 8:21 am
Giving up pass completions over the middle in the 10-20 yard range is not good, however the damage can be minimized and or turned into a turnover if you have a real thumper at safety that can separate the ball from the receiver. Marcus Banks is that safety-use him.
November 19th, 2024 at 8:24 am
I agree with the back to the basics comments. Perhaps the “exotic” defense that Todd puts together slows everyone down with the processing required. I’ll take 50-60 minutes of Vega and Kancey playing together and let the ends be ends. Let’s see what the backfield looks like with a traditional front.
The Giants are the perfect team to see if this will work.
November 19th, 2024 at 8:26 am
The entire scheme is run backwards……dropping your best rushers into coverage so secondary players can attempt to get past guys that are 100 lbs heavier makes no sense. I’m starting to believe Bowles wants to be fired so he can collect a check and head to retirement. His game management is consistently on the wrong side of results, his players are not developing and gradually getting less effective……its just very difficult to make sense of what he thinks he’s accomplishing. These players have been in this system for 3+ years……communication and tackling should not be the issue. Ever since the playoff game against the Rams, I’ve felt his scheme/play calling is confusing to the players. He’s got too many “if this….then that” scenarios, players are over thinking vs reacting. Even if we go 6-1…..the verdict will be the same. Bowles cant beat good teams consistently, cant avoid losing streaks and likely cant get you past the 1st rd. Each week is one step closer to getting rid of Bowles and re-energizing the locker room.
November 19th, 2024 at 8:36 am
He has 7 games to get it right otherwise by, by.
November 19th, 2024 at 8:44 am
Well, I agree and disagree at the same time. If you don’t have the dogs like Suh, JPP etc. then you have to turn to deception. The problem is we aren’t fooling anyone! Fake punts, Flea flickers, lineman covering receivers all scream desperation. Counting on winning a coin flip also screams desperation.
As far as Winfield goes I’m surprised he didn’t mention an injury as part of the reason he isn’t doing well. Is he healthy and just playing like crap or is he slowed by the foot injury. The quote seems to suggest he’s playing like crap!
November 19th, 2024 at 8:56 am
Bucs FINALLY moved 9 year NFL vet Troy Hill to the 53 man roster. Hill has 9 career picks and 3 pick sixes-get this guy on the field!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 19th, 2024 at 8:59 am
You’re right Joe. Winfield has to be affected by that bad foot/ankle for him to be so un-Winfield like. That combined with possibly trying to do his assignment and cover for someone else’s shortcomings. I thought Whitehead would bring more to the table than he has thus far. Perhaps Britt’s lack of speed and coverage skill is really affecting the overall defense more than meets the eye. Third string corners starting certainly haven’t helped either. And you’re right about the elephant in the room…..Let pass rushers rush the passer.
November 19th, 2024 at 9:04 am
Safety was supposed to be a strength & it turns out to be a weakness……Winfield and Whitehead aren’t cutting it.
Add our problems at CB & LB and we are very soft.
Excuses after excuses….fundamentals, communication my TBBF a$$….
November 19th, 2024 at 9:28 am
Winfield playing really bad, Whitehead is playing worst, playing with bad CB and only one LB that is old, because the others can’t play…..and we focus just on bad coaching……..utterly unfair!!!!!
Bowles need to coach better, no doubts about that, but that doesn’t mean he is the only one to blame……Licht has a big part on this so as some players…..
November 19th, 2024 at 9:58 am
The circus clown has neutered and eviscerated the defensive players. They don’t play fast, they don’t know who has who in Cover Who, they can’t tackle, but at least they can’t stop the run. This will not change until the circus is sent packing.
November 19th, 2024 at 10:14 am
He’s hurt. He’ll be fine next year. The NEW DC will get him back on track. Folks, Bowles is gone. He’s toast! Time to take out the Trash!
November 19th, 2024 at 10:32 am
I just want to point out this all starts with the OLBs being straight up ass.
November 19th, 2024 at 10:47 am
Rupert, is there anyone on D who can say they are playing great this year? A few are playing OK, but not one is playing like a superstar. Someone needs to lead by example on D or this team is going nowhere fast. This team needs a Mayfield on defense! Every other good team has one!
November 19th, 2024 at 11:11 am
We need a linebacker and it shows, David can’t do it all by himself, really wished we would’ve traded for one or drafted a good one.
November 19th, 2024 at 12:00 pm
All you BucHoles told me how stupid I was to not think Mayfield would regress once he signed his subpar contract. I said he would excel and it was Winfield who would regress. What do you BucHoles have to say now?
November 19th, 2024 at 12:10 pm
As for Winfield – did he re-injure his foot after coming back?
He looked fine in his first game back, but has been incredibly sub-par in every game since then…
November 19th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
Winfield like Dean. Got paid now they suck. This team has no discipline or pride.
November 19th, 2024 at 9:58 pm
Foote wat you coach???. If it’s linebackers there terrible too.