Bucs' Antoine Winfield Jr. having Pro Bowl season without Pro Bowl votes
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) celebrates after making a defensive stop during the regular season game between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 03, 2023 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
TAMPA, Fla. - Antoine Winfield Jr. is having his best season as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, which says a lot given how good he's been since being drafted in the second round in 2020.
"He's always been a good player for us, but like this year, he's a great player," Carlton Davis III said. "This year he's doing everything he told me he would do before the season."
"It’s his mental approach," Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said. "It’s always been there, but the game has slowed down for him immensely. His study habits are outstanding – the way he prepares, the way he takes notes. He takes notes every day like he’s a rookie. He prepares that way. He practices like he plays – he doesn’t leave anything to chance. He’ll pick a ball off in practice and no matter where he picks it off at on the field, he’s going to run to the other end zone and stick it in there before he goes back to the huddle – even if it’s 90 yards. That’s rare these days for people to do that. His constant work habits are outstanding."
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Winfield has earned the highest grade among all safeties since the mid-point of the season, but despite that, he's not getting a lot of respect. Currently, he's not even in the top 10 in Pro Bowl voting, even after becoming a Pro Bowler in his second year, but he's not worried about it.
"No, no I'm focusing on the season, Winfield told FOX 13 Sports. "All that stuff will come afterward, if it does. I'm just focused on the season, focused on making plays."
Winfield is in some elite company, joining the Eagles Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins as the only two players to have recorded more than three sacks, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in a season since 2002.
"It's been awesome," Winfield said. "That's what I work for to make those plays. It's a cool stat. I don't know how they found it, but it's cool to be in that company."
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Winfield continues to work on his craft and admits he hasn't been perfect. Case in point against Atlanta, he was part of a busted coverage that allowed Kyle Pitt a free trip to the end zone.
"We were in a ‘fire zone’ I have to take him flat and up," Winfield said. "So that was on me. I accept that."
Following the mistake. Winfield made up for it with a game-changing play 10 minutes later, sacking and stripping Desmond Ridder for a safety. He's accountable and healthy.
After missing three games in each of the last two seasons. Winfield credits his pre-practice routine of warming up barefoot as a game changer.
"So I'm not doing any special teams, so that little period right there I've been able to actually warm up," Winfield said. "I'm able to go out there barefoot, get my feet, ankles and everything loose. I feel that's really been big for me."