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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield Jr. Named NFC's Defensive Player of the Week
USA TODAY Sports

Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield Jr. Named NFC's Defensive Player of the Week

Originally posted on FanNation All Bucs
By Collin Haalboom  |  Last updated 1/11/24

Fresh off being overlooked for Pro-Bowl honors despite putting together an All-Pro caliber season, Antoine Winfield Jr. responded in the best way possible. 

He balled out for the Buccaneers' most important game of the season.  

It was a must-win for the Bucs in Week 18, who needed a victory vs. Carolina in order to win the NFC South and earn themselves a spot in the postseason. Had they lost, their season would have ended in embarrassing fashion. That said, even though the Buccaneers were able to come away with a victory in the end, it wasn't pretty. Especially on offense. 

Although the Panthers don't have the most prolific offense in the league — or anything close to it — the Bucs' defense still shut them out completely. Which at the NFL level, is always an impressive accomplishment. 

However that almost wasn't the case.

In the second quarter, Bryce Young hit D.J. Chark — who was wide open because of a blown assignment by Jamel Dean — for what looked like a surefire touchdown. In fact, it was called a TD on the field initially. But after a review, it was overturned. All because Antoine Winfield had made a truly incredible play. First, he ran across the field in pursuit of the ball carrier, he then proceeded to make a diving tackle at the goal line, while simultaneously stripping the football from Chark while both players were in mid-air, forcing a fumble, which ultimately resulted in a touchback for the Bucs.

It was a massive turning point in a game where the Buccaneers weren't ever able to score a touchdown in the game. But specifically because of Winfield's determination, athleticism, and awareness, neither were the Panthers.

Winfield played like a man-possessed all game. He finished the contest with 5 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble to add to his impressive collection of stats on the year.

Although Antoine Winfield Jr. couldn't be retroactively added to the Pro-Bowl roster for his efforts in Week 18, he did receive acknowledgment from the league by receiving NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. 

This is the second time this season that Winfield has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week, with the first time coming after the team's Week 13 victory at home vs. Carolina. 

Antoine Winfield Jr.'s player of the week performance in Week 18 serves as an exclamation mark on what has been a truly remarkable season for the fourth-year pro out of Minnesota. On the year, Winfield has accumulated (per Bucs official website) 122 tackles, 6.0 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, eight quarterback hits, three interceptions, and 12 passes defended. He led all NFL safeties in sacks, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries and was second in quarterback hits and overall takeaways.

Winfield has been so good that Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus is just one of several analysts who believe that Antoine Winfield Jr. should garner serious consideration for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Regardless of how much public recognition he receives, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are well aware of just how valuable Antoine Winfield Jr. is. Which I expect to be proven when the Buccaneers do everything they can to retain his services, either via the franchise tag or a lucrative long-term contract this upcoming offseason. 

This article first appeared on FanNation All Bucs and was syndicated with permission.

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