Jul 24, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Texans HC DeMeco Ryans Describes Bucs' Antoine Winfield in One Word

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Houston Texans head into Week 2 looking to rebound from a Week 1 dud, going up against a tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup on Monday Night Football; a talented group on both ends of the ball that could present some challenges during Houston's home opener.

But outside of the Buccaneers' exciting offense led by Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and rising rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay also has a standout defensive unit– led by the defensive mind of their head coach, Todd Bowles, and a roster well-rounded with talent both in the front seven and the secondary.

However, leading up to Monday night, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans had specific praise for one name in particular on the Bucs' defense in veteran safety Antoine Winfield Jr., describing the All-Pro defensive back in one simple word.

"Playmaker. He's definitely a playmaker," Ryans said of Winfield during his Thursday presser.

"Todd [Bowles] does a good job of moving him around— smart, versatile player. You can trust him; he moves around. You can put a lot on his plate. Man, that's the thing that jumps out to me. He's a playmaker. So, we've got to have eyes for him."

Winfield comes off a limited 2024 in which he missed eight games due to injury, but was a standout All-Pro in his last fully healthy campaign in 2023. Now entering his age-27 season, the Bucs' safety is back on the field and emerged as one of Tampa Bay's highest-graded defenders last Sunday vs. the Atlanta Falcons (75.4).

But Ryans isn't underselling what the rest of the Bucs' defense brings to the table either. Stacked with other names like Vita Vea, Haason Reddick, and the longtime linebacker Lavonte David, it's a unit with an abundance of playmakers that shouldn't be taken lightly.

"At the end of the day, they have a lot of good playmakers. So, you can't just watch one guy. They have a lot of guys on their defense. That's why they've been good. They're a talented group. We've just got to go out and execute our offense the right way."

Fresh off a meeting against the Los Angeles Rams and their defensive challenge, the task won't be getting much easier for this offense in Week 2. Time will tell if C.J. Stroud and the Texans offense can bounce back from their lapses last weekend.