Antoine Winfield Jr. had an incredible game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 8.
He finished with six total tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery. He also found the end zone multiple times, but none of the touchdowns counted due to controversial calls by the referees.
Still, Winfield's impact was undeniable, and it wasn’t just Bucs fans who took notice.
Winfield was mic’d up for his big game in New Orleans, and the hot mic revealed Saints players praising him after the game for his performance.
Safety Jordan Howden, who like Winfield, played his college ball for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, referred to Winfield as ‘the chosen one’.
“Every time I play your a** bro, you get a turnover every time,” said safety Justin Reid. “Since I’ve been with Houston, Kansas City, every time bro!”
Seeing even the Bucs’ division rivals heaping so much praise on Winfield goes to show just how lucky Tampa Bay is to have him as the leader of the secondary.
After nagging injuries plagued Winfield all 2024, resulting in a disappointing season, Winfield returned to his All-Pro form in Week 8. Back in 2023, Winfield had one of the best safety seasons ever, finishing first in sacks (6), first in forced fumbles (6), first in fumble recoveries (4), third in takeaways (7), and third in quarterback hits (21) amongst all NFL defensive backs.
If Winfield can get back to performing at that level for the rest of this season, as he did against the Saints in Week 8, it would be a significant boost for the Buccaneers defense that is already playing at a high level. Winfield is one of the key cogs in Bowles' scheme, and when he is flying around, making plays, and forcing turnovers, the Buccaneers are a hard team to beat.