Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports The All-Pro caliber safety recognized for his outstanding performance in week 18 Pro Bowl? Who needs a Pro Bowl? Antoine Winfield Jr. finished the NFL regular season with another standout performance to cap off one of the all time great seasons by a safety. Obviously the standout play was forcing a fumble by Panthers wide receiver D.J. Chark as he attempted to dive across the goal line on a play that would have given the Panthers an early 7-0 lead. It was the second time this season Winfield Jr. forced a fumble by a diving offense player at the goal line. Now, the NFL has recognized that performance by naming Winfield Jr. the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the last week of the regular season. Winfield finished the game with five tackles, a forced fumble, and a sack. On top of that, Winfield Jr. was also recognized on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football by Jason McCourty as the best defensive back in the NFL this season; The Top DBs through THE SEASON… @JasonMcCourty: @itslilmooney @49ers
And the winner of the 2023 Belt is... @AntoineWJr11 @Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/THW7oPn4CV— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) January 9, 2024 Winfield Jr. proudly showed off the belt sent to him when he met with the media on Wednesday; Antonine Winfield Jr with the belt from @gmfb as the best defensive back. pic.twitter.com/zZjof1oCWI— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) January 10, 2024 Winfield Jr. has been incredible this season and is one of the biggest reasons the Bucs are in the playoffs. Finishing the season with 122 tackles, six tackles for loss, six sacks, three interceptions, twelve passes defensed, six forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries. These are numbers we haven’t seen by a defensive back in decades. While the Pro Bowl snub was certainly big, Winfield Jr. should be a shoe-in for an All-Pro nod this season as no safety - let alone any defensive back in the league - has put up those kinds of numbers or had the level of impact that Winfield Jr. had for the Buccaneers in 2023. For more on this and all things Tampa Bay Buccaneers check out James Yarcho and David Harrison on the Locked On Bucs Podcast!
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Source: https://www.bucsnation.com/2024/1/10/24 ... buccaneers
