Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was snubbed from the Pro Bowl last week, but he got some other recognition in the final week of the regular season.
Winfield was named NFC defensive player of the week for Week 18.
One of the best defensive plays of the year was made by Winfield Sunday against the Panthers: With Carolina receiver D.J. Chark seemingly set for an easy touchdown, Winfield ran him down just before he got to the goal line and knocked the ball out of Chark’s hands. The ball went into the end zone and out of bounds to give it back to the Buccaneers, a huge turnover and touchdown-saving play.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Winfield was 23 yards away from Chark at the time the pass was thrown. For Winfield to make up that much distance and force a fumble before Chark got to the end zone was an extraordinary effort.
Winfield also had five tackles and a sack, and he was the first defensive back since 2000 to finish a season with more than 120 tackles, more than 10 passes defensed and more than five sacks.
This is Winfield’s second defensive player of the week award; he also received it in Week 13. He should have been a Pro Bowler. He may still be an All-Pro.
