Todd Bowles Gives Troubling Injury Update on Bucs' Antoine Winfield Jr.
The hits keep coming for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fighting for their NFC Playoffs livelihood in the final weeks of the regular season. They took a big stride Sunday afternoon, defeating the Las Vegas Raiders 28-13 to net their third straight victory.
That win in conjunction with the Atlanta Falcons suffering their fourth straight loss vaults Tampa Bay into first place in the NFC South. However, another key injury will test their mettle through the end of December at least.
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During Sunday's game, First Team All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. exited with a knee injury and did not return. Monday, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles announced that Winfield Jr. will miss "a few weeks" with a knee sprain.
Bowles did not give an exact timeframe for his recovery, but made clear that the safety will not be expected on the field for the coming weeks.
This will be the second instance this season where Winfield Jr. will miss an extended period of time. The Bucs' defensive star missed four games from Weeks 2-5 with an ankle injury.
Winfield Jr.'s presence alone will be a significant absence from the Bucs' lineup in the immediate future, but also contributes to a season's long frustration with health and depth issues in the Tampa Bay secondary.
Newly signed safety Mike Edwards missed Sunday's game with a hamstring injury and safety Jordan Whitehead was placed on injured reserve following the Bucs' win over the New York Giants in Week 12.
These injury woes continue along the defense with SirVocea Dennis and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka as both linebackers remain on injured reserve. K.J. Britt and J.J. Russell both missed the game against Las Vegas with injuries as well.
Bowles and the Bucs have been able to respond to these blows through the duration of the season. But that resilience will be put to the test through the final four weeks of the season with Tampa Bay attempting to hold on to control of the South.
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