Cowboys
Update, October 5: no official status for Antoine Winfield Jr. had been published for Thursday's game at Dallas in the sources checked today (Buccaneers.com, Yahoo Sports).
Key facts
- Antoine Winfield Jr. left the Buccaneers' 17-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers late in the fourth quarter with an abdomen and rib injury (Yahoo Sports, October 4).
- The Buccaneers said his return was questionable, and he did not come back (Yahoo Sports, October 4).
- Winfield had six tackles and a forced fumble on Kaleb Johnson near the goal line before he left (Buccaneers.com, October 4).
- Todd Bowles made no public comment on the injury in the postgame report (Buccaneers.com, October 4).
- Tampa Bay, 0-4, plays at the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, October 8, at 8:15 PM ET, 02:15 CEST on Friday, on Prime Video (Buccaneers.com, October 5).
Antoine Winfield Jr. left the Buccaneers' 17-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, October 4, with an abdomen and rib injury. He went down late in the fourth quarter, the team said his return was questionable, and he did not come back (Yahoo Sports, Heavy.com).
What happened
Before he left, Winfield had six tackles and a forced fumble on Packers running back Kaleb Johnson near the goal line (Buccaneers.com). The loss dropped Tampa Bay to 0-4. Our Week 4 recap has the full game.
The Buccaneers' postgame report carries no comment from Todd Bowles on the injury, and the team has not described its severity.
The short week
The Bucs play at the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, October 8, at 8:15 PM ET, which is 02:15 CEST on Friday, October 9. The game is on Prime Video at AT&T Stadium (Buccaneers.com). Only three days separate it from the Packers game, so the first injury report of the week will be the first look at whether Winfield practiced.
Item | Detail |
|---|---|
Injury | Abdomen and rib |
When | Late fourth quarter, October 4 |
Team status | Return questionable, did not return |
Stats in the game | 6 tackles, 1 forced fumble |
Next game | At Dallas, Thursday, October 8 |
Source: Buccaneers.com, Yahoo Sports, October 4 and 5.
The defense he was part of
The injury comes after one of the better defensive days of this season. Tampa Bay held a third straight opponent under 300 total yards, allowing Green Bay 283, with 15 first downs and two third-down conversions in 10 attempts. The Bucs also recorded multiple takeaways for the first time this year (Buccaneers.com). Winfield's forced fumble was part of that.
On the other side of the ball, the situation stays the same. Baker Mayfield will miss at least three more games with a dislocated right thumb, and undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels starts again in Dallas (Buccaneers.com, Yahoo Sports). Our profile of Daniels covers his path to the job. Dallas comes in at 2-2 after a 34-30 win over Houston, decided on a 12-yard Dak Prescott touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb with 40 seconds left (Buccaneers.com).
What comes next
For a 0-4 team with a rookie quarterback, the defense is the part of the roster that has held up, and Winfield is its most important player. The next official word is Wednesday's injury report. Until then, the only confirmed facts are the injury, the fourth-quarter exit and the questionable return. The full depth chart and the schedule are updated as the week goes on.
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