The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (rib) for Thursday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys after ruling out the two-time Pro Bowler with a slight rib fracture. Winfield is expected to miss two to four weeks, leaving an 0-4 Tampa Bay team without one of its most versatile defenders against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and a passing attack led by wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
Locked On Bucs host James Yarcho called the timing particularly damaging because Dallas can stress the back end with Lamb, Pickens and tight end Jake Ferguson. Yarcho expects Tampa Bay safeties Tykee Smith and Ifeatu Melifonwu to take on a larger workload, while warning that Prescott can exploit soft coverage underneath if the Buccaneers give him easy completions before taking their shots downfield.
Winfield entered Week 5 second on the team with 24 tackles and added a forced fumble in Sunday’s loss to Green Bay. The Buccaneers’ depth chart lists Melifonwu directly behind Winfield, while Miles Killebrew is a reserve option behind Smith. Tampa Bay will also be without cornerback Benjamin Morrison (quad), further narrowing its secondary choices for the trip to AT&T Stadium.
There was better news elsewhere on Wednesday’s final injury report. Outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. (groin/shoulder) practiced fully for the third straight day after missing the Packers game, and kicker Chase McLaughlin (groin) also returned to full participation. Bain’s potential return could help the Buccaneers create pressure without relying on extra rushers, a particularly important adjustment with Winfield unavailable to disguise coverages or pressure Prescott.
The challenge for Tampa Bay is not simply replacing Winfield’s snaps. Smith and Melifonwu must keep the Cowboys from producing explosive plays while a shorthanded secondary handles a deep receiving group. That places even more weight on the pass rush and on a defense that must keep the game manageable for rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels and an offense still seeking its first win.
Thursday’s matchup will show whether the Buccaneers can withstand the loss of Winfield long enough for their pass rush and replacement safeties to keep Prescott and Co. from controlling the game.
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