Jameis Winston shows the ability to be a successful quarterback in the NFL. He should last a long time. He is an agile quarterback who prefers to be a pocket passer. It will take a disaster for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to give up on the potential of their first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Jameis Winston is a Streaky Quarterback
Winston showed what he could do when he’s at his best in the first game in 2016 against the Atlanta Falcons. The Buccaneers were in control at the Georgia Dome in their 31-24 victory. Winston completed 23 of 32 passes for a completion percentage of 71 percent. He threw for 281 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
Winston appeared as if he was taking a stroll while everybody else seemed to be in a hurry. He delivered the football with a smooth transition.
Winston dumped passes to running backs, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Charles Sims. He was also successful on long passes. He concluded a 30-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and a 45-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Evans. The performance earned Winston the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Unfortunately, he followed that up with maybe the worst game of his career against the Arizona Cardinals. The Buccaneers lost 40-7 in Tempe, Arizona.
He looked out of sync for the entire game. He had solid pass protection from his offensive line against a defensive front that featured Calais Campbell and Chandler Jones. But his talented wide receivers struggled to get open against Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu. Winston’s throws were off and he dealt with tight windows all game. He completed 27 passes out of 52 attempts for a 51 percent completion percentage and 243 passing yards. He threw one touchdown pass and four interceptions and he lost a fumble.
Fumbles were a problem for Winston in 2015. He fumbled six times, two of which were recovered by the opponent.
Winston Will Be Worth It In Long Run
Overall, Winston’s first season in the NFL was a mixed bag. He played all 16 games and threw for 4,042 passing yards. The Buccaneers improved to 6-10 after a non-competitive 2-14 season in 2014 that subsequently led them to take Winston in the draft.
Winston was the main reason for the Buccaneers’ improvement. He posted an approximate value of 13 according to Pro Football Reference. That was the highest on the Buccaneers and it was tied for the eighth highest in the NFL. It was the same number as the likes of Odell Beckham, A.J. Green, Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford. He had two fourth quarter comebacks and three game winning drives.
However, Winston threw 22 touchdowns compared to 15 interceptions, which were the fifth most in the NFL in 2015. He completed a mediocre 58 percent of his pass attempts.
He seems to be at one end of the spectrum or the other. The Buccaneers have a talented roster, but Winston affects whether they win or lose.
It will be a challenge for Winston to be one of the five best quarterbacks in the NFL with his propensity to turn the ball over. Winston has five touchdowns and five interceptions through two games this season. The five interceptions are the most in the NFL. However, his willingness to continue to take chances down the field makes him as dangerous as anybody.
Winston compares to quarterbacks like Eli Manning or Joe Flacco. Manning and Flacco are never considered as one of the five best quarterbacks in the NFL. It is easy to overlook them although it is dangerous to do so because they can sneak up on you and win the Super Bowl. Manning has done it twice with the New York Giants in 2007 and 2011 and Flacco did it with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013. Winston has the physical tools to get hot in the postseason and win the Super Bowl also.
