After just two seasons in the NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston compares pretty favorably to Brett Favre.
Winston has helped improve the team’s record from 2-14 in 2014 to 6-10 in 2015 and then to 9-7 in 2016. It was the franchise’s first winning season since 2010. Winston has shown the ability to elevate his team. According to Pro Football Reference, Favre and Winston have the same approximate value of 25 after two full seasons. Winston has the ability to win one Super Bowl and two would be gravy.
Jameis Winston Could Have a Career Like Brett Favre
If there is one truth about Winston it is that he is not afraid. He is mobile, but he doesn’t run like Michael Vick. His arm strength allows him to be a gunslinger like Favre.
Favre threw for over 4,000 yards six times in his career. Winston has thrown for over 4,000 passing yards in his first two seasons.
In his career, Favre was notorious for clutch touchdowns and dramatic interceptions. Favre led the NFL in touchdowns four times. He led the league in interceptions three times. Winston’s ratio is 50 touchdowns and 33 interceptions, but he puts up clunkers.
And now with a revamped receiving corps of DeSean Jackson and O.J. Howard to complement Mike Evans, Winston has the opportunity to throw for 30 touchdowns just like Favre did in his third season with the Green Bay Packers.
However, Winston is also like Favre in another respect, which is perhaps the most important of all. In his first two seasons, Winston has yet to miss a single start. Favre is the NFL leader in games started with 298, all of them consecutively for a record that mirrors Cal Ripken Jr.’s streak from baseball.
Winston’s Availability is His Greatest Attribute
Winston has made 32 career starts. It’s a credit to his pocket presence and his willingness to battle through an inconsistent offensive line that he’s been available to start every game. The 35 sacks allowed by the Buccaneers last season were tied for the 12th most in the NFL. It was an increase from 27 sacks allowed two seasons ago.
It is Winston’s durability that will determine whether the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fulfill their potential or not. In the NFL, things happen that can’t be controlled like a rolled ankle or a fractured hand from a helmet. Some of that is shaky quarterback protection and some of that is just bad luck. Then there is bad luck like Ryan Tannehill of the Miami Dolphins and Teddy Bridgewater of the Minnesota Vikings have experienced.
And given that the Buccaneers have chosen Ryan Fitzpatrick to be their backup quarterback, it’s imperative that Winston remains on the field. At age 34, Fitzpatrick could still be the quarterback who threw more touchdowns than interceptions in six consecutive seasons, but he could also be the quarterback who threw 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions last season with the New York Jets.
According to Pro Football Focus, only Jay Cutler and Blaine Gabbert finished with a lower score among free agent quarterbacks than Fitzpatrick.
The Buccaneers also have Ryan Griffin and Sefo Liufau on the roster.
Griffin has yet to play a game in the NFL. Griffin had a quarterback rating of 122.4 in four seasons at Tulane. Liufau is a rookie out of Colorado who threw 28 touchdowns as a sophomore and helped the Buffaloes to their first 10-win season since 2001.
