Jameis Winston‘s woes continue as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) looked like they’d been blown away by the Cincinnati Bengals. Winston was picked off four times (now 10 on the season) as the Buccaneers fell to their fourth loss of the season.
Jameis Winston’s Season Continues To Implode
Dirk Koetter should be under no illusions as to who is starting quarterback should be for the Buccaneers next game which comes at home to the Carolina Panthers. The Bucs, on the road to face the Cincinnati Bengals were down by a score of 20-9 by half-time. Winston threw two picks in the first quarter. He regained a bit of belief in the second when his deep 60-yard pass found DeSean Jackson in the end zone. However, things didn’t improve for Winston. With 2:17 left in the third, Winston threw a pick-six when Jessie Bates read the pass, made the interception and ran unchallenged into the end zone. The play was Winston’s fourth interception of the day, it would also be his last.
“It’s pretty simple: turning it over. Overthrows. It was a very windy day, it wasn’t an easy day to throw it, but two of the four the ball was just overthrown. (Koetter to Buccanneers.com)
With 4 interceptions for #Bucs starter Jameis Winston, that’ll be all. He’s been benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 28, 2018
The Case For Fitzmagic, Ryan Fitzpatrick
The Bengals were by 33-16 but Chandler Catanzaro‘s 38-yard field goal narrowed the score. Up stepped Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Buccaneers didn’t have much to lose. Koeter’s decision to bench Winston didn’t need to be justified. Fitzpatrick almost led his team to an unlikely comeback. The Buccaneers looked like a completely different football team with number 14 under center.
Fitzpatrick led the comeback with 11:16 left in the fourth quarter when his arching pass found Mike Evans for a 72-yard touchdown. Catanzaro’s PAT reeled in the Bengals whose lead was narrowed to a score of 34-26. The crowd and the media networks alike were going nuts when Fitzpatrick’s 10-play drive brought the score to within two courtesy of tight end O.J. Howard‘s touchdown.
#Bucs down 34-26, are in the red zone with about two minutes left. I cannot overstate how rare and historic a comeback win would be … #Bengals #TBvsCIN https://t.co/N4yPiNKoWY
— Thomas Bassinger (@tometrics) October 28, 2018
On a role and with the wind in his sails, Fitzpatrick found Chris Godwin for the two-point conversion, the game was tied at 34. The comeback of all comebacks was denied when Randy Bullock broke Buccaneer’s hearts with a 44-yard field goal with five seconds remaining in the game, saving face for the Bengals.
Fitzpatrick’s performance was genuinely good, especially considering that he only had one quarter to make his mark. ‘Fitz’ finished with 194 yards and two touchdowns. He played with confidence, completing 11-of-15 passes. His composure should be lauded, especially considering the amount of pressure he was under to tie the game with a two-pointer.
The Loss Has To Be on Koetter
Koetter must take full responsibility for the loss. Should he have started Fitzpatrick from the off? Should he have benched Winston earlier? That’s all in the past. Surely there’s no way back for Winston. If Koetter isn’t going to put trust in Fitzpatrick, then there are a handful of teams that would arguably welcome him as their starter. The Raiders, Jets and Giants all spring to mind. Today’s game casts a cloud over Winston‘s future as a franchise quarterback. Thomas Bassinger (TampaBay.com) believes that the situation is much more complicated, he wrote;
“If this were a playoff team, maybe you go with Ryan Fitzpatrick, but I’m not sure the Bucs can do that for two reasons: 1.) Jason Licht drafted Jameis Winston. If Tampa Bay benches Winston, Licht might as well start packing. His job, as well as coach Dirk Koetter’s, is tied not only to wins but also to Winston’s performance and development. 2.) If the Bucs are to ever explore the possibility of a trade, they need Winston to rebuild his value, which is at its lowest point since the NFL suspended him for three games for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy.”
As for Fitzpatrick, he may just have played the game that paves the way for a bright future. Roll on Week 9.
