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Buccaneers vs Giants: Five game-changing players for Week 4

By Bailey Adams

TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 08: Eli Manning
TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 08: Eli Manning /
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TAMPA, FL – NOVEMBER 08: Jameis Winston of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers passes during a game against the New York Giants at Raymond James Stadium on November 8, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – NOVEMBER 08: Jameis Winston of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers passes during a game against the New York Giants at Raymond James Stadium on November 8, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Jameis Winston

As Tampa Bay’s quarterback, Jameis Winston could obviously be on this list every week. However, I try to be selective when it comes to using the third-year quarterback. But this week, how he plays feels even more crucial to the team’s success (and maybe the season’s trajectory). The Buccaneer defense was picked apart by Case Keenum last week. If the defensive line can’t get any pressure on Eli Manning, the Giants will light up the scoreboard. With that being the case, Winston will have to help the offense keep up.

What “Famous Jameis” can’t do this week is force throws and turn the ball over. In the loss to the Vikings, any chances for the Bucs to keep up or come back were quelled by some poor decisions from the quarterback. If Tampa Bay finds itself in a shootout, it will need Winston’s best. He did some good things in Minnesota, but tried to do way too much at times. That is characteristic of No. 3, but head coach Dirk Koetter has been preaching that his quarterback needs to know when too much is too much. That is the one true obstacle he needs to get over before he enters the top tier of quarterbacks in the NFL.

Throughout the first two weeks, we have seen flashes of the offensive firepower we were promised when the team added DeSean Jackson, O.J. Howard and Chris Godwin in the offseason. Winston needs to continue to distribute the ball around even when things get tough. Forcing throws to Mike Evans always comes back to bite him eventually. Winston is a hard worker and a leader. He’ll learn from what went wrong in Minnesota, correct it and come back better against the Giants. If he is at his best, the Bucs will reap the benefits with a W.

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