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Buccaneers: Jameis Winston will start Week 6 against Falcons

By Ryan Doyle

CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 30: Quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 and Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stand on the sidelines in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 30, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 30: Quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 and Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stand on the sidelines in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 30, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Head coach Dirk Koetter confirmed that Jameis Winston would be the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their next game.

During his press conference on Monday, Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter said that Jameis Winston would be the team’s starting quarterback for the team’s Week six matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

It’s not a surprising move, but at least the question is already out of the way. There will be no speculation or discussion this week. The Bucs are Winston’s team again.

In his first action of the season, Winston played a mop-up role after the Bears routed the Bucs in the first half. He completed 16-of-20 passes for 145 yards, with two interceptions and a touchdown.

Winston missed on a few easy throws, but he was able to shake the rust off on a long drive that ended in six points. The Bears were playing off coverage in the second half as Winston was able to find underneath receivers on almost every dropback.

He did show his ability to escape pressure by avoiding multiple sacks, something Tampa Bay fans have come to expect from Winston.

The humiliating loss to the Bears marked an end to the Ryan Fitzpatrick era. The journeyman quarterback led the Buccaneers to a 2-2 record and an endless supply of memes. It fell apart against Chicago, but he did manage to hold down the fort against top-tier teams.

The offense slowed down the last two games, but the talent remains for Winston to have the same level of success. O.J. Howard is going to be out for a few weeks, but the rest of the offense is healthy.

Plus, offensive coordinator Todd Monken should be even more confident to attack downfield with Winston’s scrambling ability and rocket arm.

The former number one overall pick needs to make a statement for the rest of the year. Winston needs to prove that he can become the franchise quarterback Tampa Bay envisioned him becoming.

Next. It's time to fire defensive coordinator Mike Smith. dark

The magic may be over for Fitzpatrick, but Winston has the talent to avoid becoming a disappearing act.

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