Buccaneers vs. 49ers: The Battle of Winston and Garoppolo

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick off their 2019 season this weekend against the San Francisco 49ers and all eyes will be on the quarterbacks and their play.

Another Summer and training camp have come and gone and the 2019 NFL season is about to begin. Two under-performers from last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Francisco 49ers, are both looking to turn the page on their losing and move more into the middle of the pack and into the realm of competitors in the NFC. This matchup on Sunday will be very telling as to where these teams are at after a Summer to recuperate.

Perhaps the most telling of where these teams will be at is how the quarterbacks will perform. Jameis Winston and Jimmy Garoppolo are both trying to make statements this year and Jameis is also fighting for his future on the Bucs. Garoppolo is coming off of an injury last season where he watched Nick Mullens and C.J.Beathard perform well in his absence. In Jimmy G’s first game back from his injury this preseason he looked very out of place and shaken and will be trying to exercise any demons he may have before the season begins.

Jameis is coming off a decent season with the Bucs where he and Ryan Fitzpatrick juggled the starting quarterback role. Jameis is looking to earn himself a contract extension and an extended stay in Tampa Bay and is hoping that Bruce Arians is his ticket to do so. Jameis had his moments in the preseason where he looked consistent and in tune with the rest of his offense while at other times he appeared lost or just running for his life from the opposing defense.

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On paper Jameis is a better quarterback than Jimmy G and should be expected to carry far less baggage in this first game of the year on Sunday but Garoppolo may have an easier path to victory than Jameis based on opposing defenses. This game will likely end up decided by the quarterbacks and has the potential to be a shootout, but if it comes to that Jameis likely has a slight advantage due to his experience in similar situations.

If the preseason was any indication, which it usually is, Garoppolo is likely feeling a level of heat that Jameis will not face. Garoppolo was brought on to the 49ers savior and was then paid an exorbitant fee to lead the team back to the playoffs in the future.

Garoppolo then dealt with injuries after that and now has to look over his shoulder at two quarterbacks that have shown poise and confidence in the pocket for the 49ers. Should Nick Mullens be the starter? Obviously not.

But any Buccaneer fan is familiar with the Fitzmagic paradox with backup quarterbacks. All it takes is one bad game or one bad hit and Jimmy G is having nightmares about Nick Mullens.

Jameis will hopefully be able to play much more loose than Garoppolo as he has no real threats behind him. Ryan Griffin performed admirably in the offseason but will never be a featured quarterback in the NFL. Jameis also has better playmakers around him with the exception of George Kittle for the 49ers who is looking to build on his historic 2018 season.

With Bruce Arians and the talent found in the Buccaneer receivers, Jameis is in a great position for Sunday. Bruce will be willing to take chances early and help take Jameis to a level that he was unable to reach under Dirk Koetter.

Jimmy G will be facing an improved but still lacking Buccaneer secondary, but his offseason injuries coupled with his preseason play build the pressure the will only serve to way Garoppolo down more. Look for Jameis Winston to be a big part in the win vs. the 49ers.