Fool’s Gold: Jameis Winston not the answer for Buccaneers

Although Jameis Winston has played well so far this season for the Buccaneers, don’t be fooled; he’s still a mess that not even Bruce Arians can fix.

After a remarkable 55-40 win against the Los Angeles Rams, quarterback Jamies Winston looks now like he is the future at the position for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but do not be fooled. Jameis Winston is not the answer and he is the same streaky player as always.

Through four games, Jameis has thrown the fifth most interceptions in the league with five, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has given the fifth year quarterback a 60.8 rating thus far this season; on the other side of the argument, Winston has 1167 passing yards which also is fifth most in the NFL. The bottom line is Jameis is still the same player since he arrived in Tampa.

Winston tends to fold under pressure, and it showed in the game against the Rams. With a lead in the fourth quarter Winston got pressured on a third down, and instead of throwing the ball away, he threw up a duck to cornerback Marcus Peters for an easy pick-six. Winston also struggled and threw for three interceptions week one against the 49ers and one pass right to cornerback Richard Sherman for another easy pick-six.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1178447529144274944

More from The Pewter Plank

• Devin White posts cryptic message to Lavonte David on Twitter
• ESPN predicts surprising outcome to Devin White trade saga
• Updated Buccaneers depth chart after signing two players from rookie minicamp
• Todd Bowles sends clear message about Baker Mayfield’s role with Bucs
• The Athletic is wrong about Bucs one ‘must-watch’ game in 2023

Against the Giants in week three, Jameis failed to seal the deal with an 18 point lead against the Giants’ 21st ranked defense. Winston will be tested in the next few weeks against legit defenses against Carolina, Tennessee, and Seattle; he already posted his best grade of the season according to PFF against the Panthers once this season.

If the Bucs want to win Winston will have to be at his best and you can bet those teams will send a lot of pressure. The concern with Winston is while he isn’t afraid to throw the ball down the field at any time, he will consistently try to force the ball to wide receivers even when they are covered and needs to learn to take what the defense is giving him.

Head coach Bruce Arians isn’t a stranger to working with struggling quarterbacks, however, and it may be paying dividends for Winston already. When Arians was the head coach in Arizona he turned a washed-up Carson Palmer into a pro bowl type quarterback once again and gave the team a chance to win.

The problem for Arians this season is that Winston isn’t the most mature player. Carson Palmer was a coachable veteran and Winston relies on his arm strength and ability to get out of the pocket rather than taking what the defense is showing him. Winston will be much more of a test for Arians, he’s not a quarterback that has the ability to read defenses effectively, he hasn’t matured enough as a player to learn to play smarter.

Until Winston learns to play smarter and not take as many risky shots down the field, don’t expect Winston’s success this year to last. In the end, if Winston isn’t able to continue his success this season expect Tampa to possibly move on this offseason.