The Bucs were a.500 teams for much of the season, but they’ve come from behind to win their last two games. Last weekend, they topped the Rams for the division title. The Bucs hold the tiebreaker over the Rams due to a head-to-head win, but they must stay on track against the other teams below them to be in the postseason. With Tom Brady’s 40-day retirement, they have plenty of work to do, but the competition in the postseason will be much more challenging.
Jameis Winston set a franchise record with 5,109 passing yards.
Jameis Winston set a franchise record this season when he led the NFL in passing yards. The Buccaneers drafted the young quarterback in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He never played in a playoff game during his rookie season but has still set numerous franchise records. He was the most accurate quarterback in the league this season, averaging over 230 yards per attempt, and only threw 30 interceptions against 33 touchdowns. Winston’s success lasted only a short time, as the Buccaneers could not re-sign him once his rookie contract expired. The Buccaneers then signed six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady.
Winston finished with 37 rushing yards on six attempts. He also completed five-of-10 passes for 61 yards against Arizona and 32-of-44 passes for 384 yards against Buffalo. In his first start with his new team, Winston threw five touchdowns and no interceptions.
While Winston’s performance was up and down this season, he remains one of the best players in the NFL. He set a franchise record with 5,109 passing yards and was ranked second in MVP voting. In five seasons, Winston has thrown 121 touchdowns and 88 interceptions.
As a Florida native, Winston has a solid fan base. He’ll take advantage of this new opportunity to prove his worth as a starter in the NFL. However, he may have to start as a backup first. This will allow him to establish himself as a franchise player in the league.
In 2018, Winston became the second-youngest player to record more than 10,000 passing yards. He completed twenty-of-32 passes against Green Bay on Dec. 3. On Dec. 10, he completed 26-of-38 passes against Detroit. Winston also passed Drew Bledsoe for the ninth-most passing yards in NFL history in the season’s final game against Atlanta.
Jameis Winston’s off-season changes
After re-signing with the Saints in March, Jameis Winston has made a few off-season changes to his game. One of them is focusing on his short and intermediate throws. Specifically, Winston wants to improve his short throws, which are 10 yards or less behind the line of scrimmage. In addition, Winston has lost weight.
As a starting quarterback, Winston will only consider teams where he can win a job and compete for a starting role. The former Florida State star will continue rehabbing from his ACL surgery. That means he’ll be able to focus on his off-season changes and his upcoming 2021 season.
The Saints made a calculated risk by pursuing Watson in free agency. Even though the Saints believed they had a good chance of keeping Winston, they still made a move to try to find a quarterback they could trust. It’s worth noting that Winston’s agent leaked ‘interest’ from other teams but never received any genuine offers.
The Saints have also made some smart moves in the off-season. While Winston has largely been inactive, the Saints have retained Dennis Allen as head coach and Pete Carmichael as offensive coordinator. The Saints also internally named two defensive coordinators.
The Saints have kept Winston out of the starting lineup since Week 1, but the quarterback will probably remain limited until he’s fully healthy. Winston has already missed two games due to ankle injuries and back issues. He’ll be the backup for the second straight game, but it’s unlikely he will replace Dalton as the starting quarterback.
