The Clutch Gene
December 7th, 2015
Proving detractors wrong. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)
Beginning with the national championship drive against Auburn two years ago, it seemed every time Joe watched highlights of Florida State, America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, pulled his Seminoles out of a fire in the fourth quarter.
It happened so often it became predictable, almost like when Joe was a kid and Captain America, Roger Staubach, would save his Cowboys with a come-from-behind win in the final minute each and every week.
Many times last year, Jameis saved the Seminoles from himself, as he dug his team’s hole with picks. It was for this reason Will Brinson of CBS Sports was not a Jameis fan and predicted Jameis to be an outright bust in the NFL.
Today, Brinson offers a mea culpa. Brinson is now among the believers in Jameis and thinks he just might lead the Bucs to the playoffs this winter.
I made a bold prediction before the season he would toss 30 picks this year. That looks stupid! Winston’s giving Bucs GM Jason Lichte plenty of excuses to go swimming in his clothes and that’s not a bad thing in this case.
Winston’s shown serious improvement as the season’s rolled along, a willingness to tailor his game to be a little less aggressive and a little more mistake-free and he’s got what we’ve seen from him for years in Florida State — a clutch gene to help his team march down the field late in games and pull off big victories. It was on display again Sunday, with the Bucs moving to 6-6 and pushing hard for a potential playoff spot. The suddenly reeling Vikings, stomped by a pair of quality teams in two of the last three weeks, still get the Packers and Cardinals. They’re far from safe, especially with Winston’s squad playing so well.
It’s good Brinson (finally) saw the light. Joe suspects many before the draft, (led by Peter King, who also has since seen the light) didn’t want to see the light. Instead, they wanted to see Jameis in an orange jump suit picking up trash along the roadside.
For folks who are, at worst, supposed to have an open mind in the field they work in, the fourth estate, a helluva lot of typists and talking heads instead had closed minds and blinders on when it came to Jameis.
They only wished to believe a narrative pushed by hysterical limousine liberals who wouldn’t know a down marker from a goal post. And yet these same trusted souls didn’t bother themselves with doing a shred of real research on their own.
And to Joe, that is friggin’ sad.
December 7th, 2015 at 4:22 pm
This would have been a great article to have a pro America song. Especially that last paragraph!!
December 7th, 2015 at 4:27 pm
Great usage of the term “Limousine Liberal” – a great and descriptive historical term from New York politics.
As long as Jameis continues to have an uneventful off-field life, people will eventually forget about crab legs and unproven alleged crimes.
December 7th, 2015 at 4:30 pm
the bucs have never had that clutch gene at the qb position before….happy we have it now and it came at the perfect time….GO BUCS!!!
December 7th, 2015 at 4:32 pm
Is this the most impressive season by a Bucs QB ever? Given the injuries, the fact that he’s a 21 yr old rookie and went through so much of the season with injuries to key weapons?
December 7th, 2015 at 4:51 pm
@813
Free had several comebacks in ’10. Brad was very clutch our SB year but rarely played from behind.
This is just the first time we’ll have it for years!
December 7th, 2015 at 5:36 pm
Limousine liberal? Really? You’re going to pull this kind of thing? In the heat of a political campaign, you’re going to start political crap on a sport blog? Really?
Please, please, please stop. Just stop.
There’s absolutely NO NEED for that kind of crap on site dedicated to the Bucs.
What in the hell are you thinking?
December 7th, 2015 at 6:34 pm
Typical touchy liberal lol. Did his comment violate your safe zone?
December 7th, 2015 at 7:15 pm
Kaput can’t handle Joes micro aggressions. Sorry bro. JBC just isn’t PC enough for u
December 7th, 2015 at 7:53 pm
Awww… I clipped that prediction in order to shove it in his face at the end of the year. Too bad he is running damage control.
December 7th, 2015 at 7:56 pm
Travis’ comments trumps Kaput
December 7th, 2015 at 8:01 pm
You would have to be blind to ever think Winston could throw 30 picks in a single season.
December 7th, 2015 at 8:04 pm
God I love seeing liberals squirm over the tiniest of comments. Aren’t they the ones who are supposed to be the tolerant ones? I guess only when it fits their agenda. Go Bucs!
December 7th, 2015 at 8:23 pm
I’ve seen these kinds of things ruin a few message boards, is all.
We seem to have a good thing going here, no need to introduce a topic that will only serve to divide the group. What purpose does it serve? To what end? Why?
If the article was written in such as way as to suggest conservatives were neanderthals I’d be just as disappointed and irritated.
I hate PC. Absolutely hate it. It’s out of control and serves nobody in the long run. We’re raising a bunch clueless goons that can’t take criticism. But this isn’t that. This is just a stupid introduction of a topic that wasn’t needed to illustrate a point.
Even if the readership is 25% liberal-leaning, it’s a really stupid thing to bring up. Why offend them? Why purposely offend anyone (other than a rival fan base)?
Stupid, stupid stupid.
Really bad form on Joe’s part.
December 7th, 2015 at 8:59 pm
Kaput
As someone whose been drug into enough political discussions on this blog I like you have had enough.
Joe has totally missed the boat here. There are two reasons folks did not want to see #3 go as the top pick. Some thought he would throw too many ints…wasn’t fast enough…things actually related to FOOTBALL!!!
The 2nd reason was valid to all but total football junkies who would hire the leader of ISIS to QB the team if he could get us to the Super Bowl. See how hyperbole works Joe?
I love Fameis NOW. 87 convinced me before the draft that ALL OF THOSE antics and they were numerous…were a result of youthful indiscretion.
But some of you hope to simply wish away the reality that existed before the draft. While much of the controversy swirled around the Kinsman accusation if that was the ONLY thing it would have been nearly as bad.
Crab legs were an honest mistake in a college town where the star athletes are regularly comped…people not familiar with star athletes in college towns simply did not understand this.
The bb guns…the soda stealing…all youthful mistakes…the stupid yelling of the meme again youthful mistake.
And so now that #3 has clearly grown up and taken responsibility for his life with the help of MATURE men like DB55 and Lovie it’s easy to forget what was going on this time last year.
There was a lot of smoke if not a real fire. He had to be vetted and he was…THOROUGHLY.
That’s not a limosine liberal position…to think any other way is a brain dead position. I get that those closest to #3 realized he’s a good kid. But from the outside I also get that professionals putting millions of dollars of investment on the line would have been stupid to not investigate…liberal or conservative!!!
December 7th, 2015 at 9:13 pm
Yes Travis….funny! Freedom haters are soooooo sensitive.
December 7th, 2015 at 9:15 pm
Kaput, don’t take everything personal. I’m a white southern Christian male, if I quit watching, listening,or reading everything that disparaged me I would lead a very lonely life. Thicken the skin up brother, it’s all good
December 7th, 2015 at 9:38 pm
St Pete,
Joe is talking about the people that DIDN’T do their own homework and vetting. He didn’t say Jameis shouldn’t be vetted. But having an opinion WITHOUT vetting is stupid and close minded and might I add, lazy.
December 7th, 2015 at 11:24 pm
Funny thing you Glen Beck types up here talk about have thick skin but let someone post about race when it is pointed back at one of you then you all get all sensitive and what not with panties all in a bunch but yet you tell this guy to pretty much shut up because he doesn’t want political talk up here. You guys are funny because the one thing I’ve learned about republican/conservatives is that each and every presidential election period your leaders come out with what you all think is a snappy saying and it filters all the way down to you and you all run with it like it makes you guys supermen or something. This year it’s pc. It is so lame it’s funny. I heard Donald Trump say it now I hear you clowns use it. Talk about sheep.You guys always throw around the term liberal like it’s a bad thing but it’s because of you people they are needed to counterbalance your neo naziisms. You people when your kind are in power we are either in some kind of military conflict or putting our country into some kind of financial bind or something else along the way. Another problem with you people is you always want to control how people think and speak. Just stop it. We all can’t be tampons like you …………white uptight and out of sight with your heads up somewhere dark.
December 7th, 2015 at 11:37 pm
Thank you Clod, you get it.
December 8th, 2015 at 1:41 am
kaput Says:
December 7th, 2015 at 8:23 pm
“no need to introduce a topic that will only serve to divide the group. What purpose does it serve? To what end? Why?”
LOL – you must be new here.
December 8th, 2015 at 1:52 am
Man every time I heard or read somebody say he could throw 30 picks I would laugh at how STUPID they sounded.
Let’s rock #3.
December 8th, 2015 at 7:21 am
Well said, Joe
December 8th, 2015 at 7:29 am
The PC Police are right!! In fact I’m offended by this “America’s QB” business!! What if I’m not from America??!! Don’t all countries/continents deserve a franchise QB??!! Why do the PC police use so many exclamation points??!! and finally…what about the children??!!! Jaboo for pres. 2020!!!!!
December 8th, 2015 at 2:06 pm
Kaput: You are in the wrong place.
As a Winston fan and not a Buc fan: To paraphrase damn it good to be up on it.
Will never forget: Winston not in contention for Rookie of The Year. My my my what a difference 3 months make.
Shout out to the O-line: I could have made some of the passes with the protection you provided. To go from 52 sacks and 124 hits to 23 sacks and 79 hits in one year good job. Great if you finish with these number: I can dream.
Defense: Can’t be said enough, just 1 less touchdown.