Stop Holding Back Jameis Winston
October 29th, 2015
More evidence emerges that teammates are holding back “America’s Quarterback”(Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Joe is sickened upon hearing about how some Buccaneers ask Jameis Winston to be something he’s not: a bystander, a sheep among the rams.
Let the guy be himself, be what made him a national champion and a notorious leader of young men.
Earlier, Joe detailed how Gerald McCoy said he had to step in at practice yesterday and lecture his teammates on proper focus and channeling anger.
It’s what McCoy said next that incensed Joe.
“It’s not always me,” McCoy said on the Buccaneers Radio Network. “Sometimes it’s Lavonte David. Sometimes it’s Clinton McDonald. Sometimes it’s Vincent Jackson, Logan Mankins, Russell Shepard. Those are the captains. Sometimes it’s not even a captain. Louis Murphy steps in a lot.
“The kid, Jameis Winston? We struggle to keep him just being our quarterback. Because he’s such a leader, and it’s such in his blood and in his veins, he can’t help but do it. But sometimes you just gotta let him go, to let him be. And when he speaks, we get quiet and we listen. Because you’re never too young. Leadership doesn’t have an amount of Pro Bowls on it. It doesn’t have an amount of years on it. It doesn’t have a position on it.”
Jiminy Christmas, McCoy. Stop “struggling” to contain Jameis’ natural instincts. Stop asking the rookie to be somebody he’s not. That’s almost unfair.
McCoy has flapped about how Jameis must enjoy being a rookie and not worry about putting leadership on his plate. McCoy has shared his personal baggage — that he was unhappy on a 10-6 team as a rookie because he tried to do too much. Well, McCoy, what if Jameis enjoys speaking up and be the alpha dog? What if he thrives on a full plate?
Let Jameis be himself, rally his team and get in the heads of his fellow Bucs. The official team leaders have been failing miserably for years.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:00 am
agreed
October 29th, 2015 at 10:05 am
That’s just weird.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:10 am
Because the Bucs have done so well with McCoy and the others handling the leadership roles. We wouldn’t want Jameis messing with such a good thing.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:11 am
Alpha dogs being alpha dogs. McCoy knows holding back Jameis isn’t possible.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:13 am
Jameis, what a welcomed addition. McCoy just can’t stop putting his foot in his mouth. Man, just be quiet.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:13 am
Sounds to me like a bunch of baby deer being threatened when a big buck comes too close to their turf.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:15 am
GMC keep being the Jester and let the Alpha take over
October 29th, 2015 at 10:17 am
Damn Joseph’s!! We finally agree on something!! It’s about damn time!! I agree with you 100%! Jameis was drafted #1 for a reason and Gerald McCoy(injured or not) has no RIGHT to hold anyone back the way his SQUAD is playing!!!!
“It’s as simple as that” – Lovie Smith
“Changing coaches about halfway through a rebuilding effort is a recipe for perpetual failure.” – Johnny “America’s Commenter” Dejay
“If Lovie don’t no how to coach so be it… Hard to believe he would get a job offer and you wouldn’t…. Wonder why??? Your idiots that’s why…” – JAB83
“So my advice would be, yes, it’s okay to throw things at your TV when your team has a monumental collapse like the Bucs did on Sunday in Washington. But take a deep breath and understand that it is only going to get worse if you continue to jump from one coach to the next.” – Peter King
October 29th, 2015 at 10:20 am
Love that pic of Jameis…looks like he’s about to break out into the Saturday night fever staying alive dance.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:22 am
I think it’s pretty clear that this is becoming Jameis’ team.
The on-field performances, if they keep up, dictate that along with his natural abilities to lead men.
Remember before the season when people were saying that the “leadership” abilities mean nothing if the play on the field doesn’t back it up? Well, it works both ways. If the offense keeps thriving and the defense continues to give away games then it will be Jameis chewing out McCoy for not holding up his end of the bargain and not the other way around
October 29th, 2015 at 10:26 am
Creamsicle, yup. Jameis is well on his way to making this HIS Bucs team. And that’s the way it should be.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:34 am
McCoy knows his days as the face of the franchise are over.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:37 am
I’m tired of hearing McCoy speak about leadership. Stop it already. Please do your talking on the field and focus on making plays. It’s an absolute joke to hear these veteran players talk about being leaders when the team continues to embarrass themselves every year. Would a leader mentally collapse after one play (David) or would he rally the team and fight. Would a leader let Kirk Cousins rack up video game stats without rising up and sacking him on the last drive of the game (McCoy). I beg you, do your own job and let the players with Natural leadership abilities rise up and take this team to a higher level. Stop talking and start making plays and winning.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:47 am
McCoy needs to shut up. This is #3’s team now. Simple as that.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:48 am
He led his team to a national title as a RS freshman. Over a team from the conference who had won the last 8 titles.
The kid is special. Let him lead.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:55 am
I just want to add. I’ve reached the age where I call rookies “kid” They are so young you can’t help but think of them as kids. With Jameis I never think the word kid. Never. He doesn’t act like like a kid. He doesn’t talk like a kid. He doesn’t play like a kid. How the hell did he ever get in trouble in college? In Tampa, he’s been mature way beyond his years.
October 29th, 2015 at 11:54 am
Wow, Joe. You completely misread McCoy there. He was complimenting Winston.
October 29th, 2015 at 12:05 pm
One Sunday, very soon, Jameis is going to take over a game, put the team on his back, and will them to victory. When that happens, there will be no more “holding him back” regardless of who on the team tries.
October 29th, 2015 at 12:58 pm
Free Jameis. Let Jameis be Jameis! Then we will see this entire team turn the corner. The current “leaders” have led this team to defeat for way to long! Their losing defeatist attitude is seemingly being propped up by the HC. There’s a new sheriff in town!! Let him be who he is. A gunslinging winner and leader of men. Sheriff Winston:)
October 29th, 2015 at 1:17 pm
Oh and wtf…”channeling anger”! That’s the problem…the defense needs to be angrier as far as I am concerned. Look how the ol got “angry” when “the sheriff” was being targeted during the Reds game. I know we don’t want to lose yards but I was glad to see the “anger”, fire and love (love, was how Jameis described his deputies response to the incidents). The defense needs more of the same fighting, we are one attitude.
October 29th, 2015 at 1:18 pm
McCoy knows his days are numbered as the face of the franchise…..Jameis will only sit back for so long.
October 29th, 2015 at 1:35 pm
Joe is making far too much out of this. This is a non-issue.
October 29th, 2015 at 1:48 pm
They play better when Jameis does less. Besides who would he throw to?
October 29th, 2015 at 1:55 pm
McCoy doesn’t have it. He’s a sally
October 29th, 2015 at 1:58 pm
Total fabrication. McCoy is clearly complimenting him. McCoy also had Winston on his Bucs show (on the team’s website) a couple weeks ago where he said basically the same thing in Winston’s presence…that he’s the new face of the franchise and team leader Etc Etc
Funny how you make things up yet claim Joe is. Joe NEVER wrote that McCoy wasn’t complimenting Jameis. Clearly he is. Work on your reading skills. Here’s some critical background for you. https://www.joebucsfan.com/2015/09/its-not-about-enjoyment-gerald-mccoy/ Thank you. –Joe
October 29th, 2015 at 2:34 pm
You completely misunderstood what McCoy said.
Joe understood completely. For the rest of you folks who aren’t paying attention, Joe will take you back to McCoy’s take about rookies and Jameis and how McCoy wasn’t happy as a rookie. https://www.joebucsfan.com/2015/09/its-not-about-enjoyment-gerald-mccoy/ Thank you. –Joe
October 29th, 2015 at 4:46 pm
The quicker this becomes “Winston’s team” the better off they will be. McCoy likes to tell everyone he’s the leader however the best leaders never have to say that. Don’t get me wrong, I like McCoy. He’s a stand up guy and a strong player, however this team needs some attitude.
October 29th, 2015 at 5:59 pm
Sir, you really need to work on your reading skills. Joe has no time babysitting those misrepresenting him.–Joe
October 29th, 2015 at 6:33 pm
Lol, hey McCoy you want to high-five and giggle with Winston and you want to stop Cousin and Ryan. Got it?
October 29th, 2015 at 8:58 pm
I agree with the leadership aspect! But I’m now ready to go all the way in. For awhile I thought that with the Defense playing well…and a great kicker…and an adequate OL we could win with a game manager at QB.
I did not want to turn any more over to Fameis because I thought the ints would cost us a chance to win. Now that we can clearly see we do not have a playoff defense it’s time to turn Fameis loose on the field as well. Our defense is not good enough to win games anyway so let’s turn Fameis loose and see just how good this offense might become.
October 29th, 2015 at 9:15 pm
Hey Joe really classy deleting my comment and putting in your inane commentary. How about you address my fair criticism instead of playing censor?
October 29th, 2015 at 9:20 pm
People come at you all the time Joe and I’m one of your defenders almost always. So a little fair criticism shouldn’t be stifled. And as far as being the arbiter of what’s fair and not fair, you should really leave that to your readers. We police each other pretty well. I stand by my original comment as I said. That is in no way disrespecting you or your work.
October 30th, 2015 at 2:14 am
Proper focus and channeling anger? What McCoy must be pissed off that some off his teammates (Gholston) are not focused on telling everyone to “chill” when things get heated or not helping an opposing player up after your QB was “piled on” during the previous series. Adds McCoy “We struggle to keep him just being our QB.” Pro Football Focus had this to say about Jameis “What’s remarkable is how good he has been, and how little it’s gone noticed. He’s oozing star potential.” I really believe some of the problem with McCoy and others is that it has been so long if not ever that they have had a legit super star playing on the same team. Its hard for a player who is used to losing to have a 21 year old winner, come in and have the ability to have the team look at him as “he IS our leader” as opposed to the guy who looks at the leadership role as “I have to call this, call that, do this, do that.” In the words of Joe “let Jameis be Jameis, and you trust him, then get the heck out of the way.”
October 30th, 2015 at 2:31 am
@Warren Says: “Total fabrication. McCoy is clearly complimenting him.” How is McCoy complimenting Winston when he calls him a “kid” and goes on to say “we” struggle to keep him just being our quarterback. Struggling to keep him our QB comes across as “you are a rookie son, and I am the leader until further notice?”