Protecting The Football
June 16th, 2017
Much more good than bad.
(Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)
Lots of Bucs fans, despite Tampa Bay having a franchise quarterback, kvetch about America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston.
Many nitpick his accuracy and turnovers but ignore the big picture: Jameis set an NFL record by throwing for 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons (largely with only one reliable target) and led the Bucs to their first winning season since leaky, sleepy Josh Freeman. And there is ample evidence Jameis is no Freeman, and we can all be very thankful for that.
In other words, Jameis will always frustrate fans but that’s like owning a BMW and being aggravated you always have to fill the tank with the highest-priced gas option.
You could always dump the new BMW for a used Ford Ranger and save on gas money.
Yesterday, when winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter was asked if Jameis was reducing turnovers, Koetter wasn’t exactly reassuring.
“Somewhat,” Koetter said after the final underwear football practice of the underwear football season. “There’s such a fine line, because you want to protect the football but at the same time you want to experiment. We’re working with new things, with new personnel. Like, we’ve been doing a lot of red zone work the last two days and we’re trying to work some back-shoulders to O.J. [Howard]. Well, if you don’t throw them to him, if you don’t ever throw him any, you’re not going to complete any. So we have to temper that.
“When we don’t have fans out here, when we don’t have media out here, we don’t have to tell you guys what it looks like. When you guys are out here, you’re going to make your own judgments, and some of them are right and some of them aren’t right.”
Joe remembers a time last season when Koetter was asked about Jameis and his pick. Koetter mentioned he didn’t want to turn Jameis into Checkdown Charlie just to satisfy the stat geeks.
Jameis’ gift is also his Achilles heel: high-wire passes that could be boom or bust. His Brett Favre-mentality can and does get him and the Bucs into hot water.
It’s safe to assume Jameis is well on his way to being the best quarterback in franchise history, not to mention his off-the-charts intangibles, so Joe is more than happy to take the good with the bad.
And trust that Joe has seen more than enough bad when it comes to Bucs quarterbacks, more than Joe has ever seen good.
June 16th, 2017 at 2:05 pm
All hail the Messiah!
Screw the nitpickers. I wouldn’t trade Jameis for any other QB in the league.
June 16th, 2017 at 2:10 pm
I would not trade him for any other QB in the league either. He’s absolutely perfect for this team and franchise. Now that he has more than 2 1/2 receiving options, his interceptions will go waaaaaaay down and the td’s? I am expecting a new franchise record. Barring major/significant injuries, this should be a special season.
June 16th, 2017 at 2:40 pm
he is the future
June 16th, 2017 at 2:42 pm
If we are going to win anything it will be because of Jameis. Keep throwing that ball down the field.
June 16th, 2017 at 3:03 pm
coaching scared and over conservative like dungy the clown or lovie the coordinator killer costs you more wins just look at their horrendous career playoff records. Be Aggressive youngman! Playing conservative is for the losers
June 16th, 2017 at 3:12 pm
When you have a good “D” you don’t have to worry. I think our defense will be even better this year. With all of the weapons JW3 has — throw the ball.
June 16th, 2017 at 3:34 pm
“largely with only one reliable target”
Really? Hump and Brate are chopped liver I suppose.
June 16th, 2017 at 3:35 pm
Franchise quarterbacks with weapons win championships. defensive minded teams are one and done. they are never dynasty’s nor repeat winners. before you cry steelers go count the offensive players in the hall of fame before spouting off. hall of fame meant something back then too. that was before the days of it being nothing more than a PC popularity contest
June 16th, 2017 at 3:35 pm
Set all the records you want. They are useless if you collapse at the end of the year. The only record that matters is W-L. . Get to the playoffs and win the Super Bowl.
June 16th, 2017 at 3:37 pm
The other side of the coin
comparably speaking yes hump and brate are chop liver to what the bucs have now. Hump is a #5 or 6 with a low ceiling and that is best case scenario. brate is a one dimensional te who hopefully has potential to grow.
evans is the only true nfl talent jameis has ever thrown too. vjax was washed up 3 years ago so i don’t want to hear that noise either.
June 16th, 2017 at 3:39 pm
Anyone who plays a sport knows that practice is the place to take risks and make mistakes. Every starting QB in the NFL turns the ball over in practice, even Tom Brady. Wake me up if this is an issue in October.
June 16th, 2017 at 3:57 pm
No way you can be a bucs fan and not a jameis fan. We all will take the bad with the good. Finally have a franchise qb, and hope for every season. What a pleasant surprise his attitude and work ethic was too. Air it out Jameis. Go bucs!
June 16th, 2017 at 4:23 pm
There you go. Iron out the wrinkles. See what might work and what won’t.
June 16th, 2017 at 4:26 pm
I wrote about this the other day on another article….the T.O’s have to decrease…IMO, that’s the last thing he has to clean up in his game…he’s already a leader…he’s improved his footwook….a lot of his TO’s were him just trying to make a play and defenses knowing we only had 1 true weapon they had to defend….im looking for a 34td and 8int zero fumble season from BIG J BOOGEY!!!…..GO BUCS!!!
June 16th, 2017 at 4:45 pm
That’s all good, but the fact is that we have QBs in the NFC South that throws for 5,000 yards and more. We even have won that can throw for 4,000 and run for another 700.
June 16th, 2017 at 4:45 pm
one, not won
June 16th, 2017 at 4:46 pm
Best line in the whole article Joe: “Jameis’ gift is also his Achilles heel”. One thing I love about Jameis is that he doesn’t ‘play afraid’ like some QBs do. He’s got a great ability to shake off the last mistake … and yet still learn from it … then go for it aggressively once again. I used to see him as a ‘gunslinger’ like so many have described him, but now I tend to think that the term that better describes him is ‘fearless’.
June 16th, 2017 at 4:53 pm
DBS, I agree with you 100%, that is a major problem. And it has been a problem since 2005.
June 16th, 2017 at 5:12 pm
Throwing for 4,000 yards will not get you a playoff berth in the NFL, especially in the NFC South. Drew Brees has thrown for over 4,000 yards in 11 straight seasons. And he has missed the playoffs in 6 of those seasons. You actually has to have a COMPLETE team to be a playoff team in the NFL. Matt Ryan has thrown for over 4,000 yards 6 years straight, and missed the playoffs 3 times during that time.
June 16th, 2017 at 5:27 pm
Farve believed he could make any throw. I think Winston thinks the same.
June 16th, 2017 at 5:30 pm
Big news coming out of New Orleans…..looks like they lost their starting LT Armstead for 4-6 months, which should equate to our DE getting more pressure on Brees.
Things are shaping up for a special year in BUC-land.
June 16th, 2017 at 5:33 pm
As usual I agree completely with Pickgrin.
I can concede that other QB’s may throw better, run better, protect the ball better, when you put the ENTIRE PACKAGE together I wouldn’t trade #3 for any QB.
Of course I am prejudiced I LOVE offense….I LOVE going for it…think I read a comment from a fellow player about #3 that describes his core greatness…
He doesn’t play to “not lose”…he plays to win! I’m keeping track of only ONE major stat when it comes to #3….WINS! If he wins I don’t care how many picks he throws.
June 16th, 2017 at 5:33 pm
Donuts, that’s why New Orleans drafted LT Ryan Ramczyk in the 1st round, they drafted him for O-Line depth. I keep telling people you never get enough O-Linemen. All of these so-call draft gurus was dogging them for drafting him in the 1st. These same fools look stupid now.
June 16th, 2017 at 5:59 pm
Lakeland
Ramczyk underwent arthroscopic hip surgery to repair a torn labrum in early January. He will be lucky to be ready by training camp and I would much rather take on a rookie any day too. I think this injury will affect their game plan.
June 16th, 2017 at 6:07 pm
Terron Armstead has missed 24 games in his 4 year career. The saints was going to game plan around him , that’s why they drafted Ramczyk and signed G Larry Warford.
June 16th, 2017 at 6:31 pm
This is all touchy feely good but what about the O-line?
June 16th, 2017 at 7:21 pm
Tmax the fact that you called Tony Dungy a clown Trump’s any of your idiocy on calling Gerald McCoy lame. You have solidified your spot as Joe Bucs fan.com’s class dunce.
June 16th, 2017 at 10:23 pm
Hims hands are too small
June 17th, 2017 at 12:01 am
SB
2 playoff wins in six years with two hall of fame players handed to him on defense solidifies dungy a one dimensional clown. His career losing playoff record renders the entire hall of fame meaningless. Whyce did more for bucs than that hypocrite dungy every did. Results matter thankfully it did not take long for Gruden to clean up the mess dungy the clown left