Leading The League

February 15th, 2018

Haters gonna hate.

Who said Jameis regressed last year?

Yes, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, didn’t have the best of seasons last year. That wasn’t his fault, unless some psychotic hater actually is demented enough to believe that Jameis purposely injured his golden ATM (right shoulder).

Joe has stated for weeks  when Jameis was a different quarterback when he came back from injury in the month of December. And leave it to the dogged research of Jenna Laine of ESPN to document Joe’s eyeball analysis.

In short, no NFL quarterback was better than Jameis last December.

From Week 13 to Week 17, Winston led the NFL with 1,584 yards passing, tied for third with nine touchdown passes and was 11th in Total QBR with 57.2 after ranking 25th in Weeks 1-12.

That’s a pretty significant jump. And of the poor showing from Weeks 1-12, Jameis only played one of those games healthy (Week 1 vs. Chicago).

Yes, Jameis needs to cut the fumbles, no question. But that can be taught. That can be coached.

What cannot be taught and what cannot be coached is that golden right arm (and shoulder) that Jameis has. That’s a rare gift.

Only fools and devout haters would try to argue the Bucs should cut Jameis or consider drafting a quarterback at No. 7 overall. “Dumb” doesn’t begin to describe that mentality.

53 Responses to “Leading The League”

  1. LakeLand Says:

    The Bucs can’t afford to cut their starting QB. But they will have to release or trade some players. In 2019 Mike Evans, Kwon Alexander, Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet will be UFAs. And in 2020, Jameis Winston will be an UFA. Also Cam Brate and Adam Humphries are RFAs now. Jason Licht has some tough decisions to make.

  2. Lamarcus Says:

    Now this is a player. Alott better than most Qbs in the league. He just plays for a bad team.

  3. LakeLand Says:

    Jameis Winston problem is simple. He’s always pressing, trying to do too much. The Bucs need to run the ball more and take some pressure off him. A strong running game should be their top priority. Once they improve the running game, everything else will fall in place.

  4. teacherman777 Says:

    He is psycho like Brady and MJ.

    Psychos make champions in sports!

    Winston equals a future star!

    Go Bucs!

  5. Bucssuccs Says:

    It is within Jameis’ nature to force plays. Which will result in turnovers. The fumbles were mostly on Jameis, with the o line taking blame. But hey, let’s give jameis a 10 year 100 million dollar contract when we could’ve gotten a more efficient quarterback. Just wait until next year when jameis starts to force turnovers

  6. Bucssuccs Says:

    Hell, Philip rivers played with a torn acl and no one excused him with his injury, so why is Jameis getting pampered?

  7. LakeLand Says:

    Bucssuccs

    If the Bucs extend Jameis, it will probably be in the neighborhood of 5 years $ 145 million.

  8. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    “Every problem Jameis or any other Buc has or ever will have can be blamed on Cancer93”
    Tmaxcon

  9. aussieBucfan Says:

    If I was a Winston hater I’d offer Kirk Cousins a contract then trade Winston and next year’s first round pick to the Browns for pick 1 and 4 this year then pick Chubb at 1, Barkley at 4 and Nelson at 7 boom!

    Phew lucky I’m not a Winston hater..

  10. NFLNut Says:

    ***********

    Jameis should REFUSE to sign any extension the Bucs offer him! He should make the team franchise him in his 6th year (2020) and enter the 2021 season, at just 27 with 6 years experience, as an unrestricted free agent. THAT would be the wise decision for Jameis imho.

    ************

  11. NFLNut Says:

    AUSSIEBUCFAN,

    The Raiders with Carr, Cowboys with Dak, Titans with Mariota, Rams with Goff, Lions with Stafford, 49’ers with Garoppolo, etc would probably all be smart to sign Cousins and trade their current QBs for the #1 and #4 overall picks … however NFL GMs are a boring bunch and generally don’t get creative

  12. Lunchbox Says:

    Joe(s), I love the site, love the takes, and I love all the work you do to keep putting out content, but I gotta take issue with this.

    Yes, Jameis needs to cut the fumbles, no question. But that can be taught. That can be coached.

    He’s entering is fourth (?) season of his pro football career? How long has he been playing football? I’m sure since Pop Warner. Do you think they talked to him about fumbles back then? I bet they did. And then in High School, did they preach ball security? I’m sure they did. Once he got to Florida State, do you think Jimbo was in his face, coaching him up on taking care of the ball? I have no doubt. And now that he’s in the pros, coaches are paid to make sure that ball security is a priority for Jameis.

    What is the result of all this coaching thus far? Jameis leading the league in fumbles. With coach after coach talking to him about protecting the ball, maybe he CAN’T be coached to protect the ball. Maybe this is what we should expect from Jameis. Tons of yards, yes. Along with tons of turnovers, and not many wins.

  13. NFLNut Says:

    ^ Jameis NEVER had a problem with fumbles until this year, a year in which he jacked his throwing shoulder in the 2nd game … it’s an outlier … don’t make a fool of yourself.

  14. Defense Rules Says:

    Not sure why we keep having these discussions about Jameis like this ‘Leading the League’ article Joe. Whether he’s #1 in passing yardage or #21 in passing yardage is pretty much irrelevant right now. Jameis is here, Jameis is ours, Jameis ‘ain’t goin’ no-place’. Whatever it takes to keep him here when it comes contract time, that’s what the Bucs will pay. Same thing the Pats have gone through several times with Brady; same thing Saints have gone through with Brees, etc.

    What’s almost humorous is that with big contracts in Bucsville comes big visibility. And LOTS of criticism, like questioning whether those getting big contracts are worth the big bucks. Personally I could care less about how much Player X makes, but I do care about how well he does on the field … in the context of his contribution to the T-E-A-M. Jameis is doing ‘OK’ to this point. Jameis is still quite young & will do better in the future as he continues to gain experience & mature. Bucs have MUCH BIGGER things to be concerned about.

  15. Lunchbox Says:

    NFLNut – This year it was fumbles…..and INT’s. He’s had a problem with INTs for some time now. Notice that when I went over what he was coached in the past up till now, it was about ball security. You can’t deny he’s had issues with Interceptions. It’s the ball security issue as a whole, not just fumbles, thats concerning about Jameis. The interceptions are not an exception, with Jameis it seems they are the rule. I’m not even saying that he won’t get better, but I think that it’ll only come from within. No further amount of coaching will do it IMHO. Jameis’s biggest problem is his own judgement, and that’s something he needs to fix for himself.

  16. BigHogHaynes Says:

    Wins and Loses, that’s the bottom line, as a team the Bucs regressed!

  17. AlteredEgo Says:

    Everyone can plainly see the good stuff Jameis does………it is the other stuff that he leads the league in that is worrisome

  18. Joeypoppems Says:

    Yes, because signing an older, more expensive QB and trading away a younger, cheaper QB that a team can build around is “smart and creative”.

    No disrespect but you guys come up with some dumb ideas sometimes lol

  19. Bird Says:

    Agreed with all above

    It’s something like 60 turnovers in 45 games since entering the league. Thats not good enough. And please stop with Bret Favre comparisons and his turnovers. Also, Most qbs play hurt cause they know if they sit , then another guy will take their job.

    Everyone on this site should want Jameis to succeed. Cause if he continues with inconsistent play , then the bucs will be irrelevant for another 10 years cause he will get a deal. And it will be 30 plus mil a year. Agreed the last 4 games of the year is the Jameis we need Just funny how if you critique his play on this website , then you are racist. Yet it is ok to rip any other player ( ex McCoy or Evans ) you guys have created this messiah complex calling him americas quarteback and going out of the way to point finger the other way and until recently have covered 1 player and not the team.

    Go bucs!

  20. The Buc Realist Says:

    NFL GM Jason Licht should have a “base” QB contract ready to go, then incentives on deep balls and turnover goals!!!!!!!

    Because “real” franchise QB’s hit all the throws!!!!!!!!

    GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  21. AlteredEgo Says:

    Bird is the word !

  22. BucFamous Says:

    Bucs realist:

    Real franchise QB’s hit all the throws?

    lol–you can always tell when someone doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Go grab tape of the BEST franchise QBs, Manning and Brady, and let’s study those deep balls shall we. All QBs, even the best (and no Jameis isn’t one of the best), have holes in their game. That’s just a fact.

    Only a moron ignores facts and doesn’t see that Jameis has progressed in almost ever statistical category this year–all the articles and all the stats aren’t gonna make some of these fools realize the truth. He’s got to continue to progress–and as for those Ws–one player can’t get those on his own. Get us a run game and get us a defense that isn’t a sieve–which unfortunately doesn’t appear to be happening until after this staff is gone.

  23. Arealbucsfan Says:

    @bucssuck Rivers was praised for his toughness playing thru an all injury

  24. JimmyJack Says:

    Funny, I didn’t realize Realist was being sarcastic til BucFamous lashed out at him. Q:So whose the real moron? A:Me and Famous

  25. DoNUTS Says:

    Winston was also 1-4 during that time and had 3 INTs in the game won v. Aints, which we all know is rare. NFL is about wins not QBR. This team goes as Winston goes. I really want him to succeed but he does have a lot of distractions/issues on the field. He was awful turning the ball over in 2017 and no the injury is not an excuse. All NFL QB players play with injuries of some sort during a year. Turnovers are key to his W/L record in 2018. I think its good to be critical on Winston; he has not done enough in 3 years in this prove it league as the longest playoff drought continues. #GoBucs

  26. doolnutts Says:

    I say he regressed. He looked awful in most games and by week 13 it was already too late. That being said anyone who is saying cut, trade or replace him has lost their mind… Kids 24… I would let him finiish out the contract and if we still don’t see steady improvement maybe franchise tag him but moving him before that just doesn’t make any since to me.

  27. JimmyJack Says:

    Donuts you could also point out that in the five games in question that the offense continued their stagnant play in the first half digging us holes.

    I’m as big a Winston fan as any but this ain’t baseball or basketball. It takes more then stats to win in this sport.

    Winston putting up all these historic number yet there are a ton of flaws in his game. That alone should prove how meaningless stats are.

    Fans will continue arguing back and forth all day about Winston’s stats but at the end of the day I’ll take it from Winston himself when he said he isn’t good enough because his team is losing. I suppose you could call it PR and disingenuous but when he said that I thought it came across as sincere.

  28. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Bucssuccs Says
    “Hell, Philip rivers played with a torn acl and no one excused him with his injury, so why is Jameis getting pampered?”

    One, Phillip Rivers had long established himself.

    Two, you obviously did not actually follow what his teams fans were saying. You are just assuming no one excused him.

  29. Dubcity06 Says:

    Stats are silly. He played better later in the season, anyone with eyes could see that. But he also struggled leading guys, and with consistency. As well as scoring TDs when in position. Not regress but not improving

  30. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Jameis did regress, but he got his head screwed on right once he came back. And that is what you should want to see.

    Players have bad years from time to time, especially young players. This can sometimes be a good thing, because it forces them to take a good look. For fans, it gives them a chance to see how the player responds to that bad year. Does he give up? Or does he work to remove his weaknesses?

    Winston. VHIII. Both will have to work hard this off season.

    How they both respond will be huge to the team. I’m pretty confident Jameis will respond well. VHIII? I’m hoping he will. Wouldn’t that stick in the crawl of these so-called fans who give up so quickly?

    Kind of like when they gave up on Mike Evans.

  31. Bucssuccs Says:

    @buccaneer Bonzai

    “One, Philip Rivers has long established himself”

    Okay, but Jameis is in his fourth nfl season. He should’ve wrinkled out his turnovers a lot.

    “Two, you obviously did not actually follow what his team fans were saying. You are just assuming no one excused him.”

    Again, at the final game of last season Jameis threw an int while trying to hook up with evans. Everyone blame it on evans although it was in triple coverage.

  32. JimmyJack Says:

    Good point on that one Bonzai. Put me on the optimistic side with Winston. Though I don’t think that gets us anywhere unless his team supports him. Primarily rushing the ball and better gameplanning………Like not getting hit 20 times when we play Carolina for example

  33. JimmyJack Says:

    Bucsssucss……wait a sec, didn’t we win that last game? From everything I have read from Winston detractors it’s all about wins and losses.

    Not trying to overhype one win but Winston made a lot of plays in that game. He played a good game dude

  34. 813bucboi Says:

    BucFamous Says:
    February 15th, 2018 at 8:00 am
    Bucs realist:
    Real franchise QB’s hit all the throws?
    lol–you can always tell when someone doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

    ^^BINGO^^…he never knows what he’s talking about…..all he does is make excuses for this staff!!!!
    ***************************************************************
    doolnutts Says:
    February 15th, 2018 at 8:41 am
    I say he regressed. He looked awful in most games and by week 13 it was already too late

    Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
    February 15th, 2018 at 8:57 am
    Jameis did regress, but he got his head screwed on right once he came back. And that is what you should want to see.

    IAGREE….I think he showed regression early in the season but bounced back when the season was over….he fought hard all year and that’s all I can ask….but he’s in the same boat as this staff….no excuses!!!!….not saying we should send him packing along with the staff but he has to get better with protecting the football, not forcing throws and keeping his emotions in check…..

    #NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!

  35. ben Says:

    Brag all u want __Winston is AVERAGE and nothing more. He has been shown up by other other qb’s taken after him….Nothing to brag about _yet!

  36. Bucssuccs Says:

    @JimmyJack yeah, one game though. I certainly don’t want to sound like a Debbie downer, however that meaningless win meant that we went from 5th to 7th. Which is huge deal in wherever we decide to upgrade

  37. Schlomie BarmitzvahCircumScissorStein Says:

    Hopefully, the front office will be strategic and make some good moves so that by the time 2023 roles around, the Bucs might sniff the playoff’s.

  38. ndog Says:

    Wow we have to have the dumbest fan base in the NFL. This site just proves it every time a Jameis article is posted. But the best one is from Mr. Know it all and the one poster who loves to quote himself states the following.

    “Because “real” franchise QB’s hit all the throws!!!!!!!!”

    Please oh please post that one in one of your ridiculous reposts in the next year. Boy that has to be the most clueless take you have ever shared and you have had a bunch of clueless takes so that is saying something.

  39. StPeteBucsFan Says:

    I don’t care which team it is….if their starting QB has such arm troubles that he has to visit multiple orthopedic experts for advice…misses three games outright…and then when healthy rebounds nicely for the final four games.

    They would view that as a FACT…not an excuse. So if Tom Brady goes down in his first game next year and the Pats missed the playoffs would we view that as an “excuse” or a fact? What if simultaneously the Pats lost their best edge rusher.
    What if the Pats lost their star linebackers for a few games each? Would those be FACTS or excuses?

    Where does reality begin and fantasy end? And if there is ONE thing that is messing up many posts here…we seem to forget that…

    FOOTBALL IS A TEAM SPORT.
    11 men on offense
    11 men on defense
    11 men on ST’s
    53 + Practice squad on the roster.

    ONE player should never determine our future with the possible exception of QB.
    But the Eagles proved even that is not a requirement.

  40. StPeteBucsFan Says:

    Ben

    You are statistically incorrect. #3 threw for more yardage in his first two years than ANY QB IN NFL HISTORY. By definition that is not average…in fact for that metric by definition it is the VERY BEST.

  41. BucEmUp Says:

    He probably is among the leaders in pass attempts as well. I would like to see those numbers

  42. StPeteBucsFan Says:

    #3 had 1102 attempts his first two seasons.

    Peyton Manning had 1108

    Andrew Luck had 1197

    Those are the only Apples I took time to look up…guys who started as #1 in Peyton’s case #2 draft picks who played from day one.

    It’s hard to compare to Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady…guys who had to wait before actually starting. But if you look at their first two years of actually playing they have similar attempts.

    IE #3 had fewer attempts than the two top draft picks and comparable attempts to Brady…1128 attempts his first two years of playing fulltime.

    Bottom line is that #3 did NOT have more attempts.

  43. ndog Says:

    Please people who know football please just join me in giving up on these people who have no idea what they are talking about. It is a waste of your time and you will never get them to see what is right in front of them. You see these people never wanted Jamies so they want to be right so bad they are cheering against their old team.

  44. LakeLand Says:

    We all can say that Jameis Winston regressed. But when the team regressed, normally the players regressed also. And it’s a management problem, the Bucs brass had 9 months to get Jameis Winston a run game. It takes an above-average O-Line, above-average RBs to have an decent run attack. The Bucs didn’t add any O-Linemen last season. They didn’t add any RBs last season, despite averaging 3.6 YPC. A QB don’t have a chance in a one dimensional offense.

  45. ndog Says:

    But that’s just it Lakeland he didn’t regress. He had his best completion %, highest Quarterback Rating and did that with a hurt shoulder. So that is the issue that people don’t seem to get, yes you can say he regressed but the facts show he actually improved!

  46. LakeLand Says:

    ndog

    He did have his best season as a Buc. I think the problem was the regression of the team. And people started pointing fingers at him. But he did improve in a lot of areas in 2017. He didn’t regress, but the team did.

  47. LakeLand Says:

    This is an article from the New York Times and it pretty much sum it up

    Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston was outstanding on Monday night against Atlanta. He completed 27 of 35 passes for 299 yards, and had three touchdowns without an interception. His final quarterback rating was a colossal 130.5.

    But you may not have noticed because of another, more important, statistic: Falcons 24, Buccaneers 21.

    The game was a microcosm of Winston’s entire season, his third as the Bucs’ quarterback. He is playing as well as he ever has. His completion percentage, interception percentage, adjusted yards per attempt, and quarterback rating are all at career bests.

    But because the Bucs are 4-10, and only 2-9 with Winston starting, few outside of Tampa have paid much attention.

    ndog
    When you’re the QB of a team like the Bucs, you get blame for all of the failures

  48. Mr. Ed Says:

    I know! It’s Gerald McCoy’s fault that Winston sucks!

    Plain and simple. Obvious.

  49. gilhealy Says:

    Good post @Lakeland. Pretty much nails it.

  50. StPeteBucsFan Says:

    An injury is not an excuse…it’s a factual reality. Noah Spence certainly regressed eh….Kwon Alexander definitely regressed he missed 1/4th of the entire season!!!

    Lavonte David missed three games…he obviously regressed. Brent Grimes missed three games he must have also regressed. Our starting QB missed three games…ran all over the nation getting advice from orthopedic guys on his bum arm.

    So yeah there was plenty of regression by this team last year. And one factor not even included in those injuries was the total lack of continuity..especially on defense.

    Now I get the “No Excuses” crowd…when I hear namby pamby reasons like Hard Knocks or believing their clippings…that’s a most lame excuse.

    But injuries DO effect teams. So do we like our chances better next year if Drew Brees, Cam and Matty Ice all have bad arm injuries and miss three games each and play less than their best in a dozen other games? I’d say our chances would improve.

  51. StPeteBucsFan Says:

    Mr Ed

    THAT was funny.

    BTW I took my wife out to for Valentines dinner and got a bad steak. I feel certain it must have been GMC moonlighting as chef that night. It just HAD to be GMC’s fault.

  52. TSyce Says:

    More licking of jw3’s n*** huh Joe? I don’t care what he did in Dec he has issues on the field.PERIOD!

  53. Chris Schiefen Says:

    Every single stat Winston put up pretty much improved over 2016. People just carry forward opinion as fact and never double check. I remember people said Cam regressed in his 3rd year too when his numbers went up as well.