Koetter praises Winston’s poise in Bucs’ loss to Redskins
With the Bucs down two receivers and communications between him and offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter failing intermittently, Koetter said Jameis Winston also showed some veteran-like poise. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS By Roy Cummings | Tribune Staff Published: October 29, 2015 at 11:27 AMTAMPA — Quarterback Jameis Winston had what his Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaches described as his best game as a pro during the Bucs’ 31-30 loss at Washington last Sunday.But it wasn’t just his 21-for-29 passing and 128.1 passer rating that earned Winston what Coach Lovie Smith said was his highest performance grade of the season.With the Bucs down two receivers and communications between him and offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter failing intermittently, Winston also showed some veteran-like poise.“He handled it like a champ,’’ Koetter said of the difficulties facing Winston.The absence of receivers Louis Murphy and Vincent Jackson, both of whom were down with knee injuries, forced the Bucs to alter a lot of their plays as well as some of their players’ roles.It was left to Winston to make sure everyone was on the same page on plays that had not necessarily been part of the original game plan and to make sure every player knew his role, Koetter said.“We were down on the (play) clock a lot because we were juggling groups and sometimes he was talking to the tight ends coming in and out of the huddle, reminding them (of their role),’’ Koetter said.“Those guys were sometimes doing jobs they don’t normally do and Jameis, he’s growing fast. He’s doing a good job right now. He played good enough in that game for us to win.’’[email protected]Twitter: @RCummingsTBO
