Jameis Winston, Todd Gurley focus on winning, not awardsRick Brown ESPN
TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston isn't looking at Thursday's matchup against St. Louis as the game to determine the Offensive Rookie of the Year race between him and Rams running back Todd Gurley.Both players said winning the game is more important."It would be awesome to achieve that goal," Winston said about rookie of the year honors. "That wasn't on my goal list at the beginning of the year. My goal was to have more wins than last year. We did that. That was an important goal, not only for me but for this organization. My team is way more important than my individual success or goals. I don't focus on that type of stuff."He has been keeping an eye on Gurley. The rookie out of Georgia is fourth in the league in rushing with 975 yards and has eight touchdowns. His five games of at least 125 yards are the most by a rookie since Eric Dickerson in 1983."Absolutely, that's my guy," Winston said of Gurley. "I text Gurley throughout the week, I always tell him good job. He does the same. ... We've been friends since high school. That's my guy, and I'm very happy for him."Winston has led Tampa Bay (6-7) to its most wins since the Bucs went 7-9 in 2012. His 17 passing touchdowns rank second on the franchise's rookie list. His five rushing touchdowns are tied for the most by a Tampa Bay quarterback in a season. His 3,059 passing yards are the most by a rookie in team history."He's had a great year," Gurley said in a conference call Wednesday with the Tampa Bay media. "He's definitely my boy, so it's always good seeing him do well. We stay in contact and check up on each other, so it'll definitely be fun playing against him this Thursday -- my first time playing against him."We know what type of players we are," he said. "We're competitive. We don't think about all of the awards, but at the end of the day that's what comes with it. But at the end of the day, it's all about winning and trying to make a playoff run for both teams. That's just what we're thinking -- we're not really worrying about the accolades."
