Backpedalling from pressure as the screen play developed in front of him, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston seemed to panic when running back Dare Ogunbowale struggled to break free in his route.
Winston lobbed an inexplicable pass nowhere near his presumed target, which 49ers defensive back Ahkello Witherspoon easily intercepted and returned for a touchdown. The mistake sealed a 31-17 defeat to open Tampa's season Week 1.
Winston enters his Week 2 matchup with the Panthers on Thursday almost out of chances to prove he can make it work with the talented pieces installed around him. Too many bad on-field decisions have kept the upcoming free agent far from fulfilling his No. 1 overall overall draft pick promise. He often looks like a mid-round rookie rather than a polished signal-caller in his fifth NFL season.
A troubling note: Winston has a higher career interception and fumble rate than Blake Bortles, Brock Osweiler and Mike Glennon. He’s had better receivers than those three now-backups, too, with his current supporting cast led by All-Pro wideout Mike Evans and emerging star Chris Godwin