Bucs need to manage the risk of Winston
Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston faced his share of pressure Monday night.By Martin Fennelly | Tribune Staff Published: August 27, 2015 TAMPA — He needs work. No one disputes that point. Not Bucs head coach Lovie Smith. Not offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. Certainly not Jameis Winston.“He’s still an inexperienced quarterback and there are a lot of things he would like to see,” Smith said.“Jameis just needs to see more looks,” Koetter said.But then there was this look: Winston under a pile of Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.Seige The Ankle Tape.Winston shook it off, nothing serious, but don’t think that ankle doesn’t smart, even as he prepares to play the Browns on Saturday.Imagine if Winston’s ankle had kept right on bending Monday, going, going ...Snap goes the Bucs’ season.Wednesday, instead of Winston, Mike Glennon would have been fielding questions.Mike, what’s it feel like to be under center again?Monday reminded us: There is so much riding on Winston being in one piece.Enough to weigh risk-reward.Yes, any NFL player can go down with an injury at any time. We see it across the league this preseason. We saw it against Cincinnati, when Mike Evans exited. Bad hamstring. Gone until the opener — or longer.Even if Winston’s ankle is fine, I wouldn’t play him much Saturday. OK, I keep him in as long as all the other Bucs regulars. It probably helps his credibility with the veterans. They already know he’s tough. They have to love that.I still wouldn’t overdo it. A few series or 20 snaps, whichever comes first, and hope they’re as meaningful as they can be in an exhibition, which isn’t much.Are a handful more preseason looks thrown his way going to make or break his rookie season?He needs work. Accepted. In fact, he could use some practice when it comes to dropping back without tripping over his own feet or those of a teammate. And maybe he could throw his first touchdown, or hit on a deep ball, though without Evans, the question is: with who?Winston is the franchise.Handle with care.But protection is a two-way street. It’s on Winston to protect himself, to know when to push it and when to fold.We’re not necessarily talking about his dive for the pylon to score a touchdown against Cincinnati, though we could. It’s the ability to sense when to get rid of the ball or even take the sack the right way.“I grew up in Pocatello, Idaho, and when I was old enough, I used to drive to Jackpot, Nevada, to play blackjack,” Koetter said. “So I say, ‘Know when to cut your losses.’ Jameis is a such a competitor, he has a hard time cutting his losses. He doesn’t ever want to cut our losses. And that’s good and bad.“He’s going to make some plays and we’re going to love him and there are going to be other times when we’re saying, ‘Get down! Get down!’ That’s how it’s going to be. So get used to it. We’re working on it, but get used to it.”“It’s something I’ve got to learn quickly,” Winston said. “It’s going to take time for me to adjust. I know I’ve got to take care of my body and I’ve got to protect this team by staying injury free.”He’s no good to the Bucs in an air cast.“I love to compete. I love to be competitive,” Winston said. “But at the end of the day, just like coach Koetter said, you’ve got to know when to just leave it alone. I’m young right now and I love the action at quarterback. We don’t get hit at practice.”Think there won’t be plenty of time for getting hit during the season?We already know he’s tough.Twenty plays, then leave it alone.Why gamble too much before the real casino opens?
