All-Twenty Tuesday: Bucs QB Jameis Winston

In this week’s All-Twenty Tuesday (we actually get All-22 film starting next week, thank goodness) we’re going to be taking a look at some of Winston’s best moments from the preseason.

When Winston started training camp, he looked lost. He was forced to face the media for the first time after his suspension, and you could tell that topic and that cloud was weighing heavy on him. He was missing easy throws in the first two practice. He wasn’t being vocal. He looked like a shell of the Winston we had seen for the last three seasons.

But, as camp went on, Winston gained his confidence back, likely thanks to his teammates and coaches lifting him back up. When the first game rolled around, Winston was not only ready, but sharp.

In his first game, Winston looked like entering the game as the second-team quarterback didn’t phase him; he was just there to do his job. He did it to the tune of 102 passing yards with only two incompletions.

The play above was his best play of the night, and one that fans have been waiting to see him make consistently. Winston hit tight end Cameron Brate in stride in between three defenders for the first down. That was as impressive a throw as any that happened that evening.

However, Winston has made those kinds of “wow’ throws before, they just usually happen in singularity, not in a row.

But the very next week in Tennessee, Winston, on his first pass of the game, hit Mike Evans on a pin-point accurate throw to get that game started in the right direction, too.

That was a big problem for Winston last season. He could hit a great throw one series and look totally lost in terms of touch on the next. Not only did Winston carry himself well from series-to-series throughout the preseason, he did it from game-to-game, which is even more of a plus, and something he’s struggled to string along for the last three years.

Not once. Not twice. But thrice (good band, by the way).

Winston’s stats in his third preseason game this past week weren’t as good as the weeks prior, but he still showed the traits you wanted to see him be consistent with on a week-by-week basis.

The throw above was all touch, and we all know how Winston struggled to get the ball to wide receiver DeSean Jackson last year when it came to gauging where to place his accuracy. That throw looked as natural and as easy as could be for him, and that’s what it has to continue to be for the Bucs to get what they need out of him when he returns from suspension.

Speaking of connecting with Jackson, Winston not only hit Jackson for a touch pass in the Lions’ game and an in-stride pass in the Dolphins game, he also hit Jackson on a 54-yard bomb in the Titans game, as shown above.

It just seemed like Winston was putting together those missing pieces of the puzzle this preseason. I understand some of the competition was less than stellar in those games, but when he’s hitting guys in stride and with accuracy and touch, it would happen against first-team players, too. We know Winston’s best stuff can get it done against the better defenses in the NFL. We just haven’t seen him do it consistently.

Winston also showed signs of recognition in the pre-snap during this preseason, especially in the Titans game.

In the play above, instead of completing his drop back, Winston knew the first place he needed to look, saw it, and did not hesitate to throw the ball where it needed to go for the easy yards. That’s the kind of stuff that, again, we saw from him every now and then before, but something that seemed more natural to him this preseason.

Winston also showed off some of the little nuances of the quarterback position that a few of those other guys we mentioned on the previous page do so well to compliment their talent.

In the play above, Justin Watson’s first touchdown, Winston deceived the safety with his eyes, thinking he might go throw over the middle to Brate, knowing all along he was going to fire it in the end zone to Watson. He held the safety in his spot long enough, then knew he had him beat. Perfect play from Winston.

Winston’s final preseason numbers: 30-of-41 passing (73.2 percent) for 388 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions or fumbles.

Winston’s progress as a quarterback was clear in all three games he played this preseason. Competition level be what it may, Winston looked like the best Winston I’ve seen since my time covering this team (a year and a half).

You just hope it’s not all for nothing.