FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston will be playing in front of about 80 family and friends this week in Atlanta as the Bucs face off against the Falcons, who have won two games in a row over NFC South rivals New Orleans and Carolina.

Bucs QB Jameis Winston – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Winston has had the most personal success against Atlanta with a 3-4 record and completing 67.4 percent of his throws for 1,985 yards. Winston has thrown for 20 touchdowns, which is the most against an NFC South foe, and just five interceptions, which is his fewest against a division rival. Winston has also rushed for two TDs and fumbled four times against the Falcons.

He hasn’t been as fortunate against either the Saints or the Panthers.

Against Carolina, Winston has a 4-5 record as a starter while completing 61 percent of his passes for 2,467 yards with nine passing touchdowns, one rushing score, 14 interceptions and eight fumbles.

Versus New Orleans, Winston is 3-6 as a starter and while his completion is just 57.5 percent and he’s thrown for 2,010 yards, the Bucs QB has thrown for 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He’s also rushed for two touchdowns and fumbled three times.

We’ll watch how Winston and the Bucs fare on Sunday, and see if Tampa Bay can snap its five-game losing streak to Atlanta.

• PEWTER REPORT IS ALMOST AT 34,000 FOLLOWERS ON TWITTER! Thank you to all of our Pewter Nation supporters for following the PewterReport.com Twitter account as we close in on a big milestone – 34,000 followers – during football season. We are near 33,800 followers thus far, and if you are not among them, please follow us today. The PR staff cover Bucs practices, Bucs press conferences, Bucs games and break news on our @PewterReport Twitter account.

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• I watched a good deal of LSU football last year as I studied for the 2019 NFL Draft, and that led me to put Tigers linebacker Devin White in PewterReport.com’s first mock draft of the year back in January. In fact, PewterReport.com was the first media outlet to link White to the Bucs.

LSU QB Joe Burrow – Photo by: Getty Images

I’ll admit that I wasn’t terribly impressed with LSU quarterback Joe Burrow last year until the bowl game against undefeated UCF. Burrow threw an early pick-six and took a vicious shot on the play that briefly knocked him out of the game. Yet Burrow returned on the next series and wound up throwing for 394 yards and four touchdowns as the Tigers ended the Knights’ two-year undefeated streak, winning 34-21.

“Right after that hit everything changed,” said Bucs practice squad safety John Battle, who played with Burrow last year at LSU. “Joe is tough as nails. When he came in he was a quiet guy and we were trying to rattle him and he stood tall. He doesn’t fear anything. He said he doesn’t slide and he means it. He takes the punishment and he also delivers it. He’s a warrior.

“He’s having a tremendous season and I think last year really prepared him for this season. He came in late last year and took control of the locker room and took control of the offense. He’s done an amazing job with our offensive coordinator (Joe Brady). That new offense is great.”

Burrow is known for his toughness, and Battle is right. He doesn’t like to slide. And it seems that hit by UCF propelled him to new heights in 2019. Bucs middle linebacker Kevin Minter, and LSU alum, remembers watching that bowl game from home and marveling at Burrow’s toughness and ability to persevere.

“I just remember we just got hit in the mouth, in the beginning, and us responding,” Minter said. “Just really getting woken up and then dominating the whole game. I saw some resilience, some fight and Joe was leading the charge. I obviously thought he was a great quarterback then. I liked the way he was leading the team. I don’t know what he’s done during the offseason but with this offense he’s come full circle and he’s a totally different player – an even better player.”

LSU QB Joe Burrow – Photo by: Getty Images

White vividly remembered that play and loves Burrow’s resilience and toughness.

“He got right back up and went out and made plays,” White said. “That’s what he does. He never gets down on himself. That pick-six – our receiver got pushed down, so it wasn’t solely on him. He doesn’t take a lot of credit for anything. When things are going good he gives all the glory to everybody else. That’s what I like about him. He’s all about his teammates. That’s the best thing about him – he’s a team-first guy. And he’s tough.”

• WHO PICKS THE BUCS TO BEAT THE FALCONS? – The PewterReport.com staff had some choice words for Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians, who admitted on Wednesday that he doesn’t call the same pass play twice in a game, and also sounds off on the Bucs’ chances of beating the Falcons in Atlanta. Did any Pewter Reporter actually pick Tampa Bay to win? Listen and find out!

Pewter Nation Podcast 162: Not So Ecstatic About The Bucs’ Play-Calling

If you missed our previous podcast which recapped the Bucs’ loss to the Saints as the PR crew fired both barrels at the coaching staff on Sunday then click below.

Pewter Nation Podcast 161: How Bad Are The Bucs?

There is no better time to listen to a new Pewter Nation Podcast, which is presented by Chris Garrido of Westshore Financial, than on your drive home from work on Friday or early Saturday morning at the gym before college football begins. The next Pewter Nation Podcast will be recorded Sunday evening following the Bucs’ game against the Falcons. That podcast episode will feature Trevor Sikkema, Taylor Jenkins and Matt Matera, who will all be covering the game live from Atlanta.

The popularity of the Pewter Nation Podcast continues to grow. In addition to listening to the Pewter Nation Podcasts on PewterReport.com you can also subscribe to the free podcasts at PodBean by clicking here and on SoundCloud by clicking here. And of course the Pewter Nation Podcast is also available on iTunes. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode.

• He might be the least known top quarterback prospect to Bucs fans because he’s a West Coast QB, but don’t sleep on Oregon’s Justin Herbert. Tampa Bay might not have a chance to draft LSU’s Joe Burrow and may want to pass on Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa for health concerns. Herbert could be the best option for the Bucs depending on where they pick.

Oregon QB Justin Herbert – Photo by: Getty Images

Herbert, who returned to the Ducks for his senior season, is completing 69.6 percent of his passes this season, which is a career-high, for 2,662 yards. More importantly, he’s thrown 28 touchdowns and only three interceptions this year thanks to his high level of accuracy.

Back in October, an article on SI.com declared that Herbert was the most accurate quarterback in college at the time. Given his eye-opening stats this season, that opinion likely has wavered much in November, either.

• On behalf of the PewterReport.com staff I would like to send our condolences to the friends and family of MacArthur Boykins, known as macabee on the PR.com boards and in the article comments. Although I didn’t know him personally, I always appreciated macabee’s passion and knowledge as a Bucs fan and a loyal PewterReport.com reader. He was a great fan contributor to PewterReport.com and will certainly be missed.

MacArthur Boykins aka macabee

I also want to acknowledge the thread on the Red Board talking about his passing, as well as post his obituary from the Tampa Bay Times on November 17, 2019.

MacArthur Boykins, 74, peacefully passed away Sunday, Oct. 13 2019 at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, FL. He was a graduate of Pinellas High school class of 1962 where he was valedictorian. He worked for GTE for 32 years as a marketing director and telecommunications manager. He leaves behind his loving wife, Alfreda Olivia Boykins; an eldest daughter, Adrienne D. Boykins; and five sons, Enrico R. Boykins, Ronn M. Boykins, Chanon T. Boykins, Enrico R. Boykins Jr., and Jahronn E. Boykins; sisters-in-law, Evelina Boykins, Kathy Davis, Kate Shephard; brother-in-law, Alfred Shep-hard; a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He will be greatly missed. – Published in the Tampa Bay Times on Nov. 17, 2019

• Long-time readers of SR’s Fab 5 know that I don’t publish an edition on Black Friday, which is the day after Thanksgiving. Most Bucs fans are having a turkey hangover, are on vacation or fighting the Black Friday crowds as the holiday shopping season officially gets underway. I’ll be doing the same, so there won’t be an SR’s Fab 5 column next Friday. The next edition of SR’s Fab 5 will be published on Friday, December 6. So enjoy your time with family or your time off from work and have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

We at PewterReport.com encourage you to do your holiday shopping at the businesses that sponsor our efforts here. Please support the companies that support PR this holiday season – and year-round. Our PewterReport.com advertising partners are big Bucs fans that would love to have YOU as a new client or customer.

And as Thanksgiving approaches, I wanted to say that I am thankful for YOU – the loyal reader of the SR’s Fab 5 columns and our great Bucs content at PewterReport.com. Thank you all very much for your support.

• And finally, PewterReport.com is proud to have Verizon and the CS Business Solutions Team on board as our official wireless phone company. Anthony Izzo and Joe Buchanan and the Verizon CS Business Solutions Team specialize in outfitting you and your business with the cellular and data plans that fit your needs.

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