Category: Latest Team News

A friendly reminder that Bruce Arians came out of retirement to work with Jameis Winston

A reminder that Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach cited working with Jameis Winston as one of the reasons he came out of retirement.

Tomorrow marks the end of the 2019 regular season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it’s been a roller coaster ride to say the least.

The team started off 3-7, including a 1-4 record on their brutal five-game stretch away from Raymond James Stadium, which saw them travel to Los Angeles, New Orleans, London, Tennessee and Seattle.

But, over the past month, Tampa Bay has looked more and more like the team we expected to see under first-year coach Bruce Arians. The young defense, which was atrocious at times in the beginning of the year, is finally starting to come together, while the offense ranks third in the league in scoring.

At 7-8, the Bucs have a chance to finish at .500 with a win tomorrow at home over the Atlanta Falcons. That’s a far cry from the 5-11 record the Bucs have finished with the last two seasons. While the team may not be going to the playoffs this year, there’s a lot to look forward to.

And, while some will argue that the Bucs should try and find another option at quarterback due to Jameis Winston’s 28 interceptions (most in the league), he’s shown enough progress this year that the Bucs are likely bringing him back for one more go.

Plus, Winston was one of the big reasons Arians came out of retirement in the first place, as Sports Illustrated pointed out today.

“When Arians came out of retirement to take the Bucs job, he made it clear that working with Winston was a big part of that decision. At this point in his career, it would be understandable if Arians didn’t want to start over with a new quarterback after just one season with Winston.”

Winston needs just 92 more passing yards to reach 5,000 on the season. He’ll be without his top two receivers, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the pass-happy Bucs QB.

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The Ringer calls Jameis Winston the ‘Benjamin Button of interceptions’

See what ‘The Ringer’ had to say about Jameis Winston’s crazy statistical year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have played their best football over the last half of the season, it still wasn’t enough to get them to the postseason for the first time since 2007.

When they take the field Sunday in their Week 17 finale against the Atlanta Falcons, the Bucs will be watching to see if their quarterback Jameis Winston can make franchise history by becoming the first Buccaneers quarterback (and eighth overall) to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season. Winston needs just 92 more yards to hit that mark. And, with two interceptions, he could make another kind of history — the bad kind — by becoming the first quarterback to throw for 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a season.

The Bucs are planning to bring Winston back next season, but he’ll have to fix his interception problem if he wants to stick around for the long-term.

But, if you ask Rodger Sherman of The Ringer, he doesn’t believe the problem is fixable. Sherman wrote a great in-depth piece about Winston and his seemingly inexplicable statistical season. It’s certainly worth a read, and this little excerpt below from Sherman’s article gives you an idea of why he thinks Winston won’t change.

“There’s no evidence to suggest that Winston will figure this out with time. He had 10 picks as a freshman in college, then 18 as a sophomore. His interception rate went from 2.8 percent as an NFL rookie to 3.2 percent in his second year to 3.7 percent in 2018 to 4.7 percent this season. Quarterbacks should get better at avoiding turnovers as time goes on. Winston is the Benjamin Button of interceptions. There aren’t going to be more players like Winston. He’s a one-of-a-kind anti-star who cloaks his devastating tendency for self-destruction inside of a game that reasonably replicates the things good quarterbacks do. He succeeds often enough that teams might be convinced to let him ruin them.”

If you think, too, that Sherman wrote this piece out of a bias or hatred for Winston, think again. He actually ends his piece by pointing out how much he enjoys watching him.

“As a neutral observer, I love it. Efficient quarterback play has become the standard in the modern NFL. Everybody is chasing the most efficient path to success … except this one guy who seems equally interested in success and failure. I’m just glad it’s not my house exploding.”

Unfortunately, for Bucs fans, it is their house Winston is playing in.

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Bruce Arians says OC Byron Leftwich ‘more than ready’ to be a head coach

Bucs OC Byron Leftwich, who has guided Tampa Bay to the NFL’s third-best offense, could be a head coaching candidate this offseason.

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Bruce Arians in the offseason, they were expecting him to handle the play-calling duties for the offense this season. After all, the Bucs specifically went after Arians because of his track record of success working with such quarterbacks as Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning and, most recently, Carson Palmer.

So, it’s understandable why some were confused when they heard that former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator and NFL quarterback Byron Leftwich (the seventh overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2003 draft) would be the one relaying the plays to Winston this year.

While Winston has struggled with turnovers this year, including a league-leading 28 interceptions, there’s no denying that the Bucs’ offense has improved from last season.

In 2018, under former head coach Dirk Koetter, the Bucs had the league’s third-best overall offense, but ranked just 12th in scoring. This season, Tampa Bay ranks third in scoring, averaging 29.1 points per game. Plus, Winston is just 92 yards away from becoming the eighth quarterback in NFL history, and first Buccaneers quarterback, to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season.

Given Leftwich’s success this season with the Bucs, coupled with his brief stint as OC of the Cardinals, you can expect the 39-year-old coach to garner interest this offseason from teams looking to fill their head coaching vacancy.

And, if you ask Arians, Leftwich seems ready for that next step.

(via the Tampa Bay Times):

“To me, for a young coach it’s who you hire. Who are going to hire? Are you going to run the offense? I think with the right people and the right GM and ownership [Byron]’s more than ready.’’

It would be great for Leftwich if he got a head coaching opportunity, but losing him would certainly hurt the Bucs. You have to imagine that if he did leave the Bucs after just one year, Arians would strongly consider taking over play-calling duties himself. If he were to bring in a new offensive coordinator in the offseason, they’d have to establish a rapport with Winston and basically start all over again. If Tampa Bay is going to make a serious run at the postseason next year, consistency in the offseason will be key to Winston’s development.

Hopefully, that means Leftwich sticks around for at least one more year.

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Predicting how many passing yards James Winston will finish with this season

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has a shot at making history Sunday in the Week 17 finale against the Atlanta Falcons.

Week 17’s regular season finale against the Atlanta Falcons may not carry with it any postseason implications for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but there is still some history to be made by their quarterback, Jameis Winston.

The former number one overall pick has had a statistical season that will have people talking for years. He’s thrown for over 31 touchdowns, 28 interceptions and needs just 92 more yards passing to reach 5,000 yards on the season, which would make him the eighth quarterback ever to do so.

So, just how many yards will Winston end up with? Let’s try to predict and see just how high on the list he finishes.

Over the past five games against the Falcons, Winston has averaged 322.6 passing yards, including a 313-yard performance back in Week 12’s win. If he were to hit that average Sunday against Atlanta, Winston would finish the year with about 5,231 yards, which would be the fourth-highest total in league history for a single season.

If Winston can get to 328 yards, however, he’ll finish with 5,236 yards on the season, which would be good enough for third place, one yard ahead of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who threw for 5,235 yards in 2011.

Hopefully, with nothing to lose and being without their top two receivers, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich let Winston go wild in the finale. After all, history is on the line.

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These NFL experts predict the Bucs end their season on a losing note

See which ESPN NFL experts think the Buccaneers will fall at home to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will close out the 2019 regular season on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in their Week 17 finale against their division rival, the Atlanta Falcons, with a shot at ending the season at 8-8 with a win.

That would be a huge accomplishment for a Bucs team that was sitting at 3-7 after a Week 11 loss to the New Orleans Saints. But, starting with the Bucs’ Week 12 win over the Atlanta Falcons, they have gone 4-1 in their past five games. Quarterback Jameis Winston, who has had a turnover-filled year, has a shot at surpassing 5,000 passing yards on Sunday, needing just 92 more yards to join the elite club.

And, even though Tampa Bay will be without their top two wide receivers (again), the Bucs are still favored at home over the 6-9 Falcons. Still, some ESPN NFL experts foresee a Falcons upset Sunday, meaning the Bucs would once again finish the year with a losing record.

Here is what Mina Kimes had to say:

“It seemed inevitable that Atlanta coach Dan Quinn would be fired this offseason, but I’m no longer certain, because his team seems bent on saving his job. The Falcons’ defense has improved by leaps and bounds as of late, so give me Atlanta in a weird one.”

Like Kimes, Field Yates also picked the Falcons to provide the top upset of Week 17.

“Atlanta has been far better since its bye week on defense and should end its season on a positive note after a disappointing start.”

Even if the Bucs lost, finishing the year 7-9 is better than 5-11, which is what their record has been the last two seasons. This team has taken tremendous strides under Bruce Arians in his first year as head coach. A loss to the Falcons would certainly be disappointing, but this Bucs team has a lot to look forward to heading into the offseason.

When was the last time Bucs fans were able to say that?

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Bruce Arians refutes NFL Network report that Bucs are bringing back Jameis Winston

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians dismissed the idea that a decision has been made on Jameis Winston’s future.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one win away from finishing the season 8-8, something that seemed impossible just over a month ago when they sat at 3-7.

The big second half turnaround can be attributed in part to quarterback Jameis Winston, who despite having 28 interceptions has played some of the best football of his career the past month. In Week 15’s win over the Detroit Lions, Winston became the first quarterback in league history to throw for 450 yards in back-to-back games.

It seemed like Winston had done just enough to convince the Buccaneers to bring him back next season. Winston, the former number one overall pick by Tampa Bay, was playing out the fifth and final year of this contract this season, so the Bucs were under no obligation to bring him back.

But NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported last Saturday that the team was slated to bring Winston back in 2020. Of course, that report came out before Winston went out and threw four interceptions in a loss to the Houston Texans, including another pick-six.

Perhaps that’s why head coach Bruce Arians seemed to dismiss Rapoport’s report after the game, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine.

This could of course just be Arians giving the typical answer coaches give when asked about the future of certain players: “Everything waits until the end of the season.”

So, while Winston very well could be back in Tampa Bay next year, we’ll have to wait a little bit longer to know for sure.

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This stat about the Bucs is both encouraging and frustrating

The Tampa Bay Bucs have one of the league’s top scoring offenses, but somehow are the only team in the top 7 not going to the playoffs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will end their season Sunday at home in their divisional showdown with the Atlanta Falcons.

Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston is just 92 yards away from the 5,000-yard passing mark, which would make him the eighth quarterback in league history to surpass that number. But, Winston’s big numbers haven’t just been in the yardage category. He also leads the league with 28 interceptions, and could become the first player ever to throw for 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a season in addition to 5,000 yards. (Talk about a crazy season for fantasy football owners.)

Despite Winston’s turnovers, he’s played solid enough football over the past month to convince the Bucs to bring him back in 2020 for at least one more year. While the interceptions are hard to ignore, Bucs management can look at the fact that the offense has shown vast improvement in its first-year under Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

Last season, the Bucs had the third best offense in the league, averaging 415.5 yards per game, but ranked just 12th in scoring (24.8 ppg). This season, Tampa Bay once again ranks third in offense, but they also rank third in scoring, putting up an average of 29.1 points per game.

But, perhaps the most frustrating thing of all is the fact that Tampa Bay’s offense is so potent, yet they were unable to get to the playoffs. Take a look at the chart below of the top scoring offenses in the league. Count how many teams are going to the postseason and how many aren’t.

The Buccaneers were held to just 20 points in their Week 16 loss to the Houston Texans, but keep in mind they were without their top two receivers and Winston was battling a thumb injury. It was just the fourth time all season Tampa Bay has been held to 20 points or less.

If Winston can work out his interception issues in the offseason, Tampa Bay could finally make it to the postseason next year. The defense has been coming on strong in the second half, and if they can retain pending free agent Shaq Barrett, it will only continue to grow.

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Take a look at how long it’s been since Tom Brady threw 28 interceptions

Jameis Winston has 28 interceptions on the year. How long has it taken Tom Brady to throw that many picks?

NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on NFL Network this weekend that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are slated to bring back quarterback Jameis Winston in 2020.

The uncertainty of Winston’s future in Tampa Bay has been the story of the season for this team, which struggled to a 3-7 start but now sit at 7-8 with one game left to play. Winston has had a memorable season for the Bucs, both good and bad. He’s less than 100 yards away from becoming the eighth quarterback in league history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season. But, he also has a league-leading 28 interceptions on the year, including four picks in Saturday’s loss to the Houston Texans.

Winston could become the first quarterback since Vinny Testaverde in 1988 (also with the Bucs) to throw at least 30 interceptions in a season. Testaverde finished that year with a whopping 35.

Winston’s inability to protect the football has been one of the main reasons why the Bucs constantly play from behind. So, while the team is committed to bringing him back, he’s going to have to clean up his act and fast.

Winston now has more career interceptions than Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who came into the league 10 years before Winston. And, just to further put Winston’s interception total this season into perspective, here’s a look at how long it’s been since New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has thrown 28 picks.

That’s right. Dating all the way back to the 2016 season, Brady has thrown a total of 28 interceptions in 59 games. Winston, meanwhile has thrown 28 interceptions in just 15 games this season.

The Bucs may feel confident about bringing Winston back for one more year. But, if interceptions continue to pile up and the team once again fails to make a postseason run, it’ll likely be Winston’s last.

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Fantasy football owners sulked on Twitter after Jameis Winston’s bad day

See how fantasy footballs owners reacted to Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston’s poor outing against the Houston Texans in Week 16.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw their winning-streak end yesterday at the hands of the Houston Texans, 23-20.

The Buccaneers were in it until the very end, despite four interceptions from quarterback Jameis Winston and a fumble by running back Ronald Jones. The first of Winston’s interceptions was taken to the house for a score and the second ended up as a field goal for Houston, meaning Tampa Bay was in an early 10-0 hole.

But, it wasn’t just Bucs fans who were lamenting the poor play of Winston yesterday. Those who were playing in their fantasy league championships had a lot to say to about Winston, too.

Take a look.

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The last quarterback to throw 30 interceptions in a season also played for the Bucs

Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston has 28 interceptions on the year, but wouldn’t be the first Bucs QB to throw 30 interceptions in a year.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw their winning-streak end at four yesterday with their 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans.

What fans also saw was the end of the Bucs’ offensive dominance. Without top playmakers in wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, quarterback Jameis Winston, who was battling a thumb injury, threw four interceptions, including another pick-six.

Winston has now thrown 31 touchdowns and 28 interceptions on the season to go along with 4,908 yards. It’s been a crazy statistical year for the former number one pick, but, he can breath a sigh of relief knowing that the Buccaneers plan on bringing him back in 2020. Winston was playing this season on the fifth and final year of his rookie contract.

With just one game left in the regular season, Winston is now on pace to throw for 30 interceptions, which would make him the first quarterback since 1988 to accomplish that feat.

The quarterback who last did it? Vinny Testaverde for the Buccaneers with 35.

Unlike, Winston, however, Testaverde threw for only 13 touchdowns that year. Winston has 31 on the year heading into Week 17, where he could become the first quarterback ever to throw for 30 touchdowns, 30 interceptions and 5,000 yards in the same season.

You can’t say he isn’t fun to watch. Just ask Bill Simmons.

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