When Bruce Arians was hired in the offseason to replace Dirk Koetter, who had been the only offensive coach Jameis Winston had ever played for in the NFL, everyone assumed that the former number one overall pick would put up big passing numbers, but what he’s been doing this season deserves some notice.
Winston currently ranks second in the NFL in passing yards, behind only Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys, whose numbers already account for Thursday’s Thanksgiving loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Winston is projected to put up 4,932 passing yards this season, which would obliterate his previous season high of 4,090 yards (2016). It’s not a stretch to say he has a legitimate shot at throwing for 5,000.
Winston already has eight games this year with 300-plus passing yards, by far the most in his career. To put it another way, he’s only had three games this season where he hasn’t eclipsed the 300-yard mark.
Even more impressive? He’s had four games over 350 yards.
The issue, of course, has been the interceptions, of which Winston has 20, most in the NFL. In the four games where he threw for over 350 yards he had nine touchdowns and nine interceptions, so as great as the passing numbers are on paper, they haven’t translated into big wins.
But that right there might be why some would argue Winston deserves at least one more season in Tampa Bay. It’s his first time playing in a non-Koetter system, so there are sure to be bumps along the way. He can put up big passing numbers as well as any quarterback in the league. But, his turnovers have him looking like Jay Cutler 2.0 to some.
Ultimately, the franchise will likely rely on Arians to make the call about whether or not Winston can correct his mistakes and truly flourish in this offense.
[lawrence-related id=25565,25551,25544,25534]