Coming into 2019, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were looking for clarity on the future of their quarterback Jameis Winston. The Bucs picked up Winston’s fifth-year rookie option without offering an extension, wanting instead to see how the quarterback would perform in his first year under QB guru Bruce Arians.
While things got off to a rocky start, Winston has played some of his best football to date over the past month. After last Sunday’s win over the Detroit Lions, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 450 or more yards in consecutive games.
With the big performance, Winston pulled his league-leading passing total to 4,573 yards, meaning he’s just 427 yards away from the exclusive 5,000-yard club. Not only is the Bucs quarterback now on pace to surpass 5,000, but he’s projected to finish the year with 5,226 yards. That total would be the fourth-most all time for a single season.
While it’s funny to imagine Winston’s name sitting among these three greats, you have to give the quarterback credit. Despite a league-leading 24 interceptions, Winston has also thrown 30 touchdowns and has proven he isn’t afraid to throw the ball, even if he gets picked on his first pass attempt.
You’d certainly feel more confident about Winston reaching 5,226 yards if he had his top two receivers on the field. Both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have suffered hamstring injuries that will sideline them for the rest of the year. Winston will be working with a cast of relatively unknowns this Saturday against the Houston Texans.
Fortunately, though, the Texans pass defense ranks 28th, surrendering an average of 266.1 yards per game. Considering how well Winston’s played lately, he could have a field day against Houston’s secondary.
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