The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting quarterback history: From Steve Spurrier to Tom Brady
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting quarterback history: From Steve Spurrier to Tom Brady
Tag: Vinny Testaverde
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting quarterback history: From Steve Spurrier to Tom Brady
Tom Brady steps into Tampa Bay and the fraternity of Bucs’ quarterbacks is far from memorable, for the most part.
The Bucs opened their franchise with a Heisman winner who didn’t win a game for the franchise. Now, they turn to the G.O.A.T. in hoping he can bring Tampa Bay a second Super Bowl. Tom Brady has his work cut out for him in the NFC South.
1976: Steve Spurrier, Parnell Dickinson, Terry Hanratty
Steve Spurrier came home to Florida and played for the Bucs. He was 0-12 for Tampa Bay in its first season. Ouch. The other two quarterbacks each lost their lone start.
Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston eyes fresh start after LASIK surgery
Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston has undergone LASIK to try and correct his vision problems.
The Tampa Bay Bucs’ Jameis Winston is coming off a 30-30 season. Unlike in baseball, those stats are not flattering to a quarterback.
So, what did the former Heisman winner from Florida State do this offseason to try and improve his game, which saw him throw for 30 TDs and interceptions in 2019? How about undergoing LASIK surgery to correct his eyesight troubles.
“Jameis did not want to count out any options that he had that could possibly help him with the game he loves so much,” said Denise White, Winston’s spokesperson. “He doesn’t want to miss out on any opportunity that presents itself. This is the game he loves and he wants to be the best at it and if there are any options that can improve his game he is willing to do it.”
The speculation began when Winston posted a photo on Instagram of him wearing oversized sunglasses.
Jameis Winston got his his eyesight corrected…yes, he got LASIK surgery following his 30 INT season 🙃 pic.twitter.com/cFWYiWeaa0
— DailySportsDosage (@OfficalDSD) February 12, 2020
Winston follows in a tradition set by Vinny Testaverde, another Heisman winner from the Sunshine State — Miami — who was a Buccaneers No. 1 overall pick, too, in 1987.
Testaverde blamed his interceptions on being color blind.
His worst moment, though, may have occurred in 1990, when Testaverde admitted to television commentator Terry Bradshaw that he was colorblind.
Tampa fans had a field day. A bright blue billboard appeared shortly afterward: “Vinny thinks this is orange.”
“Before I won the Heisman Trophy, no one said a word about me being colorblind,” said Testaverde. “A lot of people think that when you’re colorblind, you can’t see anything but black and white. That’s not true. The definition should be color-confused. It’s more of getting confused about certain colors within shades of other colors, like red or green.
“It really has nothing to do with playing on Sundays. One team is in dark jerseys, the other in white. And if some people have a problem with my condition, that’s their problem, not mine. There is nothing I can do about it.”
Winston has found something he can do about his problem and can only hope it winds up in correcting his habit of throwing to the opposition.
The 5 biggest free agent successes in Jets history
The Jets Wire takes a look at the five biggest free agent successes in New York Jets’ franchise history.
The Jets have been known for making poor decisions and having free agency decisions blow up in their face. Still, New York deserves credit for its good free agent signings over the years.
Whether it was signing an undrafted free agent that turned into a consistent starter or signing a player who would eventually build a Hall of Fame career with the team, these moves go down as some of the most successful in franchise history.
With that being said and free agency right around the corner, here are five of New York’s biggest free-agent successes.
Curtis Martin
Not only is Curtis Martin the greatest free agent signing in franchise history, but he is one of the best players to ever play for the Jets.
Martin inked a six-year, $36 million contract with the Jets back in 1998. He was one of the best players at his position at the time. He was acquired when the Bill Parcells-led Jets signed him away from the Patriots, sending New England two draft choices in return.
Martin rushed for a franchise-high 10,302 yards and 58 touchdowns in 123 career starts for the Jets. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012 and was a two-time first-team All-Pro with the Jets in 2001 and 2004.
Lamar Jackson highlight: Jackson sets new Ravens record for TD passes
Lamar Jackson’s 39-yard strike to Mark Andrews set a new Ravens single-season record for touchdown passes.
In a season full of highlights and displays of individual brilliance, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson set a new team record in the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns.
With his 39-yard strike to tight end Mark Andrews that gave the Ravens the lead over the Browns, Jackson now has 34 touchdown passes on the season (he threw his 35th right before halftime). This score breaks the tie for the previous single-season best for the Ravens shared by Jackson and Vinny Testaverde. Testaverde threw his 33 touchdowns back in 1996, the first year the Ravens played in the NFL.
TOUCHDOWN @Mandrews_81 ❗️❗️ pic.twitter.com/VPLQKBVQTu
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 22, 2019
With another touchdown throw right before halftime, Jackson now has an incredible 42 total touchdowns in 2019, with seven on the ground to go with his 35 through the air. What a special campaign this has been for the MVP front runner, and everyone else associated with the Ravens. But the Ravens still need more from him, with just a one-point lead with halftime looming.
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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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Lamar Jackson has set a host of Ravens passing records in 2019
A look at some of the Baltimore Ravens passing records Lamar Jackson has already set in 2019.
Now entering Week 16, there can be little doubt that the MVP of the 2019 NFL season is Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson has been simply electric and has wowed fans of all teams (even those he has beaten) with his deeds as a runner. He broke Michael Vick’s single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback on Thursday night, after all.
But what may have escaped the attention of many is just how good a season as a passer Jackson has had. He leads the NFL with 33 touchdown passes, throwing his scores at a league-high rate of 8.9%. For good measure, Jackson’s 80.9 QBR is also the best among all quarterbacks (his 112.9 passer rating is ranked third).
Jackson’s deeds are also earning him a special place in annals of the Ravens passers. His 33 touchdown passes are tied for the most by a Ravens quarterback in a single season, while his 8.9% touchdown rate is an all-time team record. You have to go all the way back to the first year of the teams’ existence for the other instance of a quarterback registering 33 scores — Vinny Testaverde in 1996. Testaverde had a 7.61 yards per attempt average back then, while Jackson has a team-record 7.81 this year.
Jackson has completed 66.2% of his passes this season, with 245 of his 370 attempts finding a receiver. This is the highest completion percentage by any Ravens quarterback in a single season (minimum 200 attempts). Jackson’s interception rate of 1.62 is also the second-lowest in team history. Joe Flacco had a 1.58 rate in 2018.
Just for good measure, Jackson also owns the team records for quarterback rating (111.2) and adjusted-net-yards per attempt (8.07). The next highest on the latter list is Flacco, and he only managed 6.66 ANY/A in 2014.
For Jackson, claiming Baltimore’s first MVP award would be another proud achievement in a season replete with them. It is hard to see anyone stopping him from doing so.
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