The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have missed out on the postseason for the 12th-straight year after their 7-9 finish, but there’s a newfound sense of optimism surrounding this team, which has been absent in years past.
Now that Bruce Arians and his staff have a full season under their belt, it’s clear the Bucs are trending in the right direction. Their offense ranked third in scoring after finishing just 12th in 2018, and their defense climbed from 27th to 15th under Arians and Todd Bowles, including having the league’s best rush defense.
So, as the team heads into the offseason, what is their biggest need? According to Jenna Laine of ESPN, it all starts and ends with quarterback Jameis Winston, and determining if he is in fact the guy for the Bucs going forward.
“Winston threw for 33 touchdowns but turned the ball over 34 times (30 interceptions, four lost fumbles) in 2019. He coughed it up in seven of the Bucs’ nine one-score games, in which Tampa Bay had a 2-5 record. So while his turnovers weren’t the sole reason for losses, they didn’t help — and they can’t continue.”
This was a make-or-break year for Winston, who was playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. Unfortunately, there seems to be no clarity yet on what the future holds for the former first overall pick. And, as Arians recently said, don’t expect an announcement on Winston’s future anytime soon.
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