Winston continues ascent into elite territory
Jameis Winston was billed as one of the league's most promising talents ahead of the 2016 season. After submitting an outstanding performance against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, it's apparent Winston has progressed into the NFL's elite tier of quarterbacks sooner than most prognosticators expected.
Winston's rapid ascent shouldn't be surprising to anyone who paid attention to the second half of his rookie season. Although the lowly Buccaneers ended the year with four consecutive losses, Winston wasn't at fault, rounding out his arsenal and becoming the unquestioned leader of the team. Winston's marked improvement was on full display Sunday, making every throw on the field - including a picturesque 45-yard touchdown strike to Mike Evans. He finished 23-of-33 for 281 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.
Against a divisional rival, Winston excelled in every facet of the game. Winston's deep ball accuracy was outstanding, spraying passes all over the field with the aforementioned toss to Evans and a perfectly placed 30-yard touchdown pass to Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Fully immersed in head coach Dirk Koetter's offense, Winston's pocket presence was top notch and was able to deliver throws on the run when forced out. Winston found eight receivers over the course of the game, commanding the Buccaneers with an upbeat tempo throughout the contest.
The 22-year-old faced a legion of detractors prior to entering the league, due to numerous off-field transgressions. Winston made lewd comments, was caught shoplifting crab legs from a grocery store, and fired a BB gun at squirrels during his tenure at Florida State. Most importantly, Winston was investigated over rape allegations made by a fellow student. The extremely serious nature of the allegations shouldn't be dismissed, as Florida State paid $950,000 to settle the lawsuit. A revisionist picture shouldn't be painted, but since joining the Buccaneers, Winston's been a model citizen.
Winston's track record of winning at every level makes it only natural for him to have continued success in the professional ranks. Heralded as a five-star, All-American recruit coming out of high school, Winston starred as a redshirt freshman, winning a Heisman Trophy and national championship in 2013, then led Florida State to the national semifinals the following year. The NFL is replete with prodigies, but Winston's proving to be the defining factor on every successful team he joins.
Prior to the draft, Winston put coded criticisms of his football intelligence to rest after acing a whiteboard test with NFL Network's Steve Mariucci. After being selected first overall by the Buccaneers, Winston's proven to be a consummate professional, both on and off the field and his performance against the Falcons further exemplifies that.
In the midst of the NFL's golden era of quarterbacks, Winston should soon be featured near the top of the list, mitigating his errors and displaying an increasingly strong command of the game. Deemed to be part of the next wave of great quarterbacks, Winston is making a strong to be case to be considered among the game's best, well ahead of schedule.