The Rapid Development of Buccaneers' QB Jameis Winston

Buccaneers’ quarterback Jameis Winston is growing into an elite player before our very eyes. Check out these throws from week one.

The Buccaneers started the head coaching career of Dirk Koetter on the right foot in week one, topping the division rival Falcons by the score of 31-24. As we have talked about, Jameis Winston was huge, posting four touchdowns and 281 passing yards. All indications are that he is right on track to continue his play that made him one of three quarterbacks ever to throw for 4,000 yards in their rookie season.

More from The Pewter Plank

The numbers don’t tell us the whole story. The “eye” test can be much more telling, and when we apply it to Jameis, we see just how good the young Bucs’ quarterback is becoming. Some of his throws in this past game were absolutely perfect.  In today’s film study, we are going to look at two of those throws.  Specifically, we will check out the touchdowns to Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Mike Evans, both from the third quarter.

First we look at the touchdown to ASJ.

All screen shots are courtesy of NFL Game Pass.

We begin with Winston in the shotgun. Seferian-Jenkins is in the slot to the right. This play is designed to give ASJ a chance deep, as the other receivers run “clear-out” patterns. In other words, they run out routes towards the sidelines, giving Austin the room to go deep. Austin runs basically a deep post, and finds a hole up the seam of the zone.

Here, ASJ has found a seam down the left hash marks. The defender to the left is playing catch up, and the deep safety is prepared to come over and provide help.

Winston has released the ball. Austin has the cornerback on his tail, and the safety is approaching rapidly. The throw has to be in the small circle, just ahead of the tight end.  The window is there, but it is not big.

Take a look at where Jameis places this one. The cornerback is there in decent coverage, but the throw is perfect.  It’s high enough that only Winston’s guy can get to it.  Austin makes an athletic play, and it’s touchdown Bucs!

Turn the page as we move to the Evans’ bomb!

This time the Bucs are five-wide, with Winston again in the gun. Mike Evans is lined up in the slot to the left. At the snap he is going to start to the inside and then curl it straight down the field.  The defender lined up opposite him is going to stay shallow. Two guys will be on Evans deep.

The Falcons watch tape too and as we all know, they play the Bucs a lot. They are well aware that Winston wants to get it to Evans. Two guys are on him, and they have decent coverage. Let’s look as it unfolds further.

At this point, Winston has released the football.Take a look in the circle, the coverage is there.  Two guys are in the vicinity and close. If Jameis doesn’t lay the ball out in front of his favorite target, this will not go well. He must lay it out towards the red mark, where Mike can make a play.

Look at that throw. Winston drops an absolute dime, right into Evans’ hands. The placement and the touch are superb, and the defenders have no chance to make a play on the football. Again, it’s touchdown Bucs!

Bucs’ fans, we are in for one heck of a ride with this young man. Jameis Winston is good and only getting better.  It’s going to be exciting to watch him continue to blossom.

This article originally appeared on