The No. 1 total decide of the 2015 NFL Draft, Winston performed 5 topsy-turvy seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His final was 2019, when he led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards and have become the primary and up to now solely member of the 30-30 QB membership, throwing 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. Thereafter, he joined his Monday night time adversary, head coach Sean Payton, in New Orleans, the place he performed the previous 4 seasons, typically as a starter, typically as a backup. With Cleveland, he is taken over for an injured Deshaun Watson and breathed new life and pleasure into the Browns’ offense.
Winston’s Monday displaying served as a microcosm of his profession really, the complete Jameis expertise taking middle stage.
- His 497 passing yards had been a profession finest and franchise file
- He grew to become the primary participant ever with 4 passing TDs, 400-plus passing yards and two pick-sixes in a recreation
- He registered his 14th profession recreation with three or extra INTs — six greater than anybody else since getting into the league in 2015
- His mixed single-game complete of passing yards (497) and INT return yards (171) is essentially the most (668) by a QB in NFL historical past
He’s began 5 video games to Watson’s seven, however leads the staff with 11 touchdowns, seven interceptions and 1,763 yards. With the nice — and typically nice — has come the head-scratching turnovers, although.
Winston was slinging stunning passes all night time by means of the Mile High air, hitting David Njoku for a pair of touchdowns, Jerry Jeudy on a 70-yarder to right away reply a Bo Nix-to-Marvin Mims Jr. 93-yard strike and at last a 5-yarder to Nick Chubb. It was the TD toss to Chubb that propelled Cleveland to a 32-31 lead halfway by means of the fourth quarter.
However, he was additionally slinging some ugly ones, reminiscent of a second-quarter ball that Nik Bonitto picked off and took the opposite manner for a 71-yard rating.
Following the Chubb rating, the Broncos would forge again forward when Nix led them on a go-ahead march that culminated with a Wil Lutz discipline objective for a 34-32 benefit.
Seemingly by no means daunted and all the time in a position to flush any previous stumbles, Winston took over together with his Browns trailing by two factors from the Cleveland 30-yard line with 2:54 to play. Three performs later, Winston watched as his 51st go of the sport was picked off by Ja’Quan McMillian and returned 44 yards for a game-deciding rating.
To put the capper on the chaos, Winston tossed one remaining interception, this one grasped by Cody Barton, enabling the Broncos to kneel away the craziness.
“I gotta play higher, I gotta play higher,” Winston mentioned. “The staff would not deserve that. I’ve to complete in fourth quarters when it issues most. I am unable to have unhealthy throws.”
At occasions Monday, it appeared as if Winston could not have been higher. Then it appeared as if he could not have been worse. That’s the enigma of Jameis.
Amid his tenth season, the 30-year-old continues to be pledging enchancment. And, although the Browns’ postseason hopes are solely alive in a mathematical sense, he is nonetheless acquired loads to point out in his staff’s remaining 5 video games.
“I do know I’m higher than this,” he mentioned. “I do know, I’m simply praying for the lord to ship me from pick-sixes. That’s not me. An outstanding recreation from the offense and do some nice issues however I messed it up.”
Dang it if he did not make it thrilling, although, identical to each roller-coaster journey is.
