Despite Struggles, Jameis Winston Shows Franchise QB Promise in Prime-Time Debut

It was a bad night for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but even the worst games feature plenty of positives.

The Buccaneers came into Thursday night's game against the St. Louis Rams needing a win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Unfortunately, they came out completely flat and fell behind through three quarters, 28-6, before eventually finishing with a 31-23 defeat. It was the type of loss where the blame is shared throughout the roster, from terrible tackling defensively to poor plays by the offensive skill players as well as plenty of mistakes from the starting quarterback.

Jameis Winston struggled with his accuracy at times and made questionable decisions, contributing to the disappointing loss. However, he also showcased plenty of ability that should excite fans for the future of the franchise.

This year's No. 1 overall pick finished the night with a season-high 363 passing yards and two touchdowns to go with one interception. The second score also put him in the Buccaneers record books:

It's easy to dismiss the statistics as garbage-time numbers after Tampa Bay fell behind early. While it's true much of the production—238 yards and both touchdowns—came in the fourth quarter, this was not just someone padding his stats. Winston was doing what he could to get back into the ballgame and displayed a lot of promise in the process.

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

The emotion was clear from when he pumped up his teammates on the sidelines at the beginning of the turnaround. Peter King of Sports Illustrated liked the energy displayed from the quarterback in that moment:

A team can't win every game on emotion alone, but it is clear the rest of the players believe in him and trust Winston to take them to great heights.

Of course, the quarterback showcased his ability on the field as well.

Even before the Buccaneers were able to get into the end zone late, Winston did a good job of moving within the pocket and finding his receivers, only to see a few quality passes end up on the turf. This included a potential touchdown pass to Donteea Dye on a ball thrown slightly behind the rookie receiver.

With Vincent Jackson out with an injury, Winston had little trust in anyone outside of No. 1 receiver Mike Evans, and even he struggled to make plays at times. With more help around him, the quarterback could have had an even bigger day.

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Winston also overcame an offensive line that couldn't contain the Rams pass rush. The defense finished with 11 quarterback hits but not a single sack thanks to Winston's great mobility to avoid the rush and his presence to throw the ball away—not counting an early intentional grounding penalty.

Fortunately, he was finally able to get going in the fourth quarter. It took only four plays to drive 98 yards for the team's first touchdown of the game, which impressed ESPN's Ed Werder:

Winston kept the Buccaneers competitive with more drives featuring strong throws and quality touch passes that avoided defenders. Although the squad fell short of an amazing comeback, it finished the game with 509 total yards and 30 first downs, including 21 by pass, thanks to the quarterback's ability to consistently make throws down the field.

Obviously, there were a lot of mistakes throughout the game that cannot just be overlooked. A poor decision led to an interception late in the fourth quarter, while Winston also missed a number of open receivers for potential big plays. Meanwhile, he struggled to read blitzes and was often under more pressure than necessary. However, these are normal growing pains for a 21-year-old rookie quarterback trying to find his way in the NFL.

Considering the Buccaneers were 2-14 a year ago and haven't made the playoffs since 2007, a 6-8 start to the year is nothing to be ashamed about. Winston has the team on the rise, and a few key pieces could have the squad back in the postseason before it knows it.

This latest loss to the Rams was inexcusable from a team perspective as a choke on national television when a win was needed. Despite this, the future of the franchise is bright thanks to the play of Winston on Thursday and throughout the 2015 season.

Head coach Lovie Smith summed it up after the game, per Paul Ryan of WFLA:

The rookie will have many more chances to prove himself in prime time. If he continues to improve and reach his potential, he will be leading the Buccaneers for a long time.

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