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Jameis Winston's hardest lesson: He can't always save the day

 
Jameis Winston, left, tries to hang on to the ball as Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler tries to strip it from him.
Jameis Winston, left, tries to hang on to the ball as Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler tries to strip it from him.
Published Aug. 19, 2017

TAMPA — Ever wonder what in the world goes through Jameis Winston's mind when he tries to fit the ball in a keyhole as he is being dragged to the turf like he was during Thursday night's 12-8 preseason win over the Jaguars?

"I just felt hot," Winston said. "I was like, 'Man, somebody's going to get it.' "

In no way does that diminish another overall solid performance by Winston. He went 21 of 29 passing for 196 yards and led the Bucs to scores on their first three possessions.

But on third and goal from the Jacksonville 7-yard line in the second quarter, Winston's shoulder pad was grabbed by defensive end Dante Fowler and he stumbled backward while defensive tackle Sheldon Day held on to his left leg.

Just before hitting the turf, Winston blindly chucked the ball into the end zone as if he were throwing a sweatband into the crowd. The pass was intercepted by safety Barry Church, but Winston was bailed out when the play was ruled a sack because his forward progress had stopped.

RELATED: Tom Jones: What the Bucs need in their final preseason games, more or less.

Only a few plays earlier, ESPN's Jon Gruden had said of Winston, "He will take risks. What a fun guy he'd be to coach."

When Winston made it to the sideline after his terrible decision, coach Dirk Koetter didn't look like he was having much fun. Hard Knocks may need to run a few adult-language warnings before next week's Episode 3.

"Not what we're looking for. Elite quarterbacks don't make that play," Koetter said of the play.

According to Koetter, Winston attempted 29 passes and made 27 good decisions Thursday. Winston threw on an ill-advised bench route to Chris Godwin that was late and into double coverage. Then came the wedding bouquet toss in the end zone.

"In the heat of the moment, when those plays are going on, Jameis feels like he can save the day, that he can turn it into a play," Koetter said Friday. "And then there's plays like (Thursday) night when he makes it worse. That's just a hard lesson to learn because he's done it successfully before."

RELATED: Bucs journal: Starting defense disappointed holding Jags to 1 rushing yard.

Winston was hard on himself after the game.

"This team did so good. That's the only play we're going to sit up there and coach is going to write it three times: You can't do it. You can't do it. You can't do it," Winston said. "Especially with a good drive like that. We've got a field goal in the bag. I'm beating myself up way more than Coach is.

"I'm hurt. I'm disappointed in myself. But we still got the win. That's all the matters. Plus, that play didn't even count."

It didn't count, but it does matter. This Bucs season almost feels like a referendum on Winston, who had 33 interceptions and nine lost fumbles in his first two NFL years.

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At 23, he has begun to shows signs that experience is his best teacher. He has completed 71.4 percent of his passes this preseason, which is about 11 percent higher than his career average. Koetter said the same accuracy has been charted in training camp.

CANNON FODDER PODCAST: The Bucs are in a different place than the Jaguars right now.

"When we started (the game Thursday), they were taking deep drops," Koetter said. "I think (Winston) had five check downs in the first half. That's a good sign. We've been preaching patience to him, and he started off that way."

Another thing Winston hasn't fully digested is that he can't afford to needlessly expose himself to potential injury. No player is more responsible for the Bucs' success than Winston. If you watch that ugly play Thursday, his right leg and foot get caught in an awkward position underneath him.

"Yup. We talk to Jameis about that," Koetter said. "As far as the turnovers, Jameis hears it. As far as not taking hits? Jameis doesn't hear it.

"Now, a few years from now, I think he will start to hear it, but right now he's not hearing that as much. Same as the turnovers. He makes some really good plays and there's some times where you're holding your breath a little bit."

That's life with Winston, waiting to exhale.