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Then and now: A Week 11 Jameis Winston-Tom Brady comparison

For all of his interceptions, the Bucs are starting to see Winston was a much better passer than Brady on the deep balls.
 
Bucs quarterback Tom Brady (12) gets taken down as he releases the ball in the end zone for an incomplete in the final seconds of the third quarter Monday night against the Rams at Raymond James Stadium.
Bucs quarterback Tom Brady (12) gets taken down as he releases the ball in the end zone for an incomplete in the final seconds of the third quarter Monday night against the Rams at Raymond James Stadium. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]
Published Nov. 24, 2020|Updated Nov. 24, 2020

We could point out all the differences between last season’s Bucs and the 2020 version, but let’s face it, there’s really only one change the world cares about. Jameis Winston is out, and Tom Brady is in. With that in mind, we figured it might be an interesting exercise to chart Winston’s 2019 and Brady’s 2020 seasons weekly.

Winston in Week 11

The Yin and the Yuck of Winston. He threw an interception on the first pass of the game, but also completed the longest pass of his NFL career. Winston split two defenders to hit Chris Godwin in stride on a 71-yard touchdown in the first half of a 35-22 victory against Atlanta. Despite a second interception, it turned out to be one of Winston’s most productive days of the season. He completed 18-of-28 passes for a hefty 313 yards in the first of four consecutive victories.

Brady in Week 11

Bill Belichick isn’t even his coach anymore and he still wanted to slap Brady after this game. One of the game’s greatest fourth-quarter passers threw one of the worst fourth-quarter passes you’ve ever seen. Even before that, Brady did not have a strong effort. The Bucs attempted 48 passes, yet gained only 216 yards. That’s 4.5 yards per pass attempt, which is less than half of what you might expect.

Season totals

2019 Winston:

Completed 260-of-434 for 3,391 yards, with 22 touchdowns, 20 interceptions and a 4-7 record.

2020 Brady:

Completed 280-of-433 for 2,955 yards, with 25 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 7-4 record.

Analysis

This is the tradeoff the Bucs made at quarterback. Brady has half as many interceptions as Winston through 11 games, but he’s also not hitting on as many big plays. Winston had 75 completions of 20 yards or more last season, which is the second-best total in the past 20 years. Brady did not complete a single pass of more than 20 yards against the Rams Monday night and is on pace to complete only 54 this season.

John Romano can be reached at jromano@tampabay.com. Follow @romano_tbtimes.