5 trends from NFL Week 1 that will continue all season
By Brad Rowland
It’s going to be a long season for Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jameis Winston endured an inauspicious start to his NFL career on Sunday, throwing a pick-six on his first professional pass attempt. While things can only go up from there for Winston and the Bucs, it will take longer than a year to turn things around in Tampa Bay.
The Bucs, fresh off a 2014 season where they won just two games, were run off the field by a mediocre opponent, and that speaks to the learning curve in play for Tampa Bay. There has long been talent associated with the organization, even during last season’s disaster, but Winston’s mistakes will be plentiful throughout his rookie campaign, and that was evident with two ghastly interceptions in the opener.
The weapons around Winston are strong, especially in the case of wide receivers Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, but the running game leaves a lot to be desired. Throw in the fact that Tampa Bay’s defense allowed 35 points (we won’t count the opening INT against them) to a fellow rookie QB in Marcus Mariota, and it may be a stretch to assume there will be vast improvement from a group that finished 25th in the NFL in total defense a season ago.
An optimistic viewpoint for the Buccaneers would point to their status as a member of the NFC South, but even in the league’s worst division they are the squad most likely to finish in the basement for another year.
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