Fansided

One silver lining for every team that missed the playoffs

By Luke Dahlgren

Nov 30, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns fans in the stands against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens won 33-27. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns fans in the stands against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens won 33-27. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 13, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) throws a pass to wide receiver Adam Humphries (11) for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. New Orleans Saints defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) throws a pass to wide receiver Adam Humphries (11) for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. New Orleans Saints defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-10)

Jameis Winston was as advertised, and he enjoyed a historically good season.

Ending the season on a four game losing streak won’t exactly set you up to receive the key to the city if you are a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs surprised the league and the NFC South by starting out a respectable 6-6. They were primed to compete for the second NFC wildcard spot with the Seahawks, Falcons, Saints, Giants and Eagles, but then faltered down the stretch in games against sub-.500 teams in the Saints, Rams and Bears.

But adding four wins to the previous season’s record is an unqualified win, no matter how many wins a team ends with.

There were a handful of reasons the Buccaneers improved in 2015, but chief among them was the addition of rookie quarterback Jameis Winston. Winston became the third rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000+ yards in a season, joining Andrew Luck and Cam Newton.

Jameis Winston 2015 Season Stats
6-10 W/L
4,042 pass yds, 22 TDs, 15 INTs
58.3% comp, 84.2 QB rate
210 rush yds, 6 TDs.

Winston challenged defenses downfield, showing an ability to extend plays with his mobility behind the line of scrimmage and willingness to take advantage of broken plays. There is a great deal of room for improvement, particularly in taking care of the ball, but Winston is on track to becoming a Pro Bowl player.

His season compares similarly to Luck’s rookie year; it’s easy to picture him on the same track. The Buccaneers inexplicably fired Lovie Smith, and so that cohesive development has been disrupted. But Tampa’s new coach could be hired to tailor the offense around Winston’s strengths, and that looks promising.

Next: New York Giants

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