Mike Sando, ESPN Senior Writer 8y

Jameis Winston is making strides

NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The fourth interception Jameis Winston threw against Carolina in Week 4 gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie 25 picks over a 17-game run dating back to his final season at Florida State. Winston was fulfilling pessimistic pre-draft prophecies, including one from an NFL offensive coordinator who told me the Buccaneers would regret selecting Winston first overall.

"He threw so many bad interceptions in college where everybody is wide open," this coordinator said before the season. "[Winston] is gunslinger plus bad decision-making, and that equals bad."

Not so bad: Winston tossing five touchdown passes without a pick during a 45-17 demolition of Philadelphia in Week 11. That performance gave Winston 12 total TDs with only two turnovers since Week 5, good for a plus-10 differential that ranks second in the NFL, behind only Tom Brady's plus-13.

Winston's first 10 NFL starts have showcased the best (five-TD game) and worst (four-INT game) of what analysts thought he might become. It's time to project where evaluators will slot Winston in the next Quarterback Tiers survey after placing him in the fourth tier by default this past offseason. Viewing Winston's throws against the Eagles through the eyes of a veteran NFL coach helped. So did placing Winston's 10-start stat line alongside those for other rookie starters over the past decade.

About that Philly game

Winston completed 19 of 29 passes for 246 yards against the Eagles. His passer rating (131.6) and Total QBR score (94.7) were season highs. The Buccaneers rushed for 283 yards, with Doug Martin gaining 6.1 yards per carry before contact, best in the league this season for backs with at least 25 carries in a game. Winston took only one sack.

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