Jameis Winston Is An Enigma

Jameis Winston is best described as enigmatic. The New Orleans Saints QB is capable of game-winning heroics in one game, then mind-puzzling turnovers in the next. In the past, many fans thought Winston's decision-making would improve with age and game time. This has sadly not happened. As enters his eighth season, Winston's overall game is still in question.

Jameis Winston is a pocket passer. He is not your everyday game manager. Instead, he is a throwback gunslinger. He is high risk-high reward QB and a prominent playmaker on every team he's ever been on.

Jameis Winston has great agility to move in the pocket, and while he won’t win any races, he’s quick and can move to avoid rushers. Cut on the tape, and it shows a QB who hangs tough in the face of a pass rush and moves well in the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield. He is a natural playmaker.

Winston is instinctive, has good field vision and has the arm strength to make every throw at a high level. Since his early college days at FSU, Winston has been famed for his rocket arm. He has always used it to show enough depth and velocity to hit deep outs.

What has always escaped Jameis Winston is throwing into tight windows and executing short and intermediate throws with accuracy and touch.

Defensive coordinators have learned to limit his aggressive bombs-away-down-the-field throws. They can force him into uncomfortable tight window throws in the short and intermediary zones to lure him into turnovers.

Winston is an odd QB. He seems more comfortable launching a 40-yard bomb than he does a simple 15-yard slant.

This high-risk, high-reward approach pushes his offense to the extreme. He is either freely scoring as the offense moves rapidly up the field. Or the offense is at a dead halt as Winston sails past his targets or, even worse, sends it to the opponents for costly turnovers.

What's Missing From Jameis Winston's Game?

New Orleans Saints v Atlanta Falcons

Jameis Winston has always needed to polish up as a game manager. Despite his splash plays, Winston never developed as a consistent chain mover in Tampa. Winston is inconsistent at reading a defense. He, sometimes, doesn't notice disguise coverages or when he is being baited.

Winston has a bad habit of staring down his primary receivers and blocking out his other reads. This focus targeting is used against him by the defense to generate incompletions/interceptions.

Winston is the ultimate playmaker, and sometimes, that can be detrimental. When he throws one interception, the game starts to escape his team. Winston is known to become more aggressive on his throws in hopes of making plays for his team.

This doesn't always work. During Winston's worst games, this leads to multiple interceptions. Winston isn't one to back down from a challenge. He'll throw a high risk-high reward ball even after the last four went for interceptions. He doesn't take his foot off the pedal, even when it would benefit him.

When discussing quarterbacks, Bucky Brooks said, "They are either trucks or trailers." Winston is the rare QB who can play both roles. At his best, his electric play helps his teammates to 40 or 50-point games. At his worst, he's throwing four or five turnovers and wasting the great efforts of his teammates.

Such inconsistency would be acceptable from a rookie QB but not an established franchise star. This is Winston's eighth season, yet he is still making rookie mistakes. That's not worth an investment.

Teammates and coaches rave about his leadership and character, but until he becomes a reliable distributor of the ball, Jameis Winston will remain an enigma.