Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, will face the Falcons coming off the best game of six-game NFL career.
Last week, he was 21 of 29 passing and led the Buccaneers to a 24-0 lead, before their defense collapsed and they lost to Washington 31-30.
“Yes it was (his best game),” Tampa Bay coach Lovie Smith said. “Statistically. Coaches’ evaluation and grade-wise, yes it was. The week before, he played good, also. He’s put together two good weeks.”
Winston tossed a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Mike Evans for a touchdown on Tampa Bay’s third play from scrimmage.
He finished with 297 yards passing and a passer rating of 128.1.
“In this past game, we asked him to do some things,” Smith said. “He had to throw some tough passes and make some great decisions. Scramble in the pocket. It was just an outstanding game by him. We’ve seen him grow. We can grow from it each week.”
Winston has also benefited from a resurgence in the career of running back Doug Martin, who’s third in the NFL in rushing with 541 yards.
"We've been running the ball real good," Winston said. "We have Doug on his A game. We have other guys who are ready to step up. Mike (Evans) just had a big game. He's feeling good right now. Our tight ends, all in all, have been playing great."
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