Bucs QB Jameis Winston Compares to Matt Ryan?
Many have compared Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie QB Jameis Winston to Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger for his size, ability to run when needed, and strong arm coupled with clutch late-game abilities.
But what about this comparison — Matt Ryan.
“One could argue that, stylistically, Matt Ryan and Jameis Winston are somewhat similar,” analyst Greg Cosell said in a radio interview. “I remember when Matt Ryan came out. I very much liked Matt Ryan when he came out. But there were some who believed that he was a little slow-twitch, that he was a little bit of a strider. The same things that I believe about Jameis Winston.”
One thing that Matt Ryan has done a lot of in his NFL career is throw interceptions, and with questions along the offensive line and with the running game in Tampa Bay, Winston could do a lot of that as well.
But that’s not to say he’s a bad decision maker or inaccurate thrower. That’s to say that Winston is going to have to try to make a lot happen with his arm rather than move and make plays with his feet, and his statistics might suffer for it but in the long run, it could wind up being the best thing for the Buccaneers.
I can see the athletic comparisons between Winston and Ryan, though I think Winston proved a little bit he could move around a little bit better. I don’t think he has big time breakaway speed or anything, but like Ben Roethlisberger, he makes people miss and finds ways to stay upright despite oftentimes poor protection.
We’re all chomping at the bit to see Winston play in his first NFL game so the comparisons can end and he can just become the player he is rather than being called the next ‘this’ or the next ‘that’.
Winston is his own player, but with comparisons to guys like Roethlisberger and Matt Ryan, there’s no doubt the expectations for him are high. People think he’s going to be good, but don’t be surprised if he struggles a bit early on, as all young quarterbacks do.
It’s all just part of the process.