Winston healthy enough to start for Bucs./JEFFREY S. KING
Saturday, 2 a.m.
The kid is tougher than you thought.
The season is in more danger that you believed.
The injury isn't as dire as you suspected.
The backup isn't as trustworthy as you had hoped.
It all adds up to Jameis Winston, starting again for the Tampa Bay Bucs on
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Sunday, one week after what was diagnosed as “an A.C. joint sprain” by the team. Winston was knocked out of the game against the Arizona Cardinals, but when he left, it was already 24-0. Why risk him any farther.
This week, there has been a spirited discussion about Winston and starting. There were some who believed the season was at risk if Winston didn't play. There were others who thought the quarterback was at risk unless he did.
The thing is: none of us had any idea how severe the injury is. Teams don't have to share that information. The Bucs said only that Winston had a sprain, which can be a matter of degrees. According to stack.com, there are six grades of a.c. injuries. With a grade 2 or higher, there is swellling and inability to raise one's arm.
So let's assume that Winston had only a grade 1, which is a pulling of ligaments. If so, bully for him. There is no percentage in hoping that Winson is hurt worse than he is.
Jameis threw the ball well today,” Bucs' coach Dirk Koetter said. “Yeah, he threw it well. Jameis is our starter. He will be out there.”
Koetter said that Winston was able to make all of the throws.
In a way, the Bucs ran a shell game on the Bills this week, forcing them to prepare for both Winston and backup Ryan Fitzgerald. But it isn't as if one was a great running threat and the other isn't.
For now, however, the Bucs seem to be fully armed for their game against the Bills.
As long as the shoulders of those arms are healthy, they have a chance.
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