Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston’s first NFL pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.
Things went better for Winston over the course of his rookie season and his second year is off to a much better start. Winston has been named the NFC’s top offensive player for the first week of the season.
Winston completed 23-of-33 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns in the Buccaneers’ 31-24 victory over the Falcons. Winston threw two of those touchdowns in the third quarter as the Bucs expanded a 17-13 halftime lead into a comfortable margin that withstood Atlanta’s attempt to come back later in the game.
It was the second time Winston has thrown four touchdown passes in a game and the weekly honor is Winston’s first since going first overall in the 2015 draft. He’s the first Bucs quarterback to take home the award since Josh Freeman did it twice in 2010. That year marked Freeman’s high-water mark as an NFL player and the Bucs hope that Winston is just scratching the surface.