The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t in love with how much Jameis Winston has had to sling it to start the 2016 NFL season.
Winston leads the NFL with 142 passing attempt through three games, a silly number considering he attempted 535 through 16 games as a rookie.
A former pitcher with a strong arm or not, Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter isn’t a fan of the pace and wants to see the offense balance itself out, according to the Tampa Bay Times‘ Greg Auman:
In the last two games, we’ve thrown too much,” coach Dirk Koetter said Wednesday of losses to Arizona and Los Angeles. “We’ve got to quit getting behind by two scores, and we need to run the ball better.”
“As far as Jameis handling volume, heck, I’m sure he’d throw every time, if he could,” Koetter said. “But for our team to be successful, we can’t be throwing in the 50s and we can’t be running in the 20s.”
It’s a noble idea, especially because even backup running back Charles Sims looked good last week in a 37-32 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, rushing 13 times for 55 yards and a score.
Keep in mind lead back Doug Martin could return from injury soon, too, making it easier for the Buccaneers to even out. His return could take upwards of another two weeks, so expect the balancing act to occur then.
The problem before Martin’s return is the schedule. Tampa Bay next has to welcome the Denver Broncos to town before traveling to take on the Carolina Panthers before a Week 6 bye. Those teams don’t give up a ton on the ground, so the Buccaneers might have to let Winston keep his current pace through the bye whether the coaching staff wants him to or not.
