Jameis Winston vs. The Atlanta Falcons

While the title may certainly suggest it, this is not a U.S. Supreme Court case. Although when it comes to quarterback Jameis Winston, you never can tell. Winston was drafted first overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meaning that the Atlanta Falcons won’t just play not one but two former Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks (the other being Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers) at least twice a season each as a part of the regular NFC South schedule.

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Winston was previously one of the top college football recruits in the nation in 2012, being the highest rated at the quarterback position according to ESPN. In case you haven’t heard by now, he signed with Florida State University and head coach Jimbo Fisher.

A product of Hueytown, AL, Winston went on to Tallahassee, where he posted an impressive freshman year in 2013 by winning the coveted Heisman Trophy and leading his Seminoles to a National Championship.

Subsequently, in 2014, he had a less impressive year, having 18 interceptions and several late comebacks to beat teams that the Seminoles should have beaten by three touchdowns and then some. Nonetheless, Winston led the ‘Noles to an undefeated regular season and the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinal game against the Marcus Mariota-led Oregon Ducks, where Florida State was blown out 59-20.

Then there’s the other issues in terms of off the field. A rape charge during the 2013 bowl selection period (and currently a pending civil suit filed by the victim). As far as the not-so-serious, there is a crab leg heist from Publix after the 2013 run and screaming inappropriately on the Florida State campus in the mid-2014 season.

Hence the enigma that is Jameis Winston.

Which led us to the 2015 NFL Draft. Will Winston be a bust? Will he succees? You know, the usual questions regarding a dissident quarterback.

Winston can make all of the NFL throws, and he has a high football IQ. But his draft stock’s Achilles heel were his on and off the field antics.

But those incidents didn’t scare off the quarterback-desperate Buccaneers. So with this being the case, how will the division-rival Atlanta Falcons fare against the new look Buccaneers for years to come?

That depends on the ability of Winston to further make better decisions on and off the field. Being a franchise quarterback is no walk in any NFL. It’s a big boy job. Owners and general managers are investing millions upon millions of dollars into the quarterback position. Winston must deliver. It’s time for him to grow up because he has suddenly become the face of the franchise in Tampa.

Nov 30, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; works Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) and wide receiver Vincent Jackson (83) talk prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Winston will join two big, physical receivers in veteran Vincent Jackson and second-year starter Mike Evans.

If Winston matures and becomes an all-around better leader, then as a Falcons fan you should expect a new, viable adversary in the NFC South division to compete against as Atlanta tries to return to playoff contention. With a matured Winston and his weapons on offense, and a young, talented defense that features defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and linebacker Lavonte David, who has given Atlanta problems before, the Bucs could possibly be a tough opponent for the Falcons for years to come.

However, if Winston continues to get in trouble or draw attention to himself off the field, this could draw disaster for the Bucs organization. Right after he got drafted, Winston posted a picture on Instagram that received much criticism. It featured himself and a plate of crab legs (via TMZ Sports), which was referring to his thievery of crustacean. The image was shortly removed from Instagram.

This was not the greatest, shall I say, acceptance message by Winston to Tampa fans. Though the photo was taken down, it was not clear on who told him to take it down. Perhaps the Buccaneers front office? Who knows? But mostly everyone knew pre-draft that Winston needed a short leash, and the only thing he proved with the photo was that everyone was right. The Bucs better surround him with public relation experts. He clearly isn’t aware that the media is just waiting for him to slip.

The Bucs need a responsible leader to make themselves respectable again. If Winston keeps acting out, then the quarterback search saga for the Buccaneers will continue, and 56-14 beat downs by the Falcons and the rest of the league will pursue, as such.

Which is what the Falcons want. New head coach Dan Quinn would probably want nothing more than Winston to struggle. That’s one less team Atlanta has to worry about in division.

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Winston has the physical tools to succeed in the NFL. He just needs to wake up mentally, and if he does, he can be very dangerous. Four years ago, Jon Solomon of AL.com documented talked about a gamble an NFC South team made on a so-called entitled Heisman Trophy winner. That was Cam Newton back in 2011. Obviously, he has since matured as a man and player in the NFL in four seasons and the Panthers are thankful for it.

It’s all up to Winston now, he decides his destiny from now on. If he acts accordingly, he could be a top-tier NFL quarterback. But if he acts like the normal Jameis, the “Crab Leg Bandit” will just be a punchline, and the Falcons will have nothing to worry about when the Buccaneers appear on the schedule.

Next: Tennessee Titans: Will Marcus Mariota Start Week 1?

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