Jameis Winston reveals what went wrong for the Browns against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14.
After putting up an incredible stat line in the Cleveland Browns' loss to the Denver Broncos, Jameis Winston fell back to earth in a major way in Week 14, completing just 21 of his 41 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions on the way to an ugly defeat 14-27.
Suddenly, Winston, the world-beater, was finished, with his first win over the Pittsburgh Steelers now a distant memory and his nearly 500 yards against the Broncos looking like the signs of an immature signal-caller instead of some overlooked aerial assassin.
But what, if anything, did Winston learn from the game? Well, during his weekly media session, he revealed his biggest takeaway from the game, which is that his offense simply wasn't able to play “Cleveland Browns football” against an elite Steelers defense.
“The biggest takeaway was just rhythm in terms offense. You saw some of the penalties showing up, again, that were unnecessary. You saw some of the procedural things showing up that we definitely could have limited. And you just saw two teams slugging it out,” Winston told reporters.
“And like I said, I believe that for the Cleveland Browns to play the best version of Cleveland Browns football, we have to focus on us playing our best version of football and not what someone else is doing. And I think the Pittsburgh Steelers, they watched us play a style of football that wasn’t our best football and they just let us play it and it ended up letting them win.”
Can Winston do anything to prove he's “the guy” moving forward? Well, it's hard to say, really, but if that option is still on the table, he's willing to do what he needs to in order to accomplish the feat, even if it means throwing the ball 40 times.
Jameis Winston is okay with throwing the ball 40 times if it helps
Discussing whether throwing the ball 40+ times in a game is a viable long-term strategy, Winston said he'll do whatever the team requires of him in order to secure the win.
“Well, I think my job is to do whatever’s required for the team. I think last game we did a good job of incorporating the run and finding gaps and holes and Jerome Ford and Nick Chubb, finding ways to attack the second level and getting more yards,” Winston told reporters.
“Officially, I believe the way that I grew up knowing football, you establish the game with the running game and you work things off of that. And I like playing that style of football, but I’m willing and able to play any style that I’m required to play. But obviously I think when you’re able to possess the ball for a long period of time, where you have a mixture of runs and passes, it just makes the congruence of the offense just to be a little bit more effective and efficient.”
What does the future hold for Winston in Cleveland? You know, it's hard to say, but with their playoff chances over, any playing time he earns will be a try-out for all 32 NFL teams, including the Browns.
