Jameis Winston's first NFL preseason outing started slow, like so many of his college outings. Unlike in college, he won't get the opportunity to make a comeback.
One night after Marcus Mariota's uneven debut, Winston had his struggles. Playing the entire first half, Winston completed 9 of 19 passes for 131 yards with an interception and a fumble. Like Mariota, he finished strong with a touchdown drive against backups. Winston's 8-yard touchdown run gave him something to build off for next week.
Winston appeared too amped up to start the night. His first three throws were high and off target. He settled down on his third drive to connect with Vincent Jackson on a 40-yard bomb while getting hit, but was picked off to open his fourth drive when he forced a pass to Mike Evans.
The No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft came as advertised by continually being aggressive and testing the Vikings' defense. But there were two mistakes on the center-quarterback exchange, including a botched shotgun snap.
We wouldn't read too much into any of these preseason outings. Some rookies shine in August, and then struggle all season like Blake Bortles. Cam Newton, on the other hand, was dreadful in the preseason before an impressive rookie year.
This first outing gives Winston plenty to work on. That's also true for a shaky Bucs offensive line.
