Page 21 - Florida Sentinel 10-4-19

Sports
Arians Wants Jameis Winston
Carroll: Russell
To Keep Playing 'Fearless'
Wilson Playing
Against Saints Sunday
'Best He's Ever Been'
Jameis Winston is starting to get comfortable in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' new offense, and it's showing on the field.
The quarterback's massive day -- 385 yards on 28-of-41 passing, with 4 TDs, 1 INT, 120.5 passer rating -- helped power the Bucs to a road win over the Los Angeles Rams. It marked Winston's fifth career game with 4-plus TD passes and fifth game with 380-plus yards.
More importantly, Win- ston is stacking impressive performances.
For the first time in his five-year NFL career, Win- ston earned 350-plus pass yards, 3-plus pass TD and a 110-plus passer rating in con- secutive weeks.
"He is just growing in the offense," Arians said of Winston on Monday, via the Tampa Bay Times. "I don't know if anybody's played better the last three weeks than he has."
In the past three weeks, Winston has thrown eight TDs to just two interceptions, one of the best stretches of
JAMEIS WINSTON AND BRUCE ARIANS
As Russell Wilson walked easily to the podium on Tues- day to talk to the media, his dark hair was spilled out of each side of ball cap and his trademark grin came as easy as always.
In his back pocket is a mega four-year, $140 million exten- sion he inked in the offseason.
Upon his resume are a quintet of Pro Bowl selections and the one and only Super Bowl title in Seahawks chron- icle.
And yet, as the smile refuses to leave his face, these might be the best of times for Rus- sell Wilson.
His coach certainly believes that to be so.
RUSSELL WILSON
good start," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday via team transcripts. "He's playing great football, it's the best he's ever been."
When Wilson was asked if he was playing better than he ever was, he shrugged, though his smile held strong.
his career.
Sunday, Winston threw
with conviction in Sunday's 55-40 win over the L.A. Rams, finding Chris God- win with a bevy of interme- diate shots over the middle, and nailed Mike Evans in stride for a deep TD.
"You have to play fearless, and that's one of my biggest messages to Jameis," Ari- ans said. "Throw it. Don't worry about it, just throw it."
With divisional tilts versus the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers on tap the next two weeks, Arians will need Winston continue his hot streak.
Winston Named NFC Offensive Player Of The Week
It wouldn’t have been the full Jameis Winston experi- ence without the late pick that made things close.
But the Buccaneers quarter- back was good enough over the course of the day to beat the Rams and pick up an award.
Winston threw for 385 yards and four touchdowns in the 55-40 win over the Rams.
His 120.5 passer rating was his third rating over 100 this season, a positive trend as he works under Bruce Arians.
"Russell is off to a really
Derek Carr Defends
Vontaze Burfict, Says Suspension Is Unfair
VONTAZE BURFICT AND DEREK CARR
The NFL has suspended Vontaze Burfict for the re- mainder of the 2019 season for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle, and Derek Carr is among the Oakland Raiders players who feel the punishment was far too harsh.
While speaking with re- porters from London on Wednesday, Carr called Bur- fict a “great guy” and said he is one of the most misunder-
stood players in the NFL.
The quarterback also said the 12-game suspension is un-
fair.
Raiders linebacker Tahir
Whitehead, who already ripped the NFL for the harsh discipline against Burfict, said it is “frustrating” for him to see Burfict get a season- long suspension with how hard he has worked to shed his reputation for being a dirty player.
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