TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston walked into the huddle and saw a tired offense. But Winston needed the team to perform for one more play in Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Trailing 19-16 with 1:47 left, the Bucs were facing a third-and-4 from the Falcons' 6-yard line. Sensing that the team's mood needed lifting, Winston asked the huddle one simple question: "Who wants a touchdown?"
Receiver Mike Evans raised his hand like he was in class and said he wanted it. Winston looked at him and said, "All right." Winston took the snap, looked left, started rolling out right, then fired a strike to a sliding Evans for the decisive touchdown in Tampa Bay's 23-19 victory.
"I raised my hand first and it's crazy we spoke it into existence," Evans said. "Jameis is always doing crazy, fun stuff in the huddle, so it worked out."
Each week, Winston seems to do something to live up to his status as the No. 1 overall draft pick. On Sunday, he threw for 227 yards, ran for a touchdown and picked up 20 yards on a third-and-19 scramble during the game-winning drive. There is no doubt he is the right guy to lead this team on its push for the playoffs.
"Every game to me is the most important game," Winston said. "We go out there and fight. We are battling to get into the playoffs right now, so we are just going to keep battling."
Tampa Bay improved to 6-6 and remained in the hunt for an improbable NFC playoff berth. Tampa Bay believes it has to win the remaining four games to have a shot, but Winston is giving this team a chance. More importantly, he's giving the Bucs the belief it can happen.
While at Florida State, Winston was known for his competitive nature. On Sunday, the NFL caught a glimpse of it. On the third-and-19 from Atlanta's 43-yard line, Tampa Bay needed at least 10 yards to give kicker Connor Barth a chance to tie the score. Winston dropped back and was flushed out of the pocket. Instead of forcing it downfield, he took off and encountered two Atlanta players at the 33. Winston collided with linebacker Justin Durant and, instead of going down, he wheeled off, cut back inside and dove for the first down.
"That play was amazing," running back Doug Martin said. "I thought he was down, but that type of effort is contagious and that's the type of effort that we need on this team. That was an awesome play."
It was the kind of effort Bucs guard Logan Mankins has seen before.
"Definitely. That's all that matters to Tom [Brady] is winning, and that's what we get from Jameis," Mankins, formerly of the New England Patriots, said when asked if he sees the same kind of will in Winston that Brady has.
"He just wants to win whether it's handing it off or him scrambling or him throwing a touchdown pass to win. Whatever it takes to win, he's going to do it."
Winston was asked, suppose Mankins had said he wanted to score the final touchdown?
"I would've found a way to get him the ball," Winston replied.
And no one doubts him.