Thoughts From the Morning After: FSU 42 Louisville 31

Oct 30, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) passes the ball against the Louisville Cardinals during the second half at Papa John

Blame Jameis

Jameis Winston said after Thursday’s game that he’s never thrown three interceptions in a game at any point in his life. For most QB’s three picks is a death sentence, for Jameis Winston and Florida State, three picks just makes it more sporting.

The difference between Jameis Winston and a regular quarterback is that Winston can bail his team out of these situations. He may turn the ball over once or twice, he may force a pass here or there, but as long as Winston is running the offense Florida State is within striking distance. That was never more obvious than on Thursday night.

Winston tossed picks on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter and then threw another to start the third. But where most quarterback would crumble or become head-cases, Winston is more or less oblivious. He knows he threw three picks, he just plays like he doesn’t care.

Winston is a gamer in every sense of the word. You don’t go 21-0 as a starter by accident. For all the jokes about his intellect, he’s got one of the highest football IQ’s in recent history — Fisher will tell you as much — and his ability to process information, coupled with his fearlessness, gives him a near-perfect mental make-up for the position. On Thursday when Winston started to settle in and take what the defense gave him, the chains started to really move.

Football isn’t terribly complicated when you boil it down. 11 players seems like a lot, but it’s not. You just can’t cover the whole field AND get pressure on the quarterback with 11 guys unless you’re lining up a team full of studs. So with even some of the very best defenses there will always be little holes, little spaces to exploit. Winston finds those spaces as well as any college quarterback in recent memory.

The only thing that can really stop him — at least that he’s run into — is himself. If he presses, if he forces passes, if he refuses to make his reads and take what the defense gives or leaves open– then he makes mistakes and is inefficient. But when he’s patient and lets the game come to him, he may be unbeatable.

He has been so far.