Gabbert or Griffin for second-string?

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As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading into the third week of the preseason, many are questioning who their quarterback should be. While Jameis Winston currently holds firmly onto the starting position, the backup quarterback position remains up in the air. Say what you will, but believe it or not, there is a lot of pressure that comes with that title.

The Debate

Gabbert has been playing mediocre at best during the first two weeks of the preseason. Most of his passing yards awarded have come from check-downs while struggling with accuracy on the intermediate to deep distance throws. In contrast, Ryan Griffin has put together quite the performance thus far, with a major highlight being a no-huddle drive setting up kicker Matt Gay for a 48-yard game-winning field goal. In fact, if you remember correctly, the same exact thing happened last year against the Dolphins. Griffin led a 68-yard drive to set up kicker Chandler Catanzaro for a game-winning field goal. Coincidence? I think not. It is clear to see that with Griffin’s experience he is more comfortable in this offense than Gabbert.

Griffin Likely To See More Time

Heading into the matchup versus the Cleveland Browns, the Buccaneers are getting ready for the preseason’s most anticipated game. If you’re unfamiliar with how preseason games go, most of the time the starters will not play at all in the fourth game. To make up for this, it’s almost always likely that you will see the starters for the entire first half. It is very possible that we could see a lot more of Griffin in this game, due to the fact that unlike Griffin, Gabbert has had a starting role in the NFL before.

Many fans are calling for Griffin to be brought up to the second-string quarterback position, as he has paid his dues here in Tampa. He seems to be the ongoing underdog here. There has been a lot of speculation that he wouldn’t last, considering there are no longer any ties to this new coaching staff. Regardless of what fans say, there is one thing they cannot say about Griffin, and that is that he is inconsistent. The 29-year old out of Tulane has consistently performed at the third-string level, and in a league that is predicated on a “what have you done for me lately?” mentality, there’s a very good chance we could see him at the second-string come week one.

 

 

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