Gästebereich » ... Hes only a year out of (SG Ball), Barr

TAMPA, Fla. -- Jameis Winston lights up when he talks about his competitive nature.Theres no throw the emerging young quarterback feels he cant make, no drive he cant extend with his feet, and certainly no team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers arent capable of beating when hes on his game.Winston wants his teammates to believe, too.Its a mentality that youve got to have, and its an easy choice. ... Youve got to want to win, the No. 1 overall pick in last years NFL draft said.As a team, we have to make that choice together. Im not saying just because I want to win ... someone else wants to win. Im saying all of us have to be together and be on the same page because if we have the same common goal, the same focus, were going to win a lot of football games.The Bucs improved from two wins in 2014 to six a year ago, when Winston took every snap as a rookie and threw for 4,042 yards and 22 touchdowns. That wasnt enough to save coach Lovie Smiths job, but it was encouraging enough that ownership promoted Dirk Koetter from offensive coordinator to Smiths replacement in hopes it will help Winston continue to grow.Before you start winning games, youve got to stop losing them, said Koetter, whose first order of business was to hire one of his old bosses -- ex-Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith -- as defensive coordinator.The Bucs also signed pass rusher Robert Ayers Jr. and cornerback Brent Grimes in free agency before selecting cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III and defensive end Noah Spence to bolster a leaky defense that allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete opponents to complete 70 percent of their passes and throw for 31 TDs last season.Still, if the team is going to escape the NFC South basement and contend for its first playoff berth since 2007, Winston likely will have to set the tone -- both on and off the field.Koetter believes the 22-year-old quarterback is up to the challenge.Jameis every day asserts himself more and more as a leader, the coach said. He still has plenty of things he needs to work on as the quarterback, but I love what he is doing leadership wise. ... He is the motivator for our whole team. Heck, he motivates me.Some other things to know as the Bucs launch their bid to end a string of five consecutive last-place finishes:AIR WINSTON: Winston joined Cam Newton and Andrew Luck as the only players in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards as a rookie, helping the Bucs finish in the top five in total offense for the first time. He also proved to be an effective runner, scrambling for six touchdowns, which tied 1,400-yard rusher Doug Martin for the team lead. Teammates rave about the young QBs preparation and knowledge of Koetters system.I said many times, I think theres a little bit of a misnomer out there that theres not a lot on Jameis plate, or that it wasnt last year, Koetter said. If youre playing quarterback in the NFL, theres a lot on your plate.FIXING THE D: General manager Jason Licht spent his first two drafts upgrading a sputtering offense. He turned his attention to the defense this offseason, landing Ayers, Grimes and LB Daryl Smith in free agency before adding Hargreaves and Spence early in the draft. Improving an inconsistent pass rush has been a priority since the team last made the playoffs.SOMETHING TO PROVE: Despite topping 1,000 yards receiving each of his first two seasons, WR Mike Evans enters his third year feeling as if he has a lot to prove after leading the team in dropped passes and scoring only three touchdowns a year ago, down from 12 as a rookie in 2014.HANDING OFF: RB Doug Martin took some of the burden off Winston to carry the Bucs with 1,402 yards rushing, second in the NFL behind Adrian Peterson. He was rewarded with a five-year, $37.75 million contract. Backup Charles Sims was effective a year ago, too, finishing with 529 yards rushing and 561 yards receiving.PLAYOFF TIME: Four-time Pro Bowl DT Gerald McCoy is entering his seventh season and has yet to experience the postseason. He has a good feeling about this team.Great coach, great staff, we put in a lot of work this offseason, McCoy said. The maturity level of the team is much different than its been in the past. Even with us having a lot of young guys, we have a lot of maturity in those young guys and not really many egos. That goes a long way on a winning football team.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Irv Smith Jr. Youth Jersey . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Adam Thielen Youth Jersey . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/Youth-dru-samia-vikings-jersey/ . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. Dru Samia Womens Jersey . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Paul Krause Womens Jersey . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Teenage rookie Brad Parker put his hand up to lead a regeneration of Manlys backline over the summer as the club begins to move into the post-Jamie Lyon era.On the same day it was revealed Lyons problematic hamstring is set to deny him a Brookvale Oval farewell, local product Parker scored two tries and was a lone bright spot in a 38-18 loss to Melbourne.With Lyon set to retire at the end of the year and the future of stalwarts Steve Matai and Brett Stewart under a cloud, the Sea Eagles are likely to feature a new-look backline in 2017.And, in the second game of his career, Parker added a team-high four tackle breaks to leave a lasting impression on first-year coach Trent Barrett.You cant look at the semi-finals but its an opportunity for guys like Brad, whos still eligible to play NYC ... Hes only a year out of (SG Ball), Barrett said.He was terrific tonight. He did a really good job for us when we beat the Warriors seven weeks ago and he was terrific again tonight.Lyon was a surprise pre-gaame withdrawal on Saturday night, with Barrett later revealing that the two-time premiership-winner re-aggravated a hamstring injury that has plagued his entire 2016 campaign.ddddddddddddThe 34-year-old is now considered unlikely to play in the clubs final home game of the year next week.Which is massive shame for us, Barrett said.Whilst hell do everything he can to get there, its not looking great at this stage and hes devastated, obviously. He hurt it yesterday in the captains run.Thats something well have to manage and cross our fingers and toes that he can (play), because hes been a wonderful, wonderful player for the club and we want to send him out on the right note.The defeat against the Storm means the Sea Eagles have just three wins at home this year, their fewest since winning two of five back in 1965, and are on track for their lowest finish since 2004. ' ' '