Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston is your classic example of a rookie who has been thrown into the fire. In his first four pro starts, Winston turned the ball over eight times (seven interceptions, one fumble) and his Total QBR stood at 35.6 (26th overall). The tape was pretty much what you would expect from a rook. Sure, there were some flashes of potential, but it was surrounded by choppy play and poor decisions.

Welcome to the league, right?

Well, in his past three starts, Winston hasn't turned the ball over once and has posted a total QBR of 83.7 (fourth overall during Weeks 5-8). In fact, after a strong performance in Sunday's overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons, Winston became only the fourth rookie QB in the past 10 seasons to register a QBR of more than 88 in back-to-back weeks, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The question is, do the numbers mesh with the tape? And has Winston turned a corner as he continues to develop against pro competition? Let's examine why Winston struggled earlier in the season before focusing on his improved play at the position.

The rookie mistakes

In his first four starts, Winston was erratic throwing from the pocket, completing only 54.7 percent of his passes (7.2 yards per attempt), getting sacked eight times and throwing seven interceptions.

Surprised? I wasn't. In fact, this is part of the learning curve, the up-and-down ride the majority of rookie quarterbacks take in the first month of the season. The game is faster (college tape is in slow-motion compared to the pros) and defensive coordinators love to plan for rookie QBs. That means late safety rotations, exotic pressure schemes and window dressing in the secondary to disguise coverages.

That was the game plan from the Carolina Panthers against Winston in Week 4, with cornerback Josh Norman lying in the weeds to steal one from Winston in the flat, and linebacker Thomas Davis robbing the curl. The Panthers -- a legit, proven defense -- forced Winston to read different looks, and they took advantage of balls thrown off target or into coverage. They baited the young kid and exposed his inexperience, as the No. 1 overall pick threw four interceptions that day.

This type of defensive philosophy gets amplified even more on third downs. In that four-game set, Winston's numbers on third down were extremely poor. He completed only 51 percent of his passes and threw five picks. His Total QBR? A lowly 8.8. Wow. That's not going to cut it.

In Week 3, with the Bucs protecting a 9-7 lead over the Houston Texans, Winston wanted to throw the backside dig (or square-in) to wide receiver Mike Evans on third-and-7 (see diagram below). This is a big play for the rookie at the start of the second half. Extend the drive and get points or make a smart decision and protect the ball.

NFL

The Texans showed a single-high safety look with man-coverage across the board, and Quintin Demps rotated down near the line of scrimmage. Winston found the matchup he wanted: Evans aligned against a cornerback, Johnathan Joseph, playing from an off-man position. Hold the free safety in the deep middle and throw the dig, right?