Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans have now glimpsed a harsh reality, one long evident to supporters of the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and others.

As wildly entertaining as The Fitzmagic Show can be ... ultimately, it's an illusion.

Bucs quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, a 14-year journeyman thrust into the lineup amid starter Jameis Winston's three-game suspension, became the first player in 99 NFL seasons to pass for 400 yards in three consecutive games on Monday night. He now has a league-high 1,230 yards, putting him on track for 6,560 over a full season — which would surpass Peyton Manning's five-year-old record by more than 1,000 yards.

Yet Fitzpatrick was also intercepted on three straight passes in the second quarter, the final one returned for a touchdown by linebacker Bud Dupree as Pittsburgh built an insurmountable 30-10 halftime lead. In fairness, not all of those misfires appeared to be solely Fitzpatrick's fault. And he still finished with 411 yards and three TDs while leading a second-half charge that fell just short in a 30-27 loss, the Bucs' first of 2018.

“I have so much fun playing this game. I have fun playing with these guys, and I’m here just ready to do whatever it takes to help the team win,” Fitzpatrick said afterward.

“I think that will be my mindset going forward.”

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Good idea, because Winston returned to work Tuesday — meaning Tampa Bay (now in a three-way tie atop the NFC South) faces a major decision.

An inevitable decision.

Fitzpatrick has been stunningly sublime, navigating the Bucs through a gauntlet of opponents that went 37-11 in 2017 and are 5-3-1 this year. The Saints and Eagles suffered their lone setbacks so far against Tampa Bay. Most experts (this one included) figured the Buccaneers for an 0-3 hole once Winston resurfaced.

So sure, Fitzpatrick deserves to keep the wheel of the NFL's top-ranked offense. For now.

But this will only end one way, even if coach Dirk Koetter isn't ready to reveal his plans for Sunday's game at Chicago.

“We know what we’re going to do. Both guys know what we’re going to do,” he said Tuesday, “I hope everybody can appreciate it doesn’t do us any good to tell our opponents what we’re going to do. That’ll work itself out as the week goes on.”

Reminder to Koetter: Here's how things have worked out (or haven't) in the past.

In 2011, Fitzpatrick got the woebegone Bills off to a 5-2 start. Maybe you recall his 369-yard heroics in a 34-31 upset of Tom Brady's Patriots, giving Buffalo fans hope their miserable streak of playoff absences would end.

It didn't. The Bills lost eight of their last nine, and Fitzpatrick threw a league-high 23 picks.

Four years later, the Fitzmagic was (temporarily) back. He had his best statistical season, leading what seemed an underwhelming Jets squad to a 10-6 record while posting a career-best 3,905 yards and 31 TDs. As with these Bucs, featuring receiver Mike Evans and tight end O.J. Howard, Fitzpatrick thrived with power forward-sized Jets targets Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, who could mask his sometimes errant ducks.

Only needing to beat the sub-.500 Bills in the 2015 regular-season finale to reach postseason, Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions and completed just 16 of 37 passes in a 22-17 crusher. The Steelers got the AFC's final wild card, not New York.

Fitzpatrick angled for a big contract from the Jets a few months later and didn't rejoin them until the start of training camp even though he had no other serious suitors. He would lose eight of 11 games in 2016 and get benched before earning a ticket out of town.

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In 122 NFL starts, Fitzpatrick is 50-71-1. He's a 60-percent career passer with 184 TDs and 140 INTs. He'll show irrational confidence in his limited arm strength at the worst moments, leading to horrific decisions not befitting the Harvard pedigree everyone loves to reference (there, I just did, too).

Fitzpatrick has played for seven teams. His next playoff start will be his first.

You can see where this is headed.

Winston hasn't led Tampa Bay to the postseason in his first three seasons, either. His lapses in judgment on the field (44 career interceptions) aren't as concerning as those off it, though apparently his behavior has been pristine since he allegedly groped an Uber driver in 2016 — the incident that earned his three-game ban.

But the Bucs brain-trust must make a determination at their most important position, and that means re-assessing Winston — the man they took with the top pick of the 2015 draft in hopes of solving the franchise's long-stewing dilemma under center — on the field. He's currently the only quarterback on the roster under contract in 2019, assuming Tampa Bay doesn't rescind the fifth-year option of his rookie deal.

“It’s great to see Jameis back in the building. He was here early and working hard. We welcome Jameis back, glad to have him," Koetter said.

Can Winston play? He's got all the physical and mental tools and more Pro Bowls (one) on his short résumé than Fitzpatrick. Can he overcome adversity, especially given the early pace Fitzpatrick has set, and be a model citizen in the community? Is he worthy of the $100 million-plus contract the Bucs must consider giving him next offseason or in 2020?

Or is he not the guy and are the Pewter Pirates compelled to move on?

The Glazer family, general manager Jason Licht and Koetter must find out.

And, big picture, it makes far more sense to get that answer sooner rather than later.

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Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis