The Fitzmagic finally fizzled out.
Jameis Winston took over for Ryan Fitzpatrick to open the second half of Sunday's 48-10 loss to the Chicago Bears. Tampa Bay trailed 38-3 when Winston came on in relief.
After Fitzpatrick became the first player in NFL history to throw for 400-plus pass yards in three consecutive games to open the season, the quarterback struggled against a good Bears defense.
Fitzpatrick played erratically through two quarters, missing receivers high repeatedly and struggling to manage the Chicago's relentless pass rush. The veteran quarterback completed 9 of 18 attempts for 126 yards and one interception, a 49.8 passer rating.
Outside two big plays to DeSean Jackson (four catches for 107 yards in first half), Fitzpatrick couldn't get anything going on offense.
Winston missed the first three weeks of the season due to suspension and was up and down Sunday. Winston finished 16 of 20 for 145 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
With a bye next week, there was some thought that Tampa could turn to Winston in Week 6 if Fitzpatrick struggled in Chicago. It took just two quarters for coach Dirk Koetter to make a move.
While Koetter didn't commit to Winston as his starting QB when they come out of the bye week, he conceded that Winston "probably" showed enough to reclaim his top spot for good.
