Before halftime of the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers' “Thursday Night Football” matchup, quarterback Jameis Winston hit wide receiver Chris Godwin for a 20-yard touchdown to give his Bucs the lead.

Setting up from play-action, Winston found Godwin scorching Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson on a skinny post to the endzone. The Panthers defense left him wide open.

By the end of the half, Winston's Bucs held a 10-9 lead over their division rivals. The former No. 1 overall pick recorded one of his most efficient halves of play, going 11-of-14 for 146 yards and the touchdown while throwing no interceptions. Godwin: five receptions for 79 yards and the red zone score.

Winston is looking for a bounce-back game against the Panthers after losing to the San Francisco 49ers in a sloppy Week 1 outing. Last Sunday, the Bucs quarterback went 20-of-36 for 194 yards, a score, and three interceptions. It was another outing in which Winston struggled; there have been quite a bit of those thus far in his NFL career.

Since going No. 1 overall in 2015, Winston has amassed a 21-34 win-loss record. Though he's thrown for a Tampa Bay franchise-high 14,822 yards, and 89 touchdowns to boot, he's also thrown 61 interceptions.

Winston's contract is nearing its end, making 2019 a make-or-break season for the young signal-caller. Luckily, his head coach, Bruce Arians, is known to be a quarterback whisperer, particular for those with an aggressive play style such as Winston. After a shaky first game with his head coach, Winston is showing the skills necessary to potentially thrive in Arians' system.