Ryan Fitzpatrick did not solve Bucs' question at JB while Jameis Winston returns

Ryan Fitzpatrick was one of the biggest stories of the NFL during the first two weeks of the season. We thought we knew it: a 35-year-old quarterback with incoherent play and a glorious beard. But he surprised us by throwing 819 yards and eight touchdowns and led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 2-0 record.

There were, however, lingering questions about his two-week explosion. Would he be able to continue this level of play? And would the Bucs stay with him once Jameis Winston returned in Week 4?

After his performance at Jekyll-et-Hyde in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third week, we are still no closer to a response to Fitzmagic's power.

The Fitzmagic was early in the match

Tampa Bay struggled to win in the first half due to three interceptions by Fitzpatrick. His first was defeated in the backfield by Steelers linebacker Jon Bostic. The ball flew in the air and in the arms of the defensive back Mike Hilton for an expensive turnover in the red zone.

Pittsburgh did not earn points in the next race, but that prevented Tampa from scoring.

His second interception took place during the first game of the next disc. It was a bad pass over Mike Evans' head and the ball fell into the hands of rookie Terrell Edmunds – the first choice of his young career.

Fitzpatrick's third and final interception was his worst shot of the night. He threw him in the arms of Bud Dupree, who easily defeated a choice of six Steelers who extended Pittsburgh's lead to 23-7.

These three interceptions took place in the second quarter, the last two within three minutes. At halftime, the Bucs conceded 30-10 and it seemed like the match was going to be complete.

But while we were about to write it off, Fitzpatrick bounced back with a nice second half to become the first player in NFL history to score 400 yards in three straight games.

But Fitzmagic never really dies

Tampa Bay was 30-13 late in the fourth quarter, when Fitzpatrick caught the Fitzmagic. He was able to connect on two touchdown passes to bring the Bucs to life as they attempted a late return.

His first touchdown in the fourth quarter was second-year receiver Chris Godwin, that helped to compensate for a fumble earlier and a few drops. The pitch was not great, but he gave his big receiver a chance to come up and get it:

His second score followed the same theme. Not a perfect pass, but Fitzpatrick threw the ball to a place where Evans could play. Evans had to come back a little on the ball, but Fitzpatrick gave him enough room to play in the ball.

Unfortunately for the Bucs, Fitzpatrick could not finish the return. It was not his fault. DeSean Jackson had an electrifying battery return for a touchdown this has been recalled due to a detention penalty. The Bucs cleared by scoring on the next record with this touch of Evans, but it also cost them three minutes.

The Tampa Bay defense could not leave the field in the second half. The Steelers played 28 games after half-time and faced just five runners-up, including one knee in the final game. Ben Roethlisberger finished the night with 353 passing yards and three touchdowns, and James Conner sealed the match with a 17-yard run.

In the end, the Buccaneers sank into a hole deep enough that they could not get out. Fitzpatrick's interceptions played a big role in this, but he was not the only one to make costly mistakes.

Now, Tampa Bay has a decision to make

The entire game leaves coaches in a slightly awkward position. Winston is expected to join the team as of this week after his three-game suspension for allegedly fumbling with an Uber driver.

The Buccaneers also left for a better start than expected. They are 2-1 after playing the Saints, Eagles and Steelers to open the season – three playoff teams last year – and Fitzpatrick played well for them. This could be enough to keep the controversy on the coming quarter on the ice for a few weeks.

Earlier this week, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports announced that the Bucs would stay with Fitzpatrick, even after Winston's reports with the team. Head coach Dirk Koetter, meanwhile, was not ready to fully engage after the match.

If the team thinks that the first half of the match was just an aberration, it would not be surprising to see the team stay with Fitzpatrick for at least the next few weeks. If they are troubled by Fitzpatrick's performance and do not believe he will continue to play big games on the field, then they will likely give Fitzpatrick a small leash.

Whatever the case may be, Fitzmagic's trip over the first two weeks should give him enough time to dismiss Winston at least a week. The Bucs have a tough test next week as they head to Chicago to face Khalil Mack and a fierce Bears defense. Tampa Bay took a lap after that, so the team will have plenty of time to evaluate their quarterback situation.

For now, we'll only have to look next time to see if Fitzmagic is alive – or if Fitztragic is coming back.