METAIRIE, La. -- To call this a massive opportunity for Jameis Winston would be a massive understatement.
Winston appears likely to replace Drew Brees as the New Orleans Saints quarterback for however long it takes Brees to recover from multiple rib fractures on both sides of his chest and a collapsed right lung, according to ESPN's Ed Werder. And if Winston can manage to keep the 7-2 Saints afloat as a top Super Bowl contender, he might be able to revive his own career prospects like Teddy Bridgewater did a year ago.
No pressure, right?
But this is part of the reason why the 26-year-old Winston chose the Saints in free agency, even though he settled for a one-year contract worth $1.1 million plus incentives. He specifically wanted to resuscitate his career by putting himself in one of the NFL’s most quarterback-friendly situations -- whether he got the chance to play or not. He said he was eager to receive a “Harvard education in quarterback school” under Brees and coach Sean Payton.
Payton declined to name a starter in the event Brees misses time, since he said that wouldn’t benefit the team strategically. But Winston is the most likely choice after he replaced Brees for most of the second half of Sunday’s 27-13 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
This could also serve as an invaluable audition for Winston and the Saints, since Brees could potentially retire this offseason and leave a full-time void for New Orleans to fill.
Versatile backup Taysom Hill is also in the mix as a long-term option for the Saints. But in the short term, they will likely turn to Winston because they won’t have to revamp their offense to suit Hill’s unique skill set -- and because they can keep using Hill as a playmaking QB/RB/WR/TE/FB. In the five games Brees missed last season, Bridgewater took 304 snaps at quarterback and Hill 13.
“Both he and Taysom have a good feel for what we’re trying to do,” Payton said Monday. “They pick things up. And I feel like it’s a good room.”
Winston showed some rust on Sunday. He missed two throws and took two sacks in the red zone. And he nearly threw an interception over the middle of the field that would have been heavily scrutinized if 49ers safety Jimmie Ward had held onto it.
But Winston didn’t turn the ball over, and he did lead the Saints to both a field goal and a touchdown while completing 6-of-10 passes for 63 yards. And the Bridgewater blueprint is a realistic one because the Saints have a loaded roster built to withstand Brees’ absence (in the short term, anyway).
“I was excited that I had a marvelous opportunity. And I just knew that my main job was to go in there and do what Drew would do -- just protect the football and try to lead us down there and score,” Winston said after Sunday’s game. “I try to give everybody my all. I try to be right there with Drew along the way, watching film with him, preparing with him. So I felt like I went out there and I was prepared to lead this team.”
Bridgewater went 5-0 as the Saints’ starter last year after Brees tore a ligament in his thumb -- then signed a three-year, $63 million contract to become the Carolina Panthers’ starter in the offseason.
Now the Saints are optimistic Winston can do the same for three reasons:
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He will be surrounded by one of the NFL’s best offensive minds in Payton and some of the league’s best offensive talent. Running back Alvin Kamara is a leading candidate for the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award with a league-high 1,134 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns -- and Winston wisely relied on him throughout the second half of Sunday’s win. Receiver Michael Thomas, who won last year’s Offensive Player of the Year award with a NFL-record 149 catches, was a go-to guy for Brees and Bridgewater. Receiver Emmanuel Sanders, tight end Jared Cook, Hill and others create matchup problems. And the Saints have one of the league’s most talented offensive lines.
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The Saints’ defense and special teams can win a couple games on their own when needed. Although the defense got off to a shaky start this season with too many blown coverages and pass interference penalties, they have been on fire the past two weeks in a 38-3 win at Tampa Bay and over the last three quarters of Sunday’s win over San Francisco. Sunday’s game was reminiscent of the Saints’ 12-10 win over Dallas and 13-6 win at Jacksonville last year with Bridgewater under center.
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Last but not least, Winston is no slouch. Although he infamously became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 30 TD passes and 30 interceptions in the same season last year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he was the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft for good reason. He has immense arm talent that helped him lead the league with 5,109 passing yards last year. He has ample experience (28 wins in 70 career starts). He has intangible leadership qualities like poise and a positive attitude the Saints have raved about. And he appears to be in great shape after shedding weight this offseason.
“I thought he played great,” Brees said after Sunday’s game. “That’s a tough job, especially as elaborate as our game-planning is on offense. To be able to come in and execute that offense is very, very difficult, especially when you’re just kind of coming in midstream. I thought he had great command of the huddle. ... I thought he made some great throws, some really good decisions.”
Just last week, Brees praised Winston’s development behind the scenes, saying he has been most impressed with his work ethic.
“This guy's here early, he stays late, he puts in a ton of time, and he's got the way that he watches film, breaks down film. He spends a ton of extra time after practice receiving additional reps, additional throws, really trying to master the game, master the position and this offense,” Brees said. “I appreciate that a lot about him."
Of course, none of that will guarantee success for Winston -- even against an upcoming schedule that isn’t overly daunting with games against Atlanta (3-6), at Denver (3-6), at Atlanta, and at Philadelphia (3-5-1).
Winston put himself in this “prove it” position because he showed too much inconsistency over five years in Tampa.
He went 28-42 as a starter, completing 61.3% of his passes with 121 touchdowns and 88 interceptions. His 19,737 passing yards were the seventh most in the league over that span, but his 111 turnovers ranked No. 1.
Winston made significant changes in the offseason before arriving in New Orleans -- getting LASIK surgery and changing his diet and exercise routine (he said he was down to 225 pounds from his listed weight of 241). Then he showed mixed results throughout the Saints’ abbreviated training camp, starting off errant before flashing his big arm on some “wow” throws.
Payton also credited Winston for his ability to make plays outside of the pocket or off-balance, saying, “It doesn’t have to be perfect around him.” Winston showed that with a 3-yard scramble to the 49ers’ 1-yard line to set up a touchdown on Sunday.
“He loves football. He loves competing. He's got extremely, extremely good arm talent. And, man, I'm glad he's here," Payton said. "There's something about him. I think he's a very good leader. He's been a good addition for us."
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