Jameis Winston shakes off rust in Saints win

Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, pre-season games are all about giving guys reps, getting your second and third team into the game, and working on the basics. They are an extension of practice. Having said that, however, it is a hopeful moment for the Saints faithful to see Jameis Winston’s performance against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The beleaguered quarterback has been recuperating from a right foot sprain suffered in practice and has missed the first two pre-season games. Fans have waited on pins and needles to see what would happen when he came back, and perhaps can now breathe a little easier. Winston led the team on a single drive, the first series of the game, going 4 for 4 for 59 yards, capping it with a Mark Ingram rushing touchdown to open the scoring.

Winston’s work was short, but efficient, showing promise for the season as he shook off the rust. Since the departure of the legendary Drew Brees, the quarterback slot has been a source of anguish for all in the black-and-gold nation. Leaving huge boots to fill, no quarterback has been so talented or dominating as Brees was, the captain of all he surveyed. With the loss of coach Sean Payton as well, there was a sense of the Saints being rudderless for the first time in over a decade.

Under Dennis Allen, the Saints plumped for Winston and although he showed some shine in his first appearances, his season ended with an ACL tear in week 8. The Saints would go through three more quarterbacks in the season, Trevor Siemian, Ian Book, and Taysom Hill, opening the questions up for the 2022 season to even wilder speculation.

With Siemian’s move to Chicago and Hill’s signing as a full-time tight end, it seemed that coach Allen had planted his flag directly in the Jameis Winston camp, making things all the more concerning when Winston sprained his foot early in summer camp. With his performance against the Chargers, though, it may give a ray of hope that all is going to turn out ok in the end.

“I wanted to get Jameis out there in some game action,” said coach Allen. “It’s been a while since he’s been in that environment and obviously didn’t get those practice reps against Green Bay. Jarvis Landry is a new player to our system, so it was good to kind of get him out and have a few plays in the Dome.”

Completing passes of 20 yards and 15 yards to Landry, plus a 19-yard pass to rookie first-round pick Chris Olave, Winston looked confident and decisive in the pocket. Coach Allen was impressed with his performance, saying that it was good to see Winston rifling the ball in and making good reads.

Since tearing his ACL in the Superdome last Halloween, Winston has not been back on the turf there, but he says that he is thankful for the chance.

“I just kept telling the Lord, ‘Thank you, thank you,’ for allowing me this opportunity to be back on the field in front of these fans in the same place I was carried off.”

As thankful as the former Heisman Trophy winner is to be back, the New Orleans Saints, both organization and faithful fans, are glad to see him back. Long may it continue.