Still no final verdict on Winston

by Gary Shelton on October 27, 2021

in general

Good? Bad? Sometimes, Winston is both./STEVEN MUNCIE

Wednesday, 4 a.m.

He has been terrific. He threw five touchdown passes is an upset of Green Bay. He threw four in a victory over Washington.

And he has been lousy. He had a dismal 26.2 rating in a loss to Carolina. He somehow lost to the New York Giants.

Amd the New Orleans Saints, like the Bucs before them, are still trying to figure out just what they have in quarterback Jameis Winston.









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He is a live grenade, Winston can hurt the opposing team, and he can hurt his own. He has a million-dollar arm, and at times, he has two cents worth of decision making. In a lot of ways, he's still the guy who threw 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in his last year in Tampa Bay.

He was a tease while he was here, a player who could inspire and infuriate. He was Jeckyll. He was Hyde. He was Touchdown. He was turnover. In hindsight, whatever you think of him, good or bad, you were correct.

And now, Winston awaits the Bucs.

And what will they get?

Give the New Orleans Saints credit for this much. They seem to be doing a splendid job of limiting how much they depend on Winston. They are last in the NFL in pass attempts per game -- preferring to rely on running back Alvin Kamara and a solid defense.

For the most part, Winston has taken care of the ball. He has 13 touchdown passes to just three interceptions. His 102.4 rating is 10 points higher than in any previous season.

So here's the question: Can Winston beat the Bucs Sunday? Certainly he can. He has a big-enough arm, and he's home, and he's playing for a good coach in Sean Payton.

But here's the other question. Can Winston beat the Saints? Of course he can. He is capable of a huge misplay, and a wild throw, and a sideline tantrum.

And that's the Winston we all remember. He's a coin-flip. He's boom. He's bust. He's part-sharpshooter, part scattergun.

One or the other.

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