Quarterback play has been a bit underwhelming this season in the NFL. As the most important position in sports, the spotlight always shines the brightest on quarterbacks. The league MVP award has gone to the position for a decade straight now. The fifteen highest-paid players in the sport are all quarterbacks. The position is clearly valued highly, but it has failed to live up to its standards this season.
Patrick Mahomes, while still elite, is on pace for a career-worst season statistically. Jalen Hurts has not been nearly as dominant on offense as a season ago. Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, and Matthew Stafford have all battled inconsistency, and that’s before getting into injury. Joe Burrow’s quad, Justin Fields and Kyler Murray missing substantial time, and the season-ending setbacks for Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, Anthony Richardson, and Daniel Jones have diluted the position even further. This has led to an NFL record ten rookies starting at quarterback, including two undrafted ones. Journeymen like Joshua Dobbs, PJ Walker, and Gardner Minshew have seen substantial playtime this season as well, leading to extreme unpredictability from the sport’s most scrutinized position. While all of the above has led to disappointing results, there is one player who can change the narrative. He showed exactly how with his play this weekend.
Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston is the cure to the league’s current ailment. He might not put up elite performances every week, but nothing will ever stop him from trying, and in this case, it really is the thought that counts. Stepping in for an injured Derek Carr, Famous Jameis helped turn a blowout into a photo finish.
THE ROOKIE A.T. PERRY ON THE DOT FROM JAMEIS.
— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2023
📺: #NOvsMIN on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/kECSNGbyLL pic.twitter.com/fivPmao94Q
Is there anybody else in the league who would attempt this throw, let alone complete it? Patrick Mahomes, maybe? This is the exciting, fun, and daring play fans so desperately crave. No quarterbacks coach would ever approve of this throw, but Winston plays by his own rules. How can anyone not respect this kind of brash self-confidence? The above touchdown might not even be the best example from this season.
Gene Deckerhoff calls Jameis Winston's only pass of the game, intercepted by Dee Delaney pic.twitter.com/JvGvlYDI6h
— Bucs Rays Bolts (@BucsRaysBoltsYT) October 1, 2023
Derek Carr was benched at the end of a week four blowout. Winston immediately comes in and heaves it downfield on his first (and last) snap of the game. Most quarterbacks certainly would have played it safe there, but Winston isn’t like most quarterbacks. One play, one Hail Mary.
Jameis Winston to Chris Olave for the insane TD grab 🤯pic.twitter.com/AUXIH0NqEc
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) November 12, 2023
Fantasy owners also rejoiced on Sunday. Winston led Chris Olave to his best fantasy output of the season, including this impressive touchdown toss. Nobody is tricking themselves into thinking Winston is an elite, MVP-caliber player, but he sure plays like he is one. That’s precisely why the league needs him. In a season where explosive plays are down, Winston would be a much-needed remedy. His 2019 season alone perfectly represents his playstyle; a league-leading 626 attempts (39 a game) for 5109 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions. His weekly game log from that season is something of beauty, one that fans of reckless abandon on the field would marvel at.
Winston getting a chance to start is not that far-fetched either. He has already appeared in four games this season, with three appearances being due to injury or ineffectiveness from Derek Carr. The Saints have also been quite mediocre this season, currently sitting at 5-5. Their offense is 12th in yards per game and 18th in points per game, despite half of their games taking place in a domed environment, which theoretically should be conducive to more offense. Carr has fought through injuries and currently is tending to a sore throwing shoulder. It is highly unlikely the Saints bench a guy whom they gave 150 million dollars last spring, but it is more likely than it was a few weeks ago.
It also is fair to question why the Saints even gave Carr his mega-deal. New Orleans was confident enough to start Winston in week one of the prior two seasons before injuries shelved him in both campaigns. He was off to a strong start in 2021, leading the Saints to a 5-2 record behind a 14-3 touchdown to interception ratio, and a passer rating of 102.8. It would be hard to argue he is flat-out better than Carr but to say Carr is 26 million dollars better may be a stretch.
Until his next opportunity, Winston will stay in his role as one of the most fun backups in the NFL. Fans around the league should continue to patiently wait for the day Jameis Winston gets to eat another W on the field. At the very least, he will keep things interesting.
Random: #Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston is 4-12 since doing the weird “eat a W" thingy.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 10, 2019
pic.twitter.com/j1JQGG16X5
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