It's difficult enough to perform at your best when you're 100 percent healthy. But it's an entirely different discussion when you're playing with four fractures in your back, and an even more shocking thing to consider when you're playing a sport that's one of the most physically demanding ones out there. But such is the life of New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston, who's making no such excuses after a less than ideal performance in a 20-10 loss against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
During the postgame press conference, Jameis Winston, who threw three interceptions in the aforementioned loss, is taking full responsibility for his performance even if he was surely hampered by the four fractures in his back.
“[My back] feels like my back. […] Everyone in the locker room was playing with some type of banged up or something. […] My main thing is focusing on execution. I didn’t execute,” Winston said. “Like two weeks in a row where we were [around] 4 for 13 on third downs, and that’s on me. It’s just this time I turned over the football.”
Winston had an impressive seven-game stint with the Saints last season before he tore his ACL in November of last year, throwing 14 touchdowns against only 3 interceptions, which he matched in just one unfortunate outing this season. It might be good sign to see Winston's mindset remain this way even if he's struggling through physical ailments that prevents him from performing at his peak, but still, the 28-year old quarterback should cut himself some slack playing through such a severe injury.
After the game against the Buccaneers, Saints coach Dennis Allen stated that he thought that Winston was not really bothered by his back injuries, but this remains a situation the Saints should be monitoring closely, especially after the long injury layoff Winston went through just this past season. Adjustments should be made on Allen's end, but Winston said that he knows he can still play better despite his back issues.
[…] Like I said, what’s important is offensively I have to do a better job of executing third downs, and I can’t give them the football. […] So we’re going to get back to the drawing board and I’m going to protect the football. That’s the big thing,” Winston added.
Jameis Winston will look to prove that his injury problems are (figuratively) behind him as the Saints take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 3.
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