As the team prepares for a Week 8 showdown against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen shared that the team will be sticking with quarterback Andy Dalton, not Jameis Winston, as the starter, according to Mike Triplett of New Orleans Football.
The Saints entered the 2022 NFL season with Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback. Though, after sustaining multiple back fractures and an ankle injury earlier this year, the team moved to Dalton. In Winston's absence, the Saints' offense has been performing well. According to Stathead, the Saints rank second in total offensive yards (1669) and eighth in passing yards (1010) with fourteen total touchdowns since Dalton became the starter in Week 4.
The former long-time Bengals signal-caller will reportedly remain the starter as long as the team's success continues. Allen calls the move an “offensive decision” despite Winston returning to total health. For now, it seems Dalton has security, but exactly how long of a proverbial leash he has will be a storyline to follow in the coming weeks. Allen did stipulate the caveat that Dalton will be under center as long as his performance is up. Hence, the pressure is squarely on his shoulders to maintain the job.
Dalton certainly has his work cut out for him, too. Through seven games, the Saints are cellar dwellers in the NFC South with a record of 2-5 in their first season following the retirement of their Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean Payton. So the question is, how far can the jumpstart Dalton-led offense go?
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