The New Orleans Saints are heading into a completely new era of football this season following the retirement of superstar quarterback Drew Brees. It has been a long time since the team had a new full-time starting quarterback. Now, it is up to Jameis Winston to try and step in as the new starter in New Orleans and keep the Saints in Super Bowl contention.
Winston’s track record certainly does not show a clear picture of what the Saints should expect. He has shown signs of being one of the top arms in the NFL, but his turnovers have been a massive problem.
Back in 2019 as the starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Winston put up huge numbers both bad and good. He completed 60.7 percent of his pass attempts for 5,109 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions. Those numbers show both the good and the bad of what Winston brings to the field.
At 27 years old, this is a perfect opportunity for Jameis Winston to prove that he still belongs as a starter. He had a year to sit behind and learn from one of the best quarterbacks to play the game. Perhaps that is what he needed to figure things out long-term.
All of that being said, let’s dive in and take a look at three super early predictions for Winston with the Saints in 2021.
3. He Keeps The Saints In Serious Contention
The main concern is whether or not the Saints will be able to stick around at the top of the NFC. While they may not be viewed as “Super Bowl contenders” right off the bat in 2021, there is no question that they will be a playoff contender.
Winston may not be as good as Brees, but he still has a big arm. He will be able to do enough to keep the Saints in serious contention. They are still going to be a consistent winning football team, which will help calm the fans down after losing Brees.
2. Winston Racks Up 4,300 Yards, 32 Touchdowns
Granted, being able to put up the same kind of production that Winston had in 2019 with the Buccaneers is not a reasonable prediction. However, he will still have a strong year for the Saints. He will end up recording at least 4,300 passing yards to go along with 32 touchdowns through the air.
New Orleans is still going to have one of the highest-powered offenses in the NFL. Jameis Winston is the kind of player that actually could take the offense to a new level, especially due to his ability to launch the ball down the field. From a yards and touchdowns perspective, Winston is going to have a very successful 2021 campaign.
1. The Interception Total Does Not Exceed 15
We are not going to be crazy and predict that Winston takes care of the football at an elite level. But, we are going to predict that he cuts down on his turnovers aggressively.
Jameis Winston is not going to have another season where he throws 30 interceptions. In fact, we are going to predict that he does not even throw 20 interceptions. He will end up throwing no more than 15 interceptions on the season.
That number would be a major positive for the Saints. With the offensive production that we have predicted for Winston, coupled with his lower interception number, he will prove that he can be a long-term option for the Saints.
