SEATTLE — Sorry if you were hoping to form a definitive opinion on quarterback Jameis Winston and the 2021 version of the New Orleans Saints by now.
But in some ways, their 3-2 start before the Week 6 bye felt more like a typical preseason.
The Saints have been missing eight significant starters for most of the season, many of whom could be back in the lineup Monday night at the Seattle Seahawks (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).
And the offense has been fairly vanilla, for a number of reasons, with New Orleans ranking last in the NFL in pass attempts (24.0 per game).
Part of that is because coach Sean Payton has relied on known commodities like running back Alvin Kamara and a stellar defense to plow through a tough stretch, instead of Winston and a depleted passing attack that has been without injured receivers Michael Thomas and Tre’Quan Smith.
And part of that is just an unusual sample size of games that were lopsided in both directions. The Saints didn’t need to throw the ball much in convincing wins over the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots — and they could barely get a pass off in a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers.
“The main thing is to focus on finding a way to win,” said Winston, who has made the most of his role as a supporting cast member with 12 touchdown passes and three interceptions for an overall passer rating of 108.1, fifth in the NFL entering Week 7.
“The stats and big plays, they’ll come as we get healthier and more of an identity with this offense. I know I can throw for 500 yards and eight touchdowns, but I want to get that W in the win column. We’ve been…
Source : espn
