Jameis Winston will start for the Cleveland Browns against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, squaring off against his former team.
We all know that, on Sunday, Jameis Winston will be returning to New Orleans to play against the team who used to employ him. Now starting for the Cleveland Browns since Deshaun Watson is out for the season, this will be Winston’s first game against the New Orleans Saints since he left the team in free agency this offseason.
However, it won’t be Winston’s first game against the Saints. Prior to coming to New Orleans, the veteran quarterback played the Saints twice a year as the quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That means both Jameis Winston and the Saints are familiar with each other as opponents, so it's worth looking at how he's fared against the New Orleans throughout his NFL career.
Jameis Winston history vs. Saints
Winston, in his career, is 3-6 against the Saints with 11 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and 2,010 passing yards. He hasn't fared well against the team, as he's only beaten the Saints once in New Orleans, and that was in Week 2 of his rookie year.
While Winston should come into New Orleans with a better approach, seeing how he was a quarterback on the Saints for the past four years, history shows that New Orleans had his number, and very well should still have it.
Darren Rizzi was asked about facing Winston this week to which he responded "It will be a challenge to game plan against him, but it's his fired up demeanor that we're looking forward to the most." Jameis Winston was a fan favorite during his time in New Orleans, and should be greeted with a round of applause, despite being on the opposing sideline this week.
Winston, during his time in New Orleans, completed 59.9 percent of his passes, compiled 2,367 passing yards, and tossed 20 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. This will be Winston's first time in New Orleans as a member of a team that's not in the NFC South.
