Saints pull together after Winston injury
NEW ORLEANS >> When Saints quarterback Jameis Winston could no longer walk on his own, his New Orleans teammates rose up in dramatic fashion to knock off Tom Brady and the defending champs.
P.J. Williams intercepted a Brady pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown with 1:24 left, helping New Orleans seal an eventful but potentially costly 36-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Winston injured his left knee during a scramble early in the second quarter when pulled down from behind by former LSU star Devin White, who was flagged for a horse collar tackle.
“I think it’s significant,” said coach Sean Payton, adding that he cried when he saw Winston in the locker room. “He felt something and is on crutches right now . ... When he got up and then had to go back down, you were a little concerned.”
Backup Trevor Siemian took over for Winston and completed 16 of 29 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown without a turnover, leading the Saints on five scoring drives that produced two touchdowns and three field goals.
Payton said he had confidence in Siemian, who’d started for Denver in 2016 and 2017. Payton added his play calling for the duration of the game had more to do with how Tampa Bay was defending than the fact that his backup QB was under center.
“He’s an experienced player,” Payton said.
Siemian, who last took a meaningful snap in Week 2 of the 2019 season with the New York Jets, said he’d “kind of lost a little bit a sense of how fun it is.”
“There’s a joy to this game,” Siemian said. “There’s nothing better than to see your teammates make plays and you’re moving the ball and it’s the best.”
Winston’s first start against the team that drafted him first overall in 2015, and then let him go in 2020 when they had a chance to sign Brady, was a subplot of this NFC South clash.
And Winston looked determined to do whatever it took to win, passing for 56 yards and a 14-yard touchdown to Tre’Quan Smith, and scrambling for 40 yards before his injury. Payton gave Winston a game ball, and teammates lamented his injury.
“It was hard, man, because he worked so hard this offseason,” said Williams, Winston’s friend since they were teammates at Florida State. “It’s tough for me, it’s tough for the team and and I know it’s tough for him. I told him at halftime we were going to go out there and win for him.”
Brady passed for four TDs, but also turned the ball over three times on a pair of interceptions and a fumble, which the Saints converted into 16 points.
The Bucs nearly overcame their mistakes. They wiped out a 16-point secondhalf deficit and took a lead with 5:44 to go when receiver and former LSU track athlete Cyril Grayson was left uncovered and Brady found him for a 50-yard touchdown.
New Orleans responded by driving for a field goal and a 29-27 lead with 1:41 left, leaving Brady that much time plus a timeout to get in field goal range. Instead, the Saints’ defense came up big.
“I just threw it to the wrong guy,” Brady said of his late interception. “I had Mike (Evans) open. It cost us the game.”