"He's a really good quarterback" - Bill Belichick raves about Jameis Winston
The New England Patriots bounced back in Week 2 action with a lopsided win over the New York Jets and now they'll face Jameis Winston and company.
The Patriots head into Week 3 facing the New Orleans Saints, who are hoping to put a frustrating loss to the Carolina Panthers behind them. Head coach Bill Belichick is tasked with game planning against Winston.
Bill Belichick singing the praises of Jameis Winston today. Wonder if he'll do this next week when talking about the opponent's quarterback #Patriots @NBC10Boston https://t.co/1R7saKesmS
Bill Belichick knows he's got a challenge ahead against Jameis Winston
Ahead of Sunday’s matchup, Belichick spoke highly of the Saints quarterback.
“He’s a really good quarterback,” Belichick said Wednesday, via Ryan Hannable of WEEI. “He threw for 5,000 yards in Tampa, so it’s not like this guy hasn’t been productive. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s accurate. He’s got good touch on the ball. The offense that he ran in Tampa was a lot different than the offense he’s running in New Orleans. But fundamentally this is a big strong guy who can throw the ball accurately. He’s very good down the field. He’s a tough guy to tackle. He’s strong in the pocket. He can make every throw on the field. He’s pretty good.”
Although Winston has struggled to find consistency throughout his NFL career, he’s shown flashes that he can produce at a high level. He demonstrated that in the Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers as he threw five touchdown passes but struggled against the Panthers, throwing for 111 yards and two interceptions.
Belichick is well aware of the type of quarterback he’s set to face as Winston can go in either direction. He was complimentary of the former first overall pick, likely due to wanting to avoid giving him bulletin board material ahead of the matchup.
The Saints will need Winston to perform at a high level to move past the Patriots on the road. New England has struggled to garner a consistent pass rush, but the defense is coming off a stellar performance against the Jets.
Fewest Passing Yards through Week 2 (played 2 full games)
1. Jameis Winston- 259
2. Aaron Rodgers- 388
3. Josh Allen- 449
4. Trevor Lawrence- 450
5. Jalen Hurts- 454
The Patriots sacked rookie Zach Wilson four times and forced four interceptions. Winston has proven throughout his NFL career that he’s prone to making mistakes as he’s thrown 90 interceptions to his 126 touchdown passes.
At the same time, Belichick is aware that the 27-year-old can make plays with his legs as a runner when necessary.
“If you’ve seen him run with the ball, I don’t know why you’d want him to run with the ball in space,” Belichick said. “I don’t think that’s a good idea at all. He’s hard to tackle. He’s fast. Runs over people. I don’t think you want him running wild in your secondary.”
Winston will need to be a game-changing factor if New Orleans hopes to capture a much-needed road win.
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