"Don't think they are going to be great" - NFL analyst weighs in on odds of a Jameis Winston-less Saints making the playoffs
The New Orleans Saints face an uphill battle without winston/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback. Currently second in the NFC South, just one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Saints' season is up in the air.
With Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill the other options at quarterback, it is hard to see the Saints making a deep playoff run. But that doesn't mean they can't.
Bucs and Saints players show love to Jameis Winston after his injury.
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Saints don't have to be good to make the playoffs says Brandt
Speaking on Good Morning Football, Kyle Brandt gave his thoughts on the situation and stated that while the Saints are without Winston, they may not have to play really well to secure a playoff spot as other teams around them are faltering too.
"It's not even about the Saints really," Brandt said. "It's about the Panthers and the 49ers and the Vikings. I don't think that Saints are going to be great, I don't know if they have to be, whose going to go get them?
"I don't have a ton of faith in the Sam Darnold Panthers or the Kirk Cousins Vikings, I think I have more in the Taysom Hill Saints or the somebody off the street Saints.
"I am less bullish on Trevor Siemian but I dont' care, I don't see other teams going to get them. It is a tough hand they have been dealt but again, any of those teams scare you right now? Not really," Brandt finished.
"I don't think the Saints are going to be great.. I don't know if they have to be."
@KyleBrandt thinks the bar may be low for how well New Orleans NEEDS to play. https://t.co/dDCsDx7meg
It is hard to argue with Brandt's comments, as the Panthers, the 49ers and the Vikings have all shown their flaws this season, and they are bad.
Carolina started with a three-game winning streak before losing four in a row, the 49ers with Jimmy Garoppolo are an unknown and Kirk Cousins and the Vikings just lost to the Dallas Cowboys with a backup quarterback.
For the Saints, Sean Payton will likely lean heavily on his defense to keep teams under 20 points. This will limit the pressure on either Taysom Hill or Trevor Siemian to get involved in shootouts.
The Saints do face the Bills, the Cowboys and the Buccaneers in their schedule, so one would expect them to have to try and keep pace with those high-powered offenses.
Brandt said the Saints will not be great, but when put against other teams fighting for a wildcard spot, they may not have to be.