But how many games did Drew get to play with Thomas? Taysom got four of them even if Thomas wasn't 100%...

And we were all remarking that Brees wasn't able to air it out to Sanders. Cook only made a catch when defenses weren't respecting Cook, and then he'd fumble...

So really, was the WR position that much better last season?

We've got Stills now, so what's it gonna take to get him acclimated, included in the offensive game plan?

JP -

Would you rather have Thomas, Cook, Sanders & Smith in your arsenal or ...

Hogan, Humphrey, Lil Jordan & Juwan ? Give me last year's group all day.
JW doesn't have much to work with at the moment but I do like the pick up of Stills.

Next year, drafting a WR within the first 2 rounds should be a priority. Hindsight is 20/20 but I never liked the Ruiz pick. Claypool, Brandon Aiyuk & Van Jefferson were available to us. All I see them doing is catching passes and moving the chains.

Keep in mind as well that Winston hasn’t exactly had the same chance to play and learn with the starters on the team as other QBs normally have. Weak armed Drew in his final season had many previous years to work with the coaches, line, backs, and some of the WRs and TEs. Winston had a COVID preseason as a backup last year, then a training camp/pre-season splitting time with Hill taking snaps with the first string players this year. He’s still learning a new system with new players.

Never a JW fan with all the crap in his college and early Tampa days. Most of us certainly have things that we did during that period of our life that do not define us for the rest of our lives thankfully.

I think JW has matured and is a changed person from his earlier years.

His history in Tampa was not great but he never had the coaching he needed to learn the process of being and NFL QB and to effectively use his skill set and arm talent.

Again as I stated earlier, I was not a JW fan but also honest enough to know he was better than Terry Taysom or Drew if Drew choose to return this year.

So I see and hear him being critizised for throwing under a 200 yards a game for 3 games like he can’ throw or is not able to handle reading defenses. Let’s get real for a second, he threw for over 5000 yards in 2019 and had 2 seasons (2015-16) over 4000 yards and 1 season (2017) with 3500 yards. The man can throw the ball, he did throw 30 INT’s in 2019.

He’s not throwing ball more because SP’s game play calling is not asking for to throw more, not because JW can’t throw or carry an offense if needed. Brees in his prime could make just about any skill player with average skill look like an all pro. I venture to guess it’s SP that does not have the confidence level required in our current receivers to ask JW to pass the ball much more than currently being asked. Add an offensive line that is missing now 2 key starters and Ruiz in a position he did really spend any prep time this off-season and JW has not had much of a opportunity to get comfortable in the pocket.

Only a talent on Brees’s level could make the current offensive unit look average to respectable in the passing game. We need bodies and talent back before any legit call on JW an be made.

JW’s INT’s in game 2 did not lose the game the Panthers just kicked our butt on both sides of the ball.

Doesn’t look like Stafford is having much of a problem getting acclimated over in LA. Plenty of veteran Qb’s have stepped right in on a new team and had success. Most without a coach like Payton, a HOF qb, and a year to study the system (COVID or not). The fact Winston has been here as long as he has should be a benefit him, not hinder him. He should know the system by now.
Still think Winston is our best option but I don’t see him as a long term solution.

Do you want to compare the receiving corps of the two teams? Did Stafford have to split camp and preseason reps with another QB? Did Stafford have only two preseason games? Not an apt comparison at all.

Winston had 2 years. Surely that’s enough time to get to know the system. Being here for as long as he has, stepping in for half a game when Brees went down, and working privately with some of his team mates all offseason is just as good as what Stafford got coming into this season. Winston was working with our guys before Stafford even met his team mates or cracked open a play book in LA .

As far as personnel you are right, Stafford has some legit threats but you said Winston was still learning the system. He knows the system and continues to study it as all good players do. His main problem isn’t with the system, or even personnel, it’s still his decision making. If he was being asked to air it out all game and took a couple of those chances so be it, high risk/high reward. That’s not what’s been asked of him so far but it’s still happening.
I get that players aren’t getting open but the answer isn’t to try and force it. The defense was doing its job, don’t make it harder.


Thomas will help but I still don’t see Winston as a guy who can get you back in the game when you are down.

JP -

Would you rather have Thomas, Cook, Sanders & Smith in your arsenal or ...

Hogan, Humphrey, Lil Jordan & Juwan ? Give me last year's group all day.
JW doesn't have much to work with at the moment but I do like the pick up of Stills.

Next year, drafting a WR within the first 2 rounds should be a priority. Hindsight is 20/20 but I never liked the Ruiz pick. Claypool, Brandon Aiyuk & Van Jefferson were available to us. All I see them doing is catching passes and moving the chains.

If Mike returns healthy we should have a three WR set WRx Thomas/Callaway, WRz Harris/Stills, WRs Montgomery/Hogan, that's not too shabby...

Just seems like for Team Winston, there's always another reason 'round the corner to make excuses for Jameis' ineffectiveness this season...

Packers game was an outlier, and now that teams have that film, there's nothing demonstrating a consistent ability to methodically work downfield...

Brees, for all intent and purpose did it with far less; he really didn't have a healthy Thomas at all; could only get Sanders the ball on back shoulder, curls...

Say what you want about Cook, but he disappeared because he's overrated and only made big catches like Tre'Quan - because he was unguarded...

Reality is this, it's still early this season for Winston, we should have a better picture by the BYE, but we have five years of film on Winston's processing inability in the pocket...

Bigger Question - if Sean could take a reconstructed-shouldered Brees, make him the NFL's All-Time Passer, why are the brakes being pumped on a more talented Winston?

But I let the Winston apologists keep making their arguments, but eventually they'll wear out or run out of excuses until he gets it or Payton comes to Arians' conclusion...