Brees Out, Winston In, Saints Optimistic

Five fractured ribs and one collapsed lung. Drew Brees is out and Jameis Winston is in. After suffering part of his injuries the week prior against the Buccaneers, Brees left the game against the 49ers Sunday. The injury includes breathing problems due to the collapsed lung.

The Saints do not count themselves out though. Winston came in and finished the game, leading the Saints to a 27-13 victory. Here is the general attitude regarding the team’s current situation.

Time of Return?

Brees is not expected to return for at least two to three weeks, if not longer. An injury such as this needs to fully heal to reduce the risk of further damage, especially considering the state of his lung.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen believes that Brees will miss a significant amount of time, saying that his discomfort on the sidelines was obvious.

 

The fact that Brees took himself out of the game goes to show his understanding of the seriousness of his injury. He knows it will take time to heal but he is optimistic to return as soon as possible. Brees took to social media in good spirits on Monday.

Who Dat Nation: I’ve got the best medical team in the world…will be back in no time! https://t.co/epSWbtQow0

— Drew Brees (@drewbrees) November 17, 2020

As for when he will return, Mortensen says he thinks three or four weeks.

 

The important thing here will be security. With an injury like this, the medical team will want to be absolutely sure Brees is 100% before he can make his return.

Winston Stepping In

In the meantime, expect the Saints to continue with Winston under center in Brees’s absence. Head coach Sean Payton addressed Winston’s performance Monday, praising the former Buccaneer.

 

Coach Payton seems to be confident in Winston’s ability to run the offense. While quarterback/tight end Taysom Hill is another option for signal-caller, ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes they will stick with Winston.

 

With Hill’s versatility, Schefter expects the Saints to continue to utilize him in other ways as they have so far. He believes they value Hill as more of a playmaker that can play multiple positions.

https://twitter.com/ComplexSports/status/1325623551693647872

History Repeating Itself

Remember last year? A man by the name of Teddy Bridgewater stepped in for an injured Brees. Through five games the Saints had five wins. Now history repeats itself and Winston has a massive opportunity to prove himself.

With Drew Brees out last year, Teddy Bridgewater resurrected his career. With the possiblity of Brees missing time this year, could Jameis Winston follow suit? It looks like he’ll have his opportunity.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 16, 2020

Winston received much criticism in his final season in Tampa. Buccaneers fans were happy to see him leave and happy to watch Tom Brady walk in. Now Winston picks up the pen, or football rather, to write another chapter. If he ate Ws three years ago, who is to say he will not again.

https://twitter.com/NFLonFOX/status/1325655353619591168

The Saints certainly hope so and are optimistic moving forward. They are at the top of the division right now. If Winston can keep them there, it might just be the best run of his career.

Despite losing their leader, the Saints believe they are still in this fight. With Winston at the helm and Hill making plays, the battle is just beginning and the Saints are still swinging.