- Jameis Winston once led the league in passing yards, but is now very limited in New Orleans.
- He has -103 odds to have more than 202 yards against the Washington Football Team on Sunday.
- Winston has been limited in terms of usage and Y/A, but his game against the Giants was an outlier in a forgettable season.
NEW ORLEANS - Jameis Winston isn’t that far removed from a season in which he led the NFL in passing yards.
However, it seems he’s become much more restrained in New Orleans under Sean Payton, and that could spell trouble for his new team.
Winston’s NFL props are positively eye-popping in terms of just how low the expectations have gotten for this former passing juggernaut.
Jameis Winston Passing Yards O/U Odds
- 192+ Yards -270
- 202+ Yards -103
- 212+ Yards +106
Winston’s most even odds are found on 202+ yards, which he has -103 odds to eclipse against the Washington Football Team.
It seems as though online gambling markets have fully adjusted to the new Jameis Winston, the one that doesn’t take as many deep shots, and who limits himself for the presumed betterment of the team.
Winston has been deeply limited even in big victories for the Saints, never throwing more than 23 passes in a game this season, and never completing more than 17.
Both of those season highs came against the New York Giants in Week 1 but there seems to be very little variance in how much Jameis is allowed to throw.
He’s had a game with 20 attempts, 21 attempts, 22 attempts, and 23 attempts this season. It appears that Sean Payton does not want Winston to be the new Drew Brees for the team.
It’s not just that Winston doesn’t see a lot of usage for a starting quarterback, it’s also that he’s not been asked to make dangerous throws.
Winston’s yards per attempt have been below eight yards in three of the four games he’s played in this year, with the lone exception being against the Giants.
In terms of overall yardage, the pattern is similar - Winston only went above 200 yards against the Giants, a game in which he had his highest attempts, completions, and Y/A of the season.
Jameis Winston: Avoiding Turnovers?
It’s important to remember that past performance is just that - in the past. His game against the Giants could be indicative of a slightly longer leash, or it could be an outlier in a season of mediocre Y/A on minimal usage.
Winston has managed to avoid his old bugaboo, turnovers, for the most part. His only turnovers came against a dangerous Carolina Panthers defense in Week 2.
Perhaps the lowered usage and lowered ambition of 2021 Jameis Winston is simply the price New Orleans has to pay to keep his game-losing plays under control.
Remember, in the past when Jameis led the league in passing yards, he also led the league in interceptions, with 30.
It certainly seems as though Sean Payton would rather reduce his range and ambition in an attempt to reduce his turnovers as well.
Winston's New Orleans Saints take on the Washington Football Team on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EST on CBS.