Jameis Winston led the Cleveland Browns to wins over the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers this season. Now he will be watching from the bench, as the team is making a change at quarterback. With three games remaining, the Browns are expected to start Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
A 2023 fifth-round pick, Thompson-Robinson started three games as a rookie, his only win coming against the Steelers. He has played in four games this season, having yet to start. His most extensive action came in the game in which Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending injury. This past week, he played the final 14 snaps after the Browns benched Watson.
For the third time this season, Jameis Winston threw three interceptions in the Browns’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. It was also the first start in which he failed to produce a touchdown. The former first-overall pick is 181-for-296 on the season for 2,121 yards with 13 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
As always, many pundits jumped the gun insisting that the Browns have to bring Jameis Winston back next season. Not just to bring him back but to make him their starter, because they can’t start Deshaun Watson again. While staring Watson is a terrible solution, turning to Winston is little better, if at all.
“We know that a big part of winning and losing in football is taking care of the ball”, HC Kevin Stefanski said, via the Browns’ website, when addressing whether Winston would continue to start. “We also know that you have to play a style of football that gives yourself a chance to make yards. So, there are times that you’re aggressive, there’s times that you’re not based on what the situation is”.
Over his last three starts, Jameis Winston threw six touchdowns to seven interceptions. In a 41-32 loss to the Denver Broncos, he threw for 497 yards and four touchdowns. But he also threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. After the game, he went viral for saying he would pray to God to spare him from more pick-sixes.
While Winston did not throw any pick-sixes in the following two games, he did throw five more picks. And God couldn’t spare him from the bench, as he will presumably watch Dorian Thompson-Robinson for the remainder of the Browns’ season.
Notably, in the game in which Watson went down, the Browns actually dressed Thompson-Robinson over Winston as the backup quarterback. Winston started the next game as well as every game subsequent, but he is out of chances now.
The Steelers already eliminated the Browns from playoff contention weeks ago, so they have nothing left to play for. While Jameis Winston makes big-time throws, he also makes crucial mistakes that keep them from winning.
In addition to his 12 interceptions, Winston also has five fumbles. The good simply doesn’t outweigh the bad. And now at 30 years old, it’s unlikely another team will give him a chance to start. Even the Browns didn’t, despite Watson being awful. And they aren’t going with Dorian Thompson-Robinson because he’s some diamond in the rough.
