After giving his Cleveland Browns an improbable shot in the arm in Week 7 following injuries to Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Jameis Winston got his first start in two years against the Baltimore Ravens in of week 8.
A tough draw for the former Florida State product? You bet, but that didn’t stop him from posting impressive numbers in Week 8, throwing for 334 yards and three touchdowns in a surprising Ravens 29-24 run while making Cleveland fans are excited about the future.
When asked how it felt to finally return to the starting lineup with a team on his back, Winston celebrated the opportunity, noting that he had been “hungry» to show what he can do for years now.
“It was a blessing, man. I’m so, like I said, I’m so happy and grateful that God gave me this opportunity to lead this team, man. I was hungry for this opportunity. But the way the guys welcomed me,” Winston told reporters. “And again, the way that when you can have a meeting with your head coach and he’s certain of what he wants to do, it instills confidence in you and then that confidence exuberates throughout the whole building and you’re able to implement that in every situation, every conversation that you have with the men that you fight with and I think that resonates a lot with the people who run this organization.
In an unlikely quarterback duel with serious implications for the AFC North, the Browns were able to take care of business against the Ravens thanks in large part to Winston, and his legend will only continue to grow if he can keep up his efforts to move forward. Could another team pursue Winston as a full-time QB? Maybe, but who’s to say that team won’t be the Browns, who certainly don’t want another Joe Flacco situation on their resume?
Jameis Winston wants to motivate the Browns as new QB1
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After making headlines for his locker room speeches and general motivational approach to the quarterback position, which was odd when he wasn’t starting, Winston told reporters he planned to continue being a vocal leader for the Browns, especially now that he’s the one under center.
“Well, I think you have a certain level of responsibility when you’re willing to speak your heart out to the team. Like the guys know, like they know you’re in the battle with them. And when they know you’re in a battle with them, good or bad, they’re going to fight for you, man,” Winston said. “And I’m so grateful that our offensive line set the tone, our defensive line set the tone. And you know, in the NFL, that’s how you win games. When your offensive line dominates the line of scrimmage and your defensive line dominates the line of scrimmage, you win football games every time.
With Winston now starting for the Browns, he will be more responsible than almost any other player on the team when it comes to wins and losses. Fortunately, Winston has been preparing like he’s the starter since joining the Browns, so it’s clear that this moment isn’t too big for the 30-year-old former and future starter.
