Saints head coach Dennis Allen said that the plan is for quarterback Jameis Winston to practice on Thursday after sitting out of Wednesday’s session and downplayed the possibility of Winston missing Sunday’s game in London against the Vikings because of the back injury he suffered in Week One.
Winston confirmed that he has no thought of sitting out to heal up. He told reporters that he is “preparing to play” and that he’s “absolutely” confident that he’s the best option at quarterback despite not being totally healthy. Winston said he spent the day working on ways to be as close to 100 percent as he can get.
“Getting off my feet, being here working, doing rehab, just focusing on the things I need to work on so I can be a better me on Thursday,” Winston said, via Luke Johnson of NOLA.com. “I’m rehabbing my hip flexors, my ankles, my back, my entire body. It’s a holistic process. I’m doing everything possible to be the best I can be.”
Winston closed the Week One comeback win over the Falcons with a flourish, but he’s been less effective the last two weeks. He is 50-of-81 for 589 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions as the Saints have slumped to back-to-back defeats.
Injured or not, the turnovers will have to come down if the Saints are going to continue to believe that Winston gives them the best chance to win on a weekly basis.