Keen-eyed New Orleans Saints fans picked up on something odd about their team’s end-of-game sequence against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. It was Jameis Winston, not Derek Carr, taking a knee on the final two snaps to run out the clock and seal their lopsided 28-6 victory. The second-string offense filled in with Winston at quarterback, Trevor Penning and Landon Young at the tackle spots, and Max Garcia snapping from center.
And what’s the deal with that? Why wasn’t Carr out there? Head coach Dennis Allen was asked about the decision on Monday by Locked On Saints host Ross Jackson.
As Allen tells it, the Saints “Just have Jameis” taking those snaps without a specific reason in mind. As Jackson observed, Winston has kneeled out the clock in Weeks 5 and 13 this season with Carr staying in for Weeks 1, 2, and 8.
Let’s look at those scores. The Saints led by margins of 1, 3, and 11 points in the games Carr led the victory formation. Winston’s number was called when the Saints had leads of 34 and 22 points. So they hadn’t shut the starters down in the games when Carr was still under center late in regulation, which helps explain why he was still in the game and Winston wasn’t. Winston has had the nod once the Saints were comfortably ahead by multiple touchdowns with time on their side.
That isn’t too unusual. Other teams pull their starters in similar situations. But it’s frustrating for Saints fans to see Winston closing out games and not getting opportunities to play when Carr isn’t cutting the mustard; there’s a growing chorus second-guessing Allen’s decision to ride with Carr when the high-priced veteran is struggling to make throws and openly feuding with teammates during games. Those voices won’t go away after an unconvincing win like this, but Allen and the Saints are going to point to the scoreboard to try and deafen them anyway.
