Sunday’s game won’t be the first time that Jameis Winston has faced the Buccaneers since he joined the Saints.
Winston completed a pass for 12 yards against the Bucs in the regular season last year and he threw a 56-yard touchdown against them in the playoffs, but he didn’t start either of those games for New Orleans. Winston will be starting this weekend and that made facing the team that took him first overall in 2015 a popular topic at his Thursday press conference.
Winston said that “too much emotion can lead us to a place where we don’t want to go” when asked about his calm approach to facing his former team and that he sees the game as “a division opponent that we need to beat” rather than a chance for revenge.
“Sure I’m playing against the old squad, but I love this game,” Winston said. “I’m trying to go out there and beat everybody we play, not matter who it is. You talk about growth, I’ve learned in this league, it’s about winning games. Anyway I can do that, win games, I’m up for that and yes this is an opponent where I’ve been there and done that with this team, but I want to win football games and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the next opponent and that’s who we need to beat. It’s good for us that I get to beat an opponent that I played for, but we need to win, that’s it.”
The Saints beat the Bucs twice in the regular season last year, but lost to them at home in the playoffs. A win this Sunday would make it likelier that they make it back for another crack at a postseason win.
