After Jaxson Dart went down with a sprained MCL, the Giants needed Jameis Winston to steady things. Instead, New York got a rough night and a harsh public critique.
The Giants fell 28-6 to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night, and Winston did little to help once he was pressed into action. He finished 11-of-27 for 111 yards with an interception at SoFi Stadium, and the Giants never managed a touchdown drive with him at quarterback.
That performance drew fire Tuesday on ESPN’s “Get Up,” where Steve Smith Sr. unloaded on the veteran backup. Smith said, “Jameis looked like he did not study, and he was not prepared,” and he pointed to Seattle Seahawks backup Drew Lock and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz as examples of players who were able to be serviceable after injuries forced them into action.
Smith also referenced Winston’s summer, when he spent time creating World Cup content for Fox, before turning to the game itself. For Smith, the issue was not just a lack of reps with the first team.
Jeff Saturday, speaking during the same segment, noted that first-year Giants head coach John Harbaugh spent spring workouts and the summer making sure Dart was comfortable in what is a new offense for the second-year pro. Even so, Smith said that explanation did not excuse Winston’s play.
“You are used as a measuring stick, a thermometer of the offense to the starting quarterback,” Smith continued about backup quarterbacks during the segment. “So you cannot tell me just because you weren't part of the game plan, you should not be able to execute the game plan. That is unacceptable.”
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The latest debate, though, came from fans running with the joke a little too far and treating the branding like it meant Adams literally had a Taco Bell in his home. He does not, of course, and the confusion has only added another layer to a story that already had Rams supporters paying attention, especially with Adams also drawing notice for his praise of Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie in a recent interview. [Read more 🡒]