Saints Pressure Cooker: All Eyes on Jameis Winston and Dennis Allen
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From 2006 to 2020, the New Orleans Saints were led by one of the greatest quarterback-head coach combinations in NFL history. Drew Brees and Sean Payton spearheaded one of the most prolific offenses in league history and transformed the Saints into perennial contenders. The duo won nearly 64% of their games together (135 wins), won seven division titles, went to the playoffs nine times, and led the franchise to a victory in Super Bowl XLIV.
Brees retired after the 2020 season, ending a first-ballot Hall of Fame career as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play. Payton surprisingly stepped away less than a year later as the all-time winning coach in franchise history.
Replacing Brees in 2021 was QB Jameis Winston, the first overall selection in the 2015 draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Winston was a productive passer who was plagued by turnovers and inconsistent play for five years in Tampa. After a small sample size of less than seven games last year, he was lost for the season with a knee injury.
Winston was re-signed to a two-year contract this offseason, but he’ll have a new coach on the sidelines. Longtime defensive coordinator Dennis Allen takes over for Payton. This will be Allen's second head coaching opportunity. He was just 8-28 in his first chance, a stint with the Oakland Raiders from 2012 to 2014.
Outside of coach and quarterback, the Saints have a roster capable of competing at a championship level. The team has All-Pro caliber talent at nearly every position on both sides of the ball.
Allen is a highly regarded defensive coordinator with questions about his experience as a head coach. Winston is a wonderful talent, but has yet to show he can be a championship quarterback.
So that begs the question: which man will be under more pressure in taking over for a legend? The Saints News Network team debates that exact topic.
BRENDAN BOYLAN
New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen serves as head coach as Sean Payton has Covid-19 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY
The Quarterback position is put under a microscope more so than any other position in football. In New Orleans, over the past 15 years, the quarterback play has had an extremely high level of expectation thanks to Drew Brees. However, with the torch being passed to Jameis Winston, that quarterback microscope has quickly tightened and every move of the former #1 overall selection will be watched and watched carefully.
With that said, Winston is not the Saint with the most pressure riding on his shoulders in 2022. This Saint is not even a player but a coach, newly appointed Head Coach Dennis Allen.
Despite a fanbase that may hold Winston to Brees-like standards, Allen inherited a team with a tradition of winning and winning with a high-flying offense. The defensive-minded Allen and GM Mickey Loomis did add weapons to a lackluster offense from a year ago but made multiple big splashes on the defensive side in free agency. With those moves to add the likes of Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans has quickly re-entered the conversation of winning the NFC South and returning to the playoffs in 2022.
Allen has been a head coach in the league before but never with the expectations that he faces this season. Though Winston and the offense still have question marks surrounding their efficiency, New Orleans’ season will be dedicated by the play of what some are calling the best defense in football on paper. Thus, putting pressure on Allen to bring the Saints back to the playoffs and fast.
JOHN HENDRIX
New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) throws a pass against the New England Patriots. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The Saints are facing somewhat unfamiliar territory going into the new season as they begin life without Sean Payton. Dennis Allen’s familiarity and comfortability with the organization certainly bodes well for him, and he’ll seemingly field another strong defensive unit going into 2022. Of course, many outsiders cling to the last time he was a head coach with the Raiders, but he’s a completely different person from then.
For me, the pressure is on Jameis Winston.
This team is going to win or lose with him at the helm, and he’s absolutely their guy this season. The good news is that Winston’s contract is set up for him to maximize production, and it could help set him up for one big one after he turns 30.
The Saints have done a good job getting Winston some strong talent to compete, and he’s going to be the reason why they make the playoffs or not. Winston had to have some tough conversations with the organization when they were in on Deshaun Watson, but it only made him better.
This is Jameis Winston’s team, and he doesn’t have a ton of room for error. However, he can deliver big for New Orleans.
KYLE T. MOSLEY
New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) passes downfield against the New York Giants. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY
Let’s get down to reality. If head coach Dennis Allen keeps the Saints winning over six games, he has ZERO pressure. Below six, he may be shown the door.
Jameis is under pressure from the fans, media, and probably himself to a point.
Unless he is consistent, protects the football, and wins over ten games, the Who Dat Nation and Saints organization would give him a reprieve until next season.
Winston is under more pressure than a live bayou frog in a Cajun’s pot of boiling water! It’s either he jumps out with wins, or he’s cooked!
BOB ROSE
New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) looks to pass against the Seattle Seahawks. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
New Orleans ownership and management has developed a culture that includes patience in their coaches. Prior to the arrival of Sean Payton, this was not the case. The continuity established by Payton should continue under Dennis Allen and a staff that saw few changes this offseason.
Allen has perhaps the league's best defense at his disposal, what looks like a much improved offense, and a roster with most of its core under the age of 30. Expectations will be high and there will be some speed bumps, but Allen will have the patience of ownership unless the bottom completely falls out this season.
Make no mistake, Jameis Winston has much more pressure on his shoulders to succeed in 2022.
Winston, who is only 28, is at a crossroads to his career. The talent has never been in question. However, he’ll have to prove that he can continue to avoid turnovers as he did last season while also being a productive passer. After a brief courtship of controversial QB Deshaun Watson this offseason, the Saints put complete faith in Winston.
New Orleans didn't draft a quarterback, despite several opportunities. They greatly bolstered Winston’s receiving corps by using a first-round choice on WR Chris Olave and signing five-time Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry.
The Saints used another first-round pick on OT Trevor Penning to strengthen an already powerful offensive line. With the return of Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara and an elite defense, there are simply no excuses for Winston to not have an outstanding season.
Winston was re-signed to a two-year contract this offseason. However, it's a team-friendly deal that will allow the Saints to pursue another quarterback in 2023 if he plays poorly. If New Orleans narrowly misses the playoffs or bows out with an early postseason exit, and Winston plays erratically, expect the team to move on from Winston while continuing with Allen.
Replacing an icon is a daunting task. NFL history is littered with players and coaches who came up well short in replacing a legend. I believe that both Jameis Winston and Dennis Allen are up to the task. How they each fare in doing so will determine the fate of the 2022 New Orleans Saints.
