Few injuries can impact an NFL team’s fortunes as badly as a hit at quarterback, the main conduit of the offense. And that’s exactly what the New Orleans Saints are experiencing after Drew Brees was diagnosed with rib and lung injuries on Monday.
But it’s they’ve been here before. Brees missed five games last season after tearing a ligament in his throwing hand, putting Teddy Bridgewater in the driver’s seat. The team rallied around its backup quarterback to win all five of his starts, keeping them in the thick of the playoffs race.
That’s the hope again this year. While Saints coach Sean Payton is taking his time naming his next starter, it’s likely going to be Jameis Winston, who filled in after Brees’ injury on Sunday and signed with the Saints to explicitly mimic Bridgewater’s success.
A seasoned veteran with 70 starts behind him, Winston likely presents New Orleans its best chance at winning games during Brees’ absence. Here’s our updated scores prediction for the seven remaining games, assuming Winston starts the next two or three weeks: