With so many things at stake over the weekend in the NFL, including division crowns, playoff positions, roster bonuses and coaching jobs, an unimportant play at the end of the Saints’ blowout victory over the Falcons somehow made it to mainstream sports talk programming.
Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu intercepted a pass and was taking it to the house in a play that should have ended the game. Instead, he mistakenly eased up on the throttle and the Falcons tackled him on the two-yard line.
“I think I got caught in the matrix,” joked Mathieu with reporters after the game.
While his teammates were giving him flack on the sidelines, Jameis Winston and the Saints lined up in victory formation to take a knee, end the game and head home for the season.
But then Winston handed the ball off to Jamaal Williams, who scored with no time left. Some players cheered while others were incensed.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen wasn’t happy and neither was now-former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, who cursed out an apologetic Allen after the game.
As it turns out, Winston called an audible as he wanted to get Williams a TD. Last season, Williams had 17 TDs to lead the league but this year he was stuck on 0. So Winston, with the agreement of other players in the huddle, decided to give Williams a gift to end his otherwise disappointing season.
It was an unselfish moment that affected nothing but Williams’ stat line, yet some in the media raged over Winston’t decision.
On First Take, Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe went off on Winston and said if it were them, they would have cut him immediately.
"I would cut Jameis Winston today."@ShannonSharpe reacts to the Saints scoring a touchdown at the end of the game vs. the Falcons. pic.twitter.com/efZt6Ezmmp
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 8, 2024
“This makes Dennis Allen look like he’s lost control of that locker room,” raged Sharpe. “But I’ll say this. I would cut Jameis Winston today. I would not want him on my team.
“That’s a loser’s mentality,” stated Sharpe.
He went on to say that Allen should probably have to go and continued to rail on Jameis while Stephen A. readily agreed with Sharpe’s take.
All that over a TD that affected nothing?
Was Jameis wrong for going against his coach’s wishes? Yes.
And if you want to criticize Jameis for going into victory formation and running it, ok cool.
But to say that Allen lost the locker room and Jameis should be cut immediately is ridiculous.
It’s important to note that Jameis didn’t benefit personally from the play. He did it for a teammate. It’s also important to note that his teammates agreed with the sentiment, including running back Alvin Kamara who posted his support after the game.
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