The New Orleans Saints could not end their 2023-24 NFL season without a little controversy. They were accused of running up the score against the Atlanta Falcons during a 48-17 win. The main culprit of this seems to be QB Jameis Winston. However, teammate Jimmy Graham fired back on this.
New Orleans Saints Run Up the Score
The Saints were leading the Falcons comfortably by a score of 41-17. Late in the fourth quarter, New Orleans came up with an interception that put the ball on the Falcons’ 1-yard line. They had an opportunity to simply line up in victory formation and run out the clock. However, some players had other plans.
At this point in the game, QB Jameis Winston entered the game. He was with RB Jamaal Williams out on the field. This is notable because Williams had not scored a touchdown the entire season. Because of this, Winston overruled head coach Dennis Allen and decided to give Williams an opportunity to score a touchdown.
Backlash
This move was met with a lot of backlash. Before Falcons head coach Arthur Smith got fired, he took the time to curse out Saints head coach Dennis Allen for running up the score. Allen later said that he did not approve of the move that Winston pulled. As a result, it left some fans criticizing Winston for the move.
Jimmy Graham Defends Jameis Winston
The next day, Jimmy Graham spoke out about the backlash that Winston has received for that move. Graham posted a tweet defending Winston for his actions. The tweet said:
“Get off @Jaboowins back. This man is the best teammate I’ve ever had. Loves this city, this game and embodies everything you can ask for in a leader. Was a rare situation and we all take responsibility. Nobody thought it would get blown out of proportion. Also f*ck the falcons”
It is pretty clear that there is no love lost between Graham and the Falcons. It does not help that this is Graham’s second stint playing for their direct rival. Graham took the league by storm in his first stint with the New Orleans Saints from 2010-2014.
He played for three other teams after that. Then, after not being on an active roster in 2022, Graham returned to where it all started in 2023. Now, he is hoping that he and Winston both get to stay on this team for the 2024 season.
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