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Jameis Winston is working to keep his perspective.

He wants the Saints to win games and tries to do everything he can to support his teammates. He’s there whenever starting quarterback Andy Dalton or anyone else needs him, and if you keep your eyes on No. 2 at practice, you’d never know he lost his job and is dying to get back out there. Winston still laughs easily, runs between drills and always looks and sounds positive.

But he’s dying to get back on the field, right?

“Hell yeah,” Winston said during a conversation with NewOrleans.Football. “That’s simple. I really want to be out there. You want to be competitive. But at the same time. I want to win more. As a team, we win as a team. We lose as a team.”

Dennis Allen and Jameis at practice last week pic.twitter.com/Z28YKE6MJl— NOF (@nofnetwork) December 12, 2022

Winston hasn’t played since Week 3 due to back and foot injuries. He’s been healthy for a few weeks, and he wants to get back on the field so he can show the NFL world what he can do on an extended basis after posting a 6-4 record with a 93.1 quarterback rating as the starter over two seasons. The quarterback believes there’s much more he can do in this offense.

“I can show you better than I can tell you,” Winston said.

The interesting thing about Winston’s situation is that he’s under contract for next season at a $15.6 million cap number. If New Orleans does not view him as its starter, it would be hard to imagine either side would want to continue their partnership. That’s simply too much money for a backup, and Winston wants an opportunity to showcase his talent.

There has to be clarity at some point, and Winston plans to find it.

“I love New Orleans, but this year was what it was,” Winston said. “I can’t predict the future, and I’m probably going to have some talks with them this offseason. But outside of that, I can’t control it right now. All I can control right now is my energy and attitude.

“If I do get an opportunity to be here, man, winning four games and ending on a high note is way better than just throwing in the towel.”

New Podcast: Why do Saints struggle to close out games?📺: https://t.co/iDcFmZordw🎧: https://t.co/BbaiTkUQ3C@HardhideWhiskey | @BadeauxLaw pic.twitter.com/izssYZSkHu— NOF (@nofnetwork) December 21, 2022

GROWING TENDENCY

The Saints have a tendency developing with how they use Tre’Quan Smith. Since Week 10, 62 of his 73 snaps have been running plays. On Sunday against the Falcons, all 18 of his plays were runs. New Orleans must do something to change that tell.

CHANGED UP

One thing that has been fascinating throughout Alvin Kamara’s career is how his snaps as a slot receiver have dipped over time.

• 2017: 16% of his snaps

• 2018: 15%

• 2019: 9%

• 2020: 10%

• 2021: 9%

• 2022: 4%

This season, how New Orleans has moved Kamara around the offensive formations has changed considerably. The running back has just three catches for 23 yards out of the slot this year, including one touchdown.

For his career, Kamara has made 67 catches for 609 yards with three touchdowns when lining up in that position. It is an effective way to get him the ball, and perhaps even on the field if the team has any problems with how he performs in pass protection on third downs, which is a growing concern.

BIG HIT

Losing Cesar Ruiz will be an issue for the Saints.

The guard suffered a Lisfranc injury during the final snap of last week’s win over the Falcons when someone fell on his foot. Ruiz said he immediately knew something was wrong but keeps a positive outlook and plans to attack his rehab.

Losing him will create issues on the offensive line. New Orleans will likely put Calvin Throckmorton at right guard, though Lewis Kidd is also an option. The Saints just got Erik McCoy back from injured reserve, but Andrus Peat is also battling an injury, which could make it difficult on Saturday in Cleveland.

Ruiz turned a corner this year, delivering his best season as a professional player. He only allowed 16 pressures after two rocky years to start his career. Entering the season, it seemed possible the team could be in the market for a new right guard if Ruiz struggled again, but he put a close to that narrative with his strong play.

PRO BOWLERS

Glory to God pic.twitter.com/8WvvoVGXoE— Demario Davis (@demario__davis) December 22, 2022

Demario Davis making the Pro Bowl was long overdue.

Somehow, the Saints star linebacker was named a first-team All-Pro (2019) before he ever got into the Pro Bowl. He's been a second-team All Pro Team member the past two years, but not a Pro Bowler. Doesn’t make sense. But that anomaly got corrected when Davis was named to the team this week. The honor earned him a $500,000 bonus that will count against next year’s salary cap.

He was the only Saints player to get named to the team. It has been a while since things were so sparse for New Orleans, but that’s part of having a losing record.

I heard Tyrann Mathieu, Taysom Hill, Cam Jordan, Adam Prentice and Zach Wood were among those selected as alternates.

HIGH WINDS

Dennis Allen on preparing for the weather in Cleveland: pic.twitter.com/htPlhIPZF6— NOF (@nofnetwork) December 20, 2022

Current forecasts suggest that winds during Saturday’s game in Cleveland will be as high as 46 miles per hour. With temperatures predicted to be below 10 degrees, it stands to reason the elements will significantly impact the game.

This will likely be a week where both teams look to run the ball to win. Going to the air might not make sense when winds are as strong as these. Oddsmakers are currently predicting there will be a total of 32.5 points scored in this game. That's the lowest predicted total since 2008, when oddsmakers predicted 32 points for a game between the 4-11 Browns and the 3-11-1 Bengals in Week 17. The Bengals won 14-0.

New Orleans has had trouble stopping the run this season, so this could be a difficult game, especially since it sounds like Browns star running back Nick Chubb will play through a foot injury.

RISING UP

Fans have been critical of Mathieu this season, but the coaching staff has a different view of the veteran safety. Here was coach Dennis Allen’s take when asked about Mathieu this week:

“I think he’s played well. He’s one of those guys that’s always in the right spots. He’s extremely intelligent. He understands the game; he knows where to be. I honestly can’t think of any mental errors that he’s made, and so he’s been a consistent player for us.”

Allen went on to call him a “steadying force” for the defense.

The strong praise was a bit of a surprise, but it’s also worth noting the whole defense seems to be playing better as of late, and getting some players back in the lineup has helped the secondary settle in a bit. Having Marshon Lattimore back on the field will only help with that process.

Looking to buy someone a gift? Looking to treat yourself? Save 20% on the first payment of a https://t.co/1hOFx6oaCi subscription with the code HOLIDAYS22.https://t.co/SM1UNtQeE2— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) December 22, 2022