Saints QB Jameis Winston ruled out vs. Vikings; Andy Dalton to start
As has been suspected all week, New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston has been ruled out for the team's game against the Minnesota Vikings in London on Sunday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Winston has been dealing with back and ankle injuries.
Winston was not a participant in practice throughout the week, with backup quarterback Andy Dalton taking snaps with the first-team offense.
Per Pro Football Focus, the Saints opened the week as 2.5-point underdogs when Winston was still expected to start. Despite his availability being in doubt the past few days — and Dalton looking more and more like the team's starter — the line only shifted by a point in the Vikings' favor, according to Caesars Sportsbook, showing oddsmakers don't consider the drop-off in quality between quarterbacks to be too severe.
Dalton played in the Saints' preseason opener against the Houston Texans before sitting the final two games. Against the Texans, Dalton engineered a touchdown drive in his one series. He went 5-of-5 for 51 yards and a touchdown.
During the past two seasons, with the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears, he has a record of 7-8 with 22 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. He spent his first nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, compiling a record of 70-61-2 and throwing for 204 touchdowns and 118 interceptions.
Sunday will mark his first start as a New Orleans Saint. Dalton will be the team's fifth starting quarterback since Drew Brees retired following the 2020 season.
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