Saints' Jameis Winston 'very comfortable' taking over for injured Drew Brees

Jameis Winston made his first appearance for the Saints during Week 10, relieving Drew Brees in a 38-3 blowout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Week 11 marked the first time he entered a game for New Orleans with the contest very much winnable for either team. 

Winston came in to start the second half after Brees injured his ribs, making it impossible for him to continue playing. The Saints punted twice in the third quarter, but Winston led the team on a scoring drive early in the fourth to finish off a 27-13 win over the San Francisco 49ers. 

The 26-year-old completed 6-of-10 passes for 63 yards and didn't turn the ball over. After the game, Winston revealed he wasn't nervous taking over Brees. 

“I was very comfortable,” Winston said, according to Amie Just of NOLA.com. “I was excited that I had a marvelous opportunity. I knew that my main job was to go and do what Drew would do — protect the football and try to lead us down there and score.”

Winston very well could be running the offense during next week's game against the Atlanta Falcons, as Brees is undergoing more tests to determine the extent of his injury.

While he was comfortable on Sunday, he may not feel the same against Matt Ryan and the Falcons, who have won their last two games. 

Still, the Saints have been in this position before. When Brees went down last season, Teddy Bridgewater stepped in and did the job perfectly, going 5-0 with 1,384 yards and nine touchdowns against just two interceptions. Those five games helped Bridgewater secure his starting role with the Carolina Panthers. 

If Brees misses time, New Orleans will be hoping Winston can replicate the success that Bridgewater found last season. Though, the QB himself will want to stand out in hopes of earning himself another shot to be a starter in the NFL.