Jameis v. Drew (1st start as a Saint)
I dont remember any pitch counts or concerns about his arm by then. He had played in 3 preseason games.
He threw for 353 yards on 41 pass attempts in the very next game against the Packers. Plus he had Deuce, Bush, Colston, Joe Horn, and Devery on that offense that 1st year.
That was the game that Drew won me over, not because of the stats, but because of the way he fought. Brees had a rough start, losing two fumbles and throwing a pick, and we were in a double digit deficit on the road. In previous seasons, that would probably be it, but Brees just kept scrapping and scrapping, and next thing you know we were winning running away.
I had been pretty leery about passing on the top rookie quarterbacks in favor of Brees (too short, damaged, only so-so in San Diego), but after the way he brought the team back and willed them to victory -- I had never seen a Saints quarterback impose his will on the team that way -- I was sold.
I'm hoping it's the same with Jameis. I haven't been too high on his long term prospects, but if he can deliver a signature win, where not everything goes perfect like it did Sunday, but where he has to fight back against some adversity and will the team to a win, then I think you'll see a lot more people jumping on his bandwagon.
I hope he can do it -- it would be a coup for the Saints to get him for nothing and then turn around and see him realize his potential.