Saints' Starting Quarterback Situation Remains in Flux

The New Orleans Saints are searching for answers following a 2-5 start to the regular season, but they won't find them at the quarterback position any time soon. According to Saints analyst Nick Underhill, Jameis Winston has yet to fully recover from back and ankle injuries, potentially putting Andy Dalton in line to start yet again in Week 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

As this week of preparation begins, I’m told that Jameis Winston still isn’t 100% healthy yet. We’ll see how that impacts the team at QB this week.
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) October 26, 2022

Dalton had been building momentum to potentially earn the starting quarterback duties for the rest of the season, but an ugly collapse against the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday Night Football in Week 7 all but guaranteed Winston would get another shot so long as he was healthy. Winston has been logging limited practices for weeks, but he apparently could still benefit from some time to heal.

Before Week 7, Dalton endeared himself to coaches by playing relatively mistake-free football when compared to Winston, but that went out the window with his three interceptions and two pick-sixes against the Cardinals. He has a shot to reestablish his value against the Raiders this week, who have allowed the sixth-most passing yards in the league.

Winston and Dalton's combined struggles have led the Saints to a dead-last ranking in giveaways and a 2-5 record through seven weeks. If the Saints can somehow stabilize their quarterback play, they could still compete for the NFC South; they're efficient running the ball, ranking eighth in rushing yards and sixth in rushing yards per attempt, and their defense has allowed the 14th fewest yards in the league. They're only one game behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers.