The weather forecast for Thursday's game against Pittsburgh suggests Winston may not throw as much in his fourth start since taking over as the starting quarterback, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports. Winston attempted at least 41 passes in his first three starts since taking over for the injured Deshaun Watson (Achilles), and the pass/run mix was 67/33 percent. His 395 passing yards, zero interceptions and 106.7 QB rating over 46 attempts was impressive in the loss to New Orleans last week; however, Thursday's forecast of 20-mph swirling winds and 90-percent chance of precipitation (rain or snow) indicate the quarterback will be handing the ball off more than throwing it.
Unlock the latest Cleveland Browns news — direct to your inbox.
Status
ACTIVELatest Jameis Winston news
Team
Cleveland Browns
Birthdate
1/6/1994 (30)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'4", 230 lbs
Draft Info
2015: Rd 1; Pk (TB)
Birthplace
Bessemer, AL, USA
Position
QB
College
Florida State
Experience
10 seasons
Career History
Cleveland Browns
2024-Present
(1 season)
New Orleans Saints
2020-2024
(4 seasons)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2015-2020
(5 seasons)
-
DraftKings points 15.3FanDuel Points 15.3ATT 31.6CMP 19.8PASS YDS 224.1TD 1.2LNG 37.1CMP% 62.7SACK 3.0SYL 15.7INT 0.7RUSH YDS 7.9CBSS fantasy points 16.2ESPN fantasy points 13.7Yahoo fantasy points 14.4
Pregame Probabilities
Expected to pass >300 YDS31%Passing Touchdowns 3+15% -
Full season projectionsATT 153.0CMP 92.7PASS YDS 805.6TD 4.0LNG 25.0CMP% 60.6SACK 10.0SYL 66.2INT 2.8
The weather forecast for Thursday's game against Pittsburgh suggests Winston may not throw as much in his fourth start since taking over as the starting quarterback, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports. Winston attempted at least 41 passes in his first three starts since taking over for the injured Deshaun Watson (Achilles), and the pass/run mix was 67/33 percent. His 395 passing yards, zero interceptions and 106.7 QB rating over 46 attempts was impressive in the loss to New Orleans last week; however, Thursday's forecast of 20-mph swirling winds and 90-percent chance of precipitation (rain or snow) indicate the quarterback will be handing the ball off more than throwing it.
Winston completed 30 of 46 passes for 395 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 35-14 loss to the Saints. He added eight rushing yards on his only carry. The veteran quarterback put together his best performance since taking over the Browns' starting job, but it went for naught as the Cleveland run defense couldn't figure out how to stop Taysom Hill. Winston found Jerry Jeudy for an 89-yard catch-and-run score late in the first quarter before hitting Elijah Moore for a 30-yard TD in the third, and his 395 yards were his highest single-game total since the 2019 season, when he reached 400 yards on three separate occasions en route to the league passing yards crown. There was some question whether Winston would keep the starting gig after getting picked off three times by the Chargers in Week 9, but there should be no such discussion heading into a Week 12 clash with the Steelers.
Winston will continue starting at quarterback for the Browns, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports. Winston had a rough go of it against the Chargers in Week 9, which left the door open for a potential quarterback change. However, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Monday that Winston will remain Cleveland's primary signal-caller. As such, expect him to be under center when the Browns square off against the Saints -- the team Winston spent the prior four seasons with -- in Week 11.
Winston completed 26 of 46 passes for 235 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions and rushed five times for 27 yards in the Browns' 27-10 loss to the Chargers on Sunday. He also fumbled once but recovered. Winston padded his stats some late and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Cedric Tillman after the game was out of reach, but the overarching theme to his afternoon was constant struggles to find open targets. The Chargers defense was relentless throughout the day, sacking Winston six times and picking him off on three occasions in their own territory, including twice in the red zone. Despite the ragged performance against a talented unit, Winston shouldn't be in any danger of losing his grip on the starting job heading into a Week 11 road matchup against the Saints following a Week 10 bye.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Winston will continue to start at quarterback heading into a Week 9 matchup against the Chargers, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports. Stefanski praised Winston's ability to go through progressions in his first start of the 2024 campaign, an upset 29-24 win over the Ravens on Sunday. Winston completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions versus Baltimore, a statline superior in terms of both yards and TDs to any of the seven starts that Deshaun Watson (Achilles) logged for the Browns prior to going down with a season-ending injury. Winston connected with Cedric Tillman on a pair of touchdowns versus the Ravens, as well as one to tight end David Njoku, with all three of his scores coming on passes of 20-plus yards. Winston's aggressive tendencies and willingness to push the ball downfield will place him on the fantasy radar for the remainder of the season, though he faces a tough matchup against Los Angeles in Week 9.
Winston completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in Sunday's 29-24 win over the Ravens. Winston drew his first start with the Browns and outdueled Lamar Jackson in a back-and-forth contest. He was aided by volume but still managed 8.1 yards per attempt and five completions of at least 20 yards. Additionally, Winston showed rapport with all of his key skill-position players, highlighted by a pair of touchdown passes to Cedric Tillman of 22 and 38 yards as well as another to David Njoku for a 23-yard score. He was bailed out at the end of the game when an interception was dropped by Kyle Hamilton, but Winston's performance was strong overall and lifted the entire Cleveland offense.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Wednesday that Winston will start Sunday's game against the Ravens, Kelsey Russo of the team's official site reports. With Deshaun Watson (Achilles) out for the season and Dorian Thompson-Robinson dealing with a finger injury, Winston is the next signal-caller up for the Browns. Winston took the field for the final drive of this past Sunday's 21-14 loss to the Bengals, despite being inactive heading into the contest as the emergency third quarterback. The Browns have yet to reveal whether Thompson-Robinson -- who is in line to practice in some capacity Wednesday -- will be available as a backup this weekend, but if not, newcomer Bailey Zappe would assume the role. Winston thus represents a fantasy option for those looking to replace Watson or who are otherwise seeking quarterback depth ahead of Week 8. Following last week's trade of Amari Cooper's trade to the Bills, Winston's top pass-catching options are currently tight end David Njoku and wideouts Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman and Elijah Moore.
The Browns plan to start Winston under center in Sunday's game against the Ravens, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports. With Deshaun Watson (Achilles) out for the year, Cleveland is expected to go with Winston as their No. 1 option at quarterback, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson (finger) in a backup role should he be cleared to play. The Florida State product entered last week's 21-14 loss as the emergency third QB and completed five of 11 pass attempts for 67 yards and a touchdown. He will now have a full week of preparation before Sunday's divisional matchup with Baltimore.
Winston entered Sunday's 21-14 loss to the Bengals as the emergency quarterback after Deshaun Watson (Achilles') and Dorian Thompson-Robinson (finger) were removed. Winston completed five of 11 pass attempts for 67 yards and a touchdown. Inactive to start the day, Winston entered late in the fourth quarter and engineered a touchdown drive on the Browns' final possession. Watson's injury is feared to be season-ending, and Thompson-Robinson will be evaluated throughout the practice week leading up to Week 8 against the Ravens. Pending Thompson-Robinson's ability to grip and throw the football, Winston could be the starter next Sunday.