5 keys for Saints to beat the Packers this Sunday

With the New Orleans Saints ready to host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, all eyes will be on quarterback Jameis Winston. 

The Jameis Winston era is all set to get underway for the New Orleans Saints this weekend. Unfortunately for New Orleans, they’re opening up the season against Aaron Rodgers and the mighty Green Bay Packers.

Despite the Packers being favorites to win this one at the Superdome, that doesn’t mean New Orleans doesn’t have a shot. Matter of fact, we could see an upset going down this weekend. With that said, here are five keys for New Orleans to go out and get that done.

5. Let Jameis Winston do his thing

Are Saints fans ready for the Winston experience? If you ask the Tampa Bay faithful, going from Winston to Tom Brady was like trading in a 1988 Honda Accord for a brand new Ferrari. While Winston was taken No. 1 overall by the Bucs, he never lived up to his hype.

And while he was able to throw for a boatload of yards and countless touchdowns while with the organization, Winston struggled with turnovers. His inconsistency was a big reason why the Bucs could never get over the hump with him under center.

Now, though, Winston has been given another chance with the Saints. When Drew Brees retired, there was word that Taysom Hill would win the starting job. This clearly lit a fire under Winston, as he balled out during camp and impressed in preseason action.

As we all know, there’s a big difference between preseason flow and the regular season. The Green Bay secondary will look to try and force Winston into mistakes, while the linemen will be ready to get in his face from start to finish.

However, Sean Payton must trust Winston to showcase his rocket for an arm and get the ball downfield to Marquez Callaway and others. Winston is his starter for a reason: he can light up the field when he’s hot. Only time will tell if Winston can get the job done come Sunday.