Saints’ Jameis Winston — yes, Jameis Winston — throws TD pass on Bears-inspired trick play vs. Buccaneers

“Famous Jameis” is . . . back?

Maybe.

In a game billed as Tom Brady vs. Drew Brees vs. Father Time, it was a much younger Saints quarterback who notched New Orleans’ first touchdown pass of Sunday’s NFC divisional round playoff game: Jameis Winston tossed a 56-yarder to Tre’Quan Smith for a go-ahead score midway through the second quarter.

And if the play looks familiar, it was essentially the same design from last week’s Saints vs. Bears wild-card matchup, when Chicago’s Javon Wims let a Mitchell Trubisky dime fall right through his hands.

Winston appeared in just four games for the Saints this season, attempting just 11 passes and not throwing a touchdown, so the 56-yarder was likely a very cathartic experience for the 2015 No. 1 overall pick. And he threw it against the team that let him walk in favor of Brady, no less. 

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Winston was passed over for Taysom Hill while Brees was out with busted ribs in 2020, but he’s active for the Saints’ playoff game vs. the Bucs while Hill is out with an injury. The touchdown put the Saints up 13-10.

A season after then-Buccaneers starter Winston became the first player in NFL history to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a season, he throws a massive touchdown with a trip to the NFC championship game on the line.

What a difference a year makes.