Joe Buck took aim at New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston during Monday Night Football, delivering a blunt comment that quickly became one of the night's talking points
Jameis Winston #19 of the New York Giants looks on against the Los Angeles Rams
Jameis Winston struggled against the Los Angeles Rams(Image: Getty Images)
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Joe Buck delivered a blunt assessment of New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston during Monday Night Football, with the veteran commentator making his feelings clear.
Winston was unexpectedly thrown into action after Jaxson Dart suffered a knee injury during the Giants’ 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. The veteran backup struggled to make an impact, completing 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards and an interception.
Winston missed several throws and struggled under pressure as New York managed just 182 total yards and 11 first downs. The Giants’ offense also stalled after halftime, producing just 30 yards across its first three possessions of the second half as any hopes of a comeback faded. It comes after brutal Jaxon Dart hit forces ESPN to halt coverage and take emergency ad break.
Buck took a shot at Winston during Monday Night Football after the Giants quarterback threw another interception against the Rams. As Winston's struggles continued, Buck predicted the veteran would be picked off again, saying: “Winston is going to be picked… easily.”
Winston’s performance also drew plenty of criticism from fans with many taking to social media to agree with Buck and voice their frustrations. "Joe Buck started saying “picked off” long before the pass was actually picked off. What terrible performance from Winston tonight," said one NFL fan.
Another added: "Then he had to mention 'he does not look comfortable at all' 3 times." While a third person said: "I mean Winston is a-- so he’s right on."
Despite Winston’s struggles, the Giants had little choice but to keep him on the field because their quarterback options were limited. NFL teams can use an emergency third quarterback, but that player must be on the 53-man roster and designated on the Game Day Administration Report before kickoff.
New York has 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener on its practice squad, but he was not elevated to the active roster before Monday night and therefore could not serve as the emergency quarterback.
With only Dart and Winston on the 53-man roster, the Giants had no other quarterback available.
Had Winston also suffered an injury, New York would have been forced to turn to a skill-position player to finish the game under center.
Winston could now be in line to start in Week 3, depending on Dart’s recovery, with the Giants facing a more favourable matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
“We have to execute better,” Winston said. “We are focusing on being in better down-and-distance -- we were in third-and-long a lot, so we have to execute better -- I have to execute better on first and second down.”