QB Jameis Winston on filling in for J.J. McCarthy: ‘Go out there and do your best’

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

What were you thinking, Jameis, when JJ got hurt?

SPEAKER_2 (0:03)

What was going through your mind at that moment?

Jameis Winston (0:08)

The first thing, I was like, I hope he's okay. The second thing, it was time to play.

SPEAKER_1 (0:17)

You look like you were ready for that moment.

Jameis Winston (0:20)

Oh, absolutely.

Precious for the unprepared. Grateful that our team was playing well, and we ended up having a good drive.

SPEAKER_1 (0:29)

How did you escape on that, I think, 10-yard run?

SPEAKER_4 (0:34)

How did you do that?

Jameis Winston (0:35)

Good protection and good Lord allowed me to find the lane and get outside.

SPEAKER_4 (0:42)

And how about that pass to Mooney, I think it was?

Jameis Winston (0:44)

The 27 or 28-yarder.

SPEAKER_4 (0:46)

Talk about that play.

Jameis Winston (0:47)

Outside leverage by the nuclear defender.

He had a lot of grass, so I threw at the grass. He made a good cut to separate. It was a good play call by Coach Nax.

SPEAKER_1 (0:59)

Did you allow me to stay in?

Jameis Winston (1:02)

I do whatever is required for the team. And I think that's the beautiful thing about a football team.

Whatever our coach wants us to do, we have to be willing and able to do our very best.

SPEAKER_5 (1:16)

JJ., I guess I'm tired of you coming in, so I apologize if you're already tired. You've been through everything in your career. Is there some satisfaction in, like, you lost the job or whatever a couple weeks ago and you come back in and show again, like, hey, I'm always here to rescue my team?

Jameis Winston (1:31)

Yeah, the gratitude is when you get the opportunity to play, no matter what role you have, it's go out there and do your best. And I'm just happy that we were able to get some going. My teammates had my back.

And it's a football team, all 53 of us, we lined up and we got each other back. So I'm so grateful to be a part of this team.

SPEAKER_2 (1:51)

Jameis, this wasn't the first time this team lost its starting quarterback in game and then was asked to respond. Week two things didn't go so well.

Is it because this team is much more prepared as a team that you guys were able to do what you did today? Do we have to lose to you, JJ.?

Jameis Winston (2:09)

I think the circumstances are the circumstances, but today we found a way. And when you're in a division game like this, finding a way to get the win and go out there and execute is the most important thing.

SPEAKER_5 (2:22)

You've been around for a long time. When a team exercises demons like this one, obviously you haven't been part of all 13, so the Giants have lost 13 in a row here. When a team exercises demons like that, is there some psychological advantage to that moving forward? Like, you've got that monkey off your back, so to speak.

Jameis Winston (2:39)

Yeah, like, I'm so focused on, like, the present. What happened 13 years leading up to this is really none of my business, you know. But what's happened now is today is the New York Football Giants. You have to say that they won in Lincoln Financial Field today.

So I'm happy for Coach Harbaugh. I'm happy for ownership, you know, if they viewed it that way. But the most important thing was we did what we wanted to do, but we still have room for improvement. And we still have to play these guys again.

SPEAKER_1 (3:11)

Jameis, thinking of the present, what is it about this team? What is it about the quality of this team that allows you to find a way to win as a I think it starts from the top.

Jameis Winston (3:21)

You know, we see our owner, you know, being resilient, our owners being resilient, persistent and expect a lot from us. And it travels to the head coach who is pushing us to be our best, challenge us to be our very best, challenging us to be tough and respond to moments like this and then it just triggers on down to us. You know, we have a bunch of, you know, men in that room that are willing to persevere. You saw that today when things weren't going our way, you know, in the middle of the second quarter, right? But we responded because we stood together, we had each other back, we found a way.

SPEAKER_1 (3:56)

Do you appreciate the challenge of being ready and having to be ready like you did today to come off the bench?