New Orleans Saints

Andy Dalton's third straight start with the New Orleans Saints may not be his last.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Dalton could play his way into the full-time starting job if he plays well in Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jameis Winston will miss his third straight start with a back injury but is expected to be available as the Saints' emergency quarterback.

Dalton has thrown for 423 yards and two touchdowns against one interception in a pair of solid-but-unspectacular performances in Winston's stead. The Saints offense will be without Chris Olave, Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry against the Bengals, putting the onus on Dalton to find a way to work despite a shaky supporting cast.

Taysom Hill will likely continue getting significant work in his do-everything role—start him in your TE slot in fantasy if you can—while Alvin Kamara looked stellar last week in his return from a rib injury.

Winston opened the season with a strong performance in a comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons but struggled in his next two starts amid the back issues. He threw for 858 yards and four touchdowns against five interceptions over his three starts.

The Saints signed Winston to a two-year, $28 million contract in March but could move on from him this offseason if they're willing to take an $11.2 million cap hit.

Von Miller is keeping fans updated on Odell Beckham Jr.'s process as the star wide receiver gets closer to returning to the field after tearing his ACL during the Los Angeles Rams' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56.

Appearing on Richard Sherman's podcast, the Buffalo Bills outside linebacker said he has stayed in touch with Beckham and he is "going on tour" with visits to the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Miller, who played with Beckham on the Rams last season, told Sherman (starts at 13:30 mark) he can see the three-time Pro Bowler picking a new team in November or December and that he will "soak in all the love" from interested suitors before deciding where to play.

During an appearance on ESPN Radio's Keyshawn, JWill & Max show last month, Adam Schefter said he doesn't anticipate Beckham playing this season until Thanksgiving.

Assuming Beckham is medically cleared to play around that time, he will have a strong understanding of which teams are true playoff contenders. Clubs looking for a spark at wide receiver will almost certainly be interested in adding him.

The Bills and Rams have long been regarded as potential landing spots for Beckham. NFL Network's Jim Trotter reported last month that Los Angeles still has his name plate on a locker at SoFi Stadium.

That the Saints are potentially getting a visit isn't a total surprise. Beckham was born in Louisiana, graduated high school from Isidore Newman School in New Orleans and played college football at LSU.

It could be difficult for the Saints to appeal to Beckham on a football level. They have lost three of their first four games and have questions at quarterback with Jameis Winston recovering from four fractures in his back that sidelined him against Minnesota last week.

The Buccaneers have been trying to piece together a roster with veteran players for the past two years to maximize the time left with Tom Brady under center. Cole Beasley retired Wednesday, two weeks after signing with Tampa Bay. Julio Jones has already missed two games because of injuries. Chris Godwin missed two games with a hamstring injury after returning this season from a torn ACL.

Mike Evans is the only one of Tampa's top five pass-catchers by yardage who is averaging at least 10 yards per catch.

If the Bucs are going to challenge for a Super Bowl in the NFC, potentially adding a dynamic playmaker like Beckham could be a key piece for them down the stretch.

The New York Giants connection comes after Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported Monday that Beckham was visiting the Giants. However, Jeff Howe of The Athletic later clarified that Beckham was visiting players, not the team itself.

Beckham, of course, started his career with the Giants, spending five years in the Big Apple after being selected 12th in the 2014 NFL draft.

The 29-year-old was at his best for the Rams last season in the playoffs. He had 288 yards and two touchdowns on 21 receptions in four postseason games before injuring his knee in the second quarter of Los Angeles' 23-20 win over Cincinnati. He opened the scoring in the Super Bowl with a first-quarter touchdown.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston will not play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings in London because of back and ankle injuries, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Winston had been listed as doubtful before officially getting ruled out, paving the way for veteran Andy Dalton to get the start.

Winston missed 10 games last year after suffering a torn ACL and MCL damage in Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Still, New Orleans signed him to a two-year, $28 million contract extension in March to keep him as the team's starter, and he recovered in time to start the season opener.

Through three games this season, the Florida State product has struggled. He's thrown for 858 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 63.5 percent of his passes, giving him a 79.5 quarterback rating. He has been sacked 11 times, which obviously hasn't been good for his back injury.

The 2015 No. 1 pick is a reliable starter when healthy. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season and led the NFL in passing yards in 2019. He has also had a propensity for turnovers throughout his career, but he hasn't given up the ball as much with the Saints.

While Winston is out, the Saints will turn to Dalton.

The 34-year-old was selected to three Pro Bowls during his run with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Taysom Hill, who moved to tight end permanently to start the season, will revert to the team's backup until Winston returns.

Former USC and NFL running back Reggie Bush said on the latest edition of I Am Athlete that ex-New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton said "f--k you" to Bush's then-agent, Joel Segal, who requested that the team pass over his client in the 2006 NFL draft.

Bush's remarks about the situation start at 25:25:

News broke the night before the draft that the Houston Texans had decided to take North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams at No. 1 overall. The Saints held the No. 2 pick, the Tennessee Titans were at No. 3, and the New York Jets had No. 4.

Bush took the audience behind the scenes of what went down next, noting concerns about the New Orleans franchise's situation:

"At that time, the Saints don't have a home stadium [because of Hurricane Katrina].

"It just went through all the destruction, and it was like, that's probably not the best situation to go into. And my agent was like, 'We want to go to New York.'

"Third pick. Big city. Marketing. ... You're gonna make a lot more money. So I was kind of sold an idea. Like, 'All right, let's do it.'

"So my agent called Sean Payton and was like: 'Don't draft us. We not coming. Don't draft us, all right?'

"And Sean's like, just verbatim: 'F--k you. I'm drafting Reggie Bush.' And hung the phone up. Swear to God, hung the phone up."

Bush was quickly swayed that New Orleans was a good option. Quarterback Drew Brees, who had signed with the Saints after a stint with the San Diego Chargers, called Bush and told him that he had a chance to be as good or better than his ex-teammate LaDainian Tomlinson and that he couldn't wait to play with the ex-USC star.

"Right there on the spot, that just changed everything," Bush said. "The way I felt about the place I was going. Just in that time period, it felt good to be wanted."

Bush said he was thankful he went to New Orleans. Shortly after the draft, he visited the Ninth Ward. He said it "completely shifted my purpose" and referenced the opening stages of an investigation that in 2010 led to his voluntary forfeiture of the 2005 Heisman Trophy.

"I gotta leave this college stuff behind me. I gotta leave this Heisman stuff behind me because these people need me right now," Bush said. "... And I didn't realize as much as they needed me, I needed them."

Bush also said he has a great relationship with Payton, who is now his colleague at Fox, where both work as football analysts.

Brees, Bush and Payton also delivered the Saints' first Super Bowl title in February 2010 with a 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The New Orleans Saints are going into Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings in London, England, with a banged-up offense.

Head coach Dennis Allen announced on Friday that Michael Thomas won't play because of a toe injury. He also noted Jameis Winston is doubtful, but the team will wait until as long as possible before deciding if Andy Dalton will start at quarterback.

Thomas injured his toe in New Orleans' Week 3 loss to the Carolina Panthers. He didn't practice with the team on Wednesday and Thursday.

Winston hasn't participated in practice due to back and ankle injuries.

Once arguably the premier receiver in all of football, Thomas has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons. Ankle issues limited him to just seven games over the last two seasons and led to some tension between the Saints and their three-time Pro Bowler.

Thomas spent much of training camp and the preseason on the shelf because of a hamstring injury, but he was available for the Saints' Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons. He's compiled 16 receptions for 171 yards and three touchdowns through the first three games of the season.

Rookie first-rounder Chris Olave will see an increased target share with Thomas out of the lineup, while fellow receiver Jarvis Landry, tight end Juwan Johnson and running back Alvin Kamara could also see an uptick in usage.

Winston has been playing with four fractures in his back suffered during the Saints' Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The 28-year-old has thrown for 589 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions in the past two games.

The Saints have lost back-to-back games since opening the season with a 27-26 win against Atlanta.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston reportedly isn't practicing ahead of the team's game against the Minnesota Vikings in London on Sunday.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Winston was not spotted at Wednesday's practice session.

Winston is dealing with a back injury, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano reported Wednesday that the veteran signal-caller is "determined" to play through the injury despite the fact that he is experiencing pain while doing "basic tasks," such as getting in and out of a car.

Winston's health became a focal point of the early season for the Saints when Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported he took the field in a Week 2 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with four fractures in his back and was "playing in a lot of pain."

The Florida State product was also limited to just seven games in 2021 because of a torn ACL.

When healthy, Winston's resume includes a 2015 Pro Bowl selection and a 2019 campaign that saw him lead the league with 5,109 passing yards but also 30 interceptions. He has completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 858 yards, four touchdowns and a league-high five picks in three games in 2022 while posting a 1-2 record.

If Winston has to miss this week's game against Minnesota or any future games, veteran Andy Dalton is primed to step in.

While Dalton is past his prime that includes three Pro Bowl selections, he is a solid veteran option who can keep the team afloat until the starter is ready to return.

The New Orleans Saints are off to a disappointing 1-2 start and scored just 14 points in Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers after managing 10 in a Week 2 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but head coach Dennis Allen told reporters he doesn't plan on benching quarterback Jameis Winston for Andy Dalton.

"I think everybody, when you get in these situations, is kind of looking for a place to place blame," Allen said. "There's enough mistakes to go around, I don't really want to go there. I feel confident with Jameis. Certainly, we all need to do better and that's what we're going to do."

It should be noted that Winston is playing at less than 100 percent.

According to the Fox broadcast of Sunday's game (h/t Katherine Terrell of ESPN), the Florida State product is playing with a "transverse fracture" in his back. He said it is causing pain when he applies weight to his back foot, which surely impacts his ability to plant and fire downfield.

He went 25-of-41 for 353 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against the Panthers and now has four touchdown passes to five picks through three games.

It has certainly been less than ideal for Winston, who returned to the Saints on a two-year deal this offseason after going 5-2 as a starter in 2021 prior to tearing his ACL. Winston's return combined with the return of a healthy Michael Thomas created reason for optimism in New Orleans, but some of that has faded after the slow start.

Thomas left Sunday's contest, and his potential absence could put more pressure on rookie wide receiver Chris Olave as the Saints look to rediscover their form.

While Allen made it clear rediscovering that form won't come by benching Winston, the team could do much worse than Dalton in terms of a backup quarterback. The former Cincinnati Bengals signal-caller is a three-time Pro Bowler and 77-69-2 in his career as a starter.

The 34-year-old is likely past his prime and had eight touchdown passes to nine interceptions in eight games for the Chicago Bears last season, so the Saints likely wouldn't be getting the version of Dalton who led the Bengals to the playoffs multiple times if they made the switch.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints 20-10 on Sunday in a heated matchup that saw both Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore ejected for their roles in a benches-clearing brawl.

After the game, Evans addressed his ongoing rivalry with Lattimore.

"Super competitive. Today, he was just too emotional," Evans told reporters. "You don't throw punches at guys on the field. He threw a punch at Lenny, and I can't let that happen to my teammates. So I shoved him … turned into a brawl."

Evans added: "We're in New Orleans. It gets spicy sometimes. Got a little heated in the scuffle. I'm glad nobody got hurt and glad our team responded after it."

Entering Sunday's game, the Buccaneers had lost their last seven regular-season games against the divisional-rival Saints, so it was sure to be a heated contest.

After Lattimore tackled Buccaneers wide receiver Scotty Miller on an incomplete pass down the sideline in the fourth quarter, he got into an altercation with Tom Brady and Leonard Fournette.

Fournette and Lattimore began shoving each other, and that's when Evans came in and body-checked the Saints cornerback to the ground. They were both ejected from the game, and it's possible they'll face fines as a result of the incident.

Evans and Lattimore have a lengthy history.

In 2017, Lattimore's rookie season, Evans similarly blindsided the cornerback when Saints quarterback Jameis Winston was still a member of the Buccaneers:

Evans was selected seventh overall in the 2014 NFL draft out of Texas A&M. He has earned four Pro Bowl selections and posted eight straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons to begin his career.

Lattimore, selected 11th overall in the 2017 NFL draft out of Ohio State, is a four-time Pro Bowler and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017. He put together one of the best seasons of his career in 2021, posting three interceptions, 19 pass breakups, one fumble recovery and 68 tackles in 16 games.

Evans is under contract with the Bucs through the 2023 season, and Lattimore is signed with the Saints through the 2026 campaign. There's reason to believe the bad blood between these two players won't subside anytime soon.

The Buccaneers and Saints don't meet again until Dec. 5 on Monday Night Football.

A new chapter in the Mike Evans-Marshon Lattimore rivalry was written during Sunday's Tampa Bay Buccaneers-New Orleans Saints Week 2 matchup.

After Lattimore smothered Buccaneers wide receiver Scotty Miller on an incomplete pass down the sideline in the fourth quarter, the Saints cornerback got into it with Tom Brady and Leonard Fournette.

Then, after Fournette and Lattimore began shoving one another, Evans ran into the scrum and body-checked Lattimore to the ground on a cheap shot that led to a benches-clearing brawl and both players being ejected.

This latest altercation between Evans and Lattimore produced some good memes and jokes from NFL fans on Twitter:

Evans also dropped Lattimore with a cheap shot during a game in 2017 when Saints quarterback Jameis Winston was still a member of the Buccaneers:

Evans caught three passes for 61 yards, and Lattimore posted two tackles before their ejections.

The Buccaneers and Saints don't meet again until Dec. 5 for a Monday Night Football matchup that should be one of the best of the 2022 campaign.