As the Green Bay Packers prepare for one of the most chaotic quarterbacks in modern NFL history in Jameis Winston, it presents an opportunity for third-year cornerback Carrington Valentine to make some
splash plays for his defense.
Shortly after firing head coach Brian Daboll, the New York Giants announced that Winston would be starting over an injured Jaxson Dart and ahead of veteran Russell Wilson, who struggled mightily when forced onto the field last week against the Chicago Bears.
This will be Winston’s first playing time of the year after appearing in 12 games for the Cleveland Browns in 2024. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the Jameis experience, it includes a lot of exciting plays and a lot of turnovers.
While Winston finished 2024 with a pair of fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives in 12 games, he also led the NFL with a turnover-worthy play rate of 5.2 percent and was second behind only Anthony Richardson with a 4.1 percent interception rate.
The argument could be made that Winston might be in a better offensive situation this year with the Giants, and therefore could be less inclined to turn the ball over. But that argument is weak at best, going from the 32nd-ranked offense by DVOA last year with Cleveland to the 24th-ranked offense this season with the Giants, with Dart likely being a big reason for that slight uptick in offensive efficiency.
New York is also heading into Sunday banged up. On top of season-ending injuries to Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo, the Giants will be without another key weapon in Darius Slayton.
The lack of offensive firepower will make it difficult for Winston to air it out, and when he does try to force throws, Valentine will be there to make plays on the ball.
After starting the season behind Nate Hobbs on the depth chart, Valetine has made the most of his opportunities in recent weeks, with Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles being his best game of the year. Despite being targeted five times, he allowed just one catch for seven yards.
With the danger of Green Bay’s pass rush, the secondary is getting more and more comfortable breaking downhill on the quick game, and Valentine is getting close to jumping a pass for an interception after recording a pair of INTs in 2024.
With Hobbs out at least one more week, Valentine will have another opportunity to show out and earn more playing time going forward, regardless of who is healthy enough to play. Given Winston’s inability to take care of the football, Sunday could be a real opportunity for Green Bay’s young cornerback to have a breakout game.
