Jameis Winston did not pretend Sunday looked pretty. In his first start of the season for the New York Giants, he completed 14 of 22 passes for 118 yards, threw no touchdowns, and still left MetLife Stadium with a 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans.
That result, he said, is how a quarterback should be judged.
"Really, every quarterback is really judged off if they won or lost the game," Winston told reporters. "So, I'm grateful that I get to be judged off of a win, not a loss. And I've had games where I've thrown for 500 yards, right, and the game didn't turn out the way I wanted it to be. And anytime, any day, I would rather win."
The comments came after a week of reports the Giants might add another quarterback following Jaxson Dart's season-ending
knee injury. Asked about those rumors, Winston offered a brief thank you and pointed to the scoreboard.
"I am so happy and grateful that the New York Football Giants won the football game," he said. "Anything else that is outside of me, it is what it is."
He added that putting a W in the column as a Giants starter is what he is proud of.
"So, no matter what they say or what they do, I know it's what's in me, not what's on me. Today, we celebrate a W," Winston added.
12 points will not travel every Sunday. Winston rejected that frame.
"All that mattered was today," he said. "Today is the only day that we have. And today was enough."
John Harbaugh said Winston did what was required and expects him to start next week against Arizona. The Giants are 2-1. The yardage was modest. The win column moved.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Jameis Winston draws distinction between big stats and winning games
