Jameis Winston the next Peyton Manning? ESPN ‘First Take’ debate goes off the rails
By Adam Spencer
Published:
It’s not often that Max Kellerman can be considered a “voice of reason” on ESPN’s “First Take,” but that’s exactly what happened on Tuesday’s show.
With Stephen A. Smith not hosting the show this week, Harry Douglas has stepped in. And, after Jameis Winston turned in a solid performance for the New Orleans Saints on Monday night in a preseason victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Douglas delivered an all-time weird take.
As you can see below, Douglas defends his comparison of Winston to Manning — a Hall-of-Fame quarterback:
If you're wondering what First Take is like without SAS, it includes an is Jameis Winston going to blossom like Peyton Manning debate. pic.twitter.com/BkStMOMcXY
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 24, 2021
“We should never have doubted him in the first place,” Douglas says at the beginning of that segment.
“You should never compare him to Peyton Manning,” Kellerman replies.
“How do you know?” Douglas asks. “How do you know what Jameis Winston is gonna be down the line? You didn’t know Peyton Manning was gonna be that after he started so terribly, especially with 28 interceptions in his first season.”
“I’m confident Jameis will never be Peyton Manning, but time will tell,” Kellerman then says.
“I’m not saying he’s going to be Peyton Manning, I’m just comparing numbers,” Douglas says. “It’s not how you start, Max, it’s about how you finish.”
Yes, Peyton Manning threw a record 28 interceptions as a rookie, but Winston’s interception problems have lingered beyond his rookie season. Can he turn things around? Perhaps, but comparing him to an all-time great like Manning might be a bit much.
The full debate between Kellerman and Douglas can be seen below:
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
