Jameis Winston doesn't regret his Saints players' decision to go wild late in Sunday's blowout win over the Falcons.
The backup quarterback said he ignored the play that called for a knee kick and instead gave the touchdown to Jamal Williams.
The delayed touchdown, with the Saints leading 41-17 at this point, infuriated Falcons coach Arthur Smith, who confronted New Orleans head coach Dennis Allen after the game.
Allen himself was not happy with the decision, telling reporters that his players changed the play-calling.
“I felt sorry for the prosecutor because that play was a win, but I also explained to him that it was a team decision,” Winston said. “I asked the players, ‘What do you want to do?’ We know how much Jamal means to this team. I told them that, and the DA wouldn't tolerate it at all.
“But we decided to do it as a team.”
Allen agreed that Smith “should” have been upset by the touchdown with just over a minute left in the game and called the decision “unacceptable.”
Winston, who was in the game in place of starter Derek Carr, said the decision was made on the field after an interception brought the Saints to the 1-yard line.
The Saints lined up as if to take a knee to end the game, but instead they gave the ball to Williams, who scored his only touchdown of the season.
“The score was already 41-17, so I don't know how bad it could get, but I had a lot of respect for Arthur Smith and his coach,” Winston said. “I didn’t want to disrespect you. [Smith]. That wasn't my intention. My intention was to lead a team that I've been with all year, and we made a collective decision that we wanted one of our guys in the end zone, the guys we fight with every game with our blood, sweat and tears. You'll feel better about that. ”
Winston said this is something that “should” be quickly forgotten, but the Falcons and Saints meet twice a year and could be fodder for message boards in Atlanta.
Neither team will be in the postseason, so both sides will have plenty of time to think about how Sunday's final game of the season will end.
