​Sep 21, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (19) is tackled by Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young (0) during the third quarter at SoFi Stadium. © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesTiming is everything in sports media, and on Monday night, Ian O’Connor learned that lesson the hard way.The veteran NFL writer took to X during the Giants’ game against the Rams to defend Jameis Winston and praise New York’s depth at quarterback.O’Connor wrote that Winston was one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league, adding that losing Jaxson Dart to injury wouldn’t send the Giants into total collapse. Then Winston actually took the field, and fans had a field day with O’Connor’s take.Ian O’Connor’s Jameis Winston Take Backfires in a HurryWinston completed just 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception. He missed open targets and routinely left throws short that looked well within his range.The Giants lost 28-6, and O’Connor’s confident prediction quickly became a punchline.Giants fans didn’t waste any time piling on. “NY Giants Zone” co-host Steve, “The Banker,” wrote, “This did not age well. Sighhh,” sharing O’Connor’s original post for his followers to see.One fan mocked the tone of the post, calling it a “State run media type tweet,” a jab aimed at the idea that O’Connor was carrying water for the team rather than calling it as he saw it.Comedian and impression artist Josh Rosen jumped into the conversation as well. “WRONG. The drop-off is a total plunge,” he wrote, directly contradicting O’Connor’s take just hours after it was posted.PREDICT THE NFL SEASON:PFN’s Free NFL Playoff PredictorThe criticism kept coming. One fan wrote, “A tweet worthy of retiring from discussing the NFL.” That’s about as harsh as sports Twitter gets.A user named Rooster took a broader shot at the sports media landscape. “It’s really nice when these sports scribes don’t know anything about the game,” they wrote.Maybe the most cutting reply came from someone using the handle “big meech.” Responding directly under O’Connor’s original post, he asked a simple but pointed question: “This guy gets paid to cover the team?”BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM:PFN’s Free NFL Mock Draft SimulatorTo be fair to O’Connor, backup quarterback play is notoriously unpredictable, and one bad game doesn’t necessarily prove or disprove anything long-term.Winston has plenty of experience over the last 11 NFL seasons with Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Cleveland, and has seen just about every kind of situation a quarterback can face. It’s entirely possible he rebounds next week.Even though there has been no official return timeline for Dart yet, it seems unlikely that the quarterback, who is currently second in PFN’s QB Impact Rankings, will be ready for action next week. Winston, therefore, is expected to start for the Giants when they take on the