Saints lose explosiveness with Taysom Hill starting at quarterback
The Saints shocked everyone by announcing that Taysom Hill would be the starter in Week 11.
Drew Brees is going to miss at least a few games due to a rib injury and collapsed lung that he suffered against the 49ers last weekend. When he didn’t come back out to quarterback the New Orleans Saints offense in the second half of their win over the Niners, Jameis Winston got the snaps instead and, while he wasn’t masterful, New Orleans got the W.
Most figured that Winston would be the starter as long as Brees was out but the Saints made a stunning move by announcing that Taysom Hill would be their starting quarterback instead. This is surprising because Winston started in the NFL from 2015-19 and even got the offensive reps last week after Brees couldn’t re-enter the game.
Sean Payton and the New Orleans staff have believed in Hill since he arrived, using him in different roles and putting him just about everywhere on the field. When Hill is inserted into the lineup, no matter where Payton puts him, the defense zeroes in on him because they know he’s about to do something special. With Hill starting this weekend, that will take away that threat.
Saints’ QB Taysom Hill will start Sunday vs. the Falcons, per source. Hill took all the starter reps at practice this week. Jameis Winston will be the backup.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 20, 2020
The Saints won’t have the explosiveness Taysom Hill brings if he’s starting.
This isn’t to knock Hill’s abilities as a quarterback but rather to compliment how elusive he is. The Saints use him as a quarterback, running back, fullback, wide receiver and tight end whenever Brees is healthy. But with Brees not available to play, Hill solely playing quarterback takes away what makes him and the Saints offense special.
Hill is just 4-of-5 for 205 yards and an interception when slinging the football. It’s possible the Saints are running him out there to see if maybe they do have an answer at quarterback once Brees calls it quits, but even then, Hill is 30 years old and, with the style he plays, he’s not set up for a long career.
The Saints are going to have to be playing their best football if they want any shot at getting that No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Winston is turnover prone but deserved a shot to start this weekend for New Orleans. If anything, the Saints could have rotated the two at quarterback while also using Hill in his other roles.
Something to remember with Hill is that he was the Saints’ star player in their Wild Card loss to the Vikings earlier this year. Without him, that game would have ended in a blowout, as the utility man had 50 yards through the air with a touchdown, 50 rushing yards, and one receiving touchdown.
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It’ll be interesting to see how Taysom Hill fares in his first-ever NFL start, but Saints fans should worry about their offense without having the swiss army knife at their disposal.