New Orleans Saints are saving the Buccaneers with Taysom Hill
By Rob Leeds
A step back offensively
While nothing is guaranteed yet, Drew Brees will likely move on from the NFL after this season. After multiple substantial injuries over the years, it appears his time is done, and the Saints are giving Taysom Hill the first tryout to be the starter.
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Ever since the Saints acquired Hill, Sean Payton has developed this strange desire to use Hill that defies conventional wisdom. Payton is the coach, and a great one at that, so it makes sense that he sees something that media personalities and bloggers don’t, but it still feels like Hill brings less to the table when he is on the field.
A jack of all trades is a master of none, and while Hill does have a diverse skill set, he is far from a master at anything.
Payton puts Hill in across the field on offense and on special teams. Hill fits in various places decently, but he doesn’t play these roles better than a real starter at that position.
The Saints’ offense has been good enough to win games over the past few weeks with Hill under center, but it is too soon for the Saints to say that he is their guy, although it looks like they are starting to show their hand according to Jeff Duncan on Twitter.
Taysom Hill is expected to start his fourth consecutive game at QB for the Saints on Sunday vs. Philly. I'm told his three-game performance as the starter has only bolstered the confidence internally that he is the eventual heir apparent to Drew Brees' job.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) December 10, 2020
The Saints are winning games, but this still feels too soon. Hill is 3-0, but as we know, quarterback wins are not a stat. Hill is only averaging 181 passing yards per game during his time as a starter and is also averaging less than one throwing touchdown per start.
Hill’s stats are a far cry from Brees’, who has only thrown less than 181 yards twice this season and has thrown more passing touchdowns in his worst three games of the year than Hill has as a starter.