WATCH: Taysom Hill catches 22-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr

WATCH: Taysom Hill catches 22-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr

The New Orleans Saints flipped the script in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; quarterback Derek Carr threw multiple touchdown passes after failing to do so even once in their first meeting earlier this season.

And his second touchdown pass was quite a highlight. Carr threw a dart to quarterback/tight end Taysom Hill from 22 yards out, putting the ball where only Hill could get it. Hill jumped over Pro Bowl Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield. Jr. and spun into the end zone for the score.

The Saints made the tight ends a point of emphasis in the passing game, and they responded. Hill, Juwan Johnson, and Foster Moreau combined for 9 receptions, 113 yards, 7 first downs, and a pair of touchdown catches. This is the kind of production we expected from them after Carr worked so well with the group over the summer.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Report: Saints expected to be without Taysom Hill vs. Panthers

Taysom Hill is responsible for 5 of the Saints’ 21 red zone touchdowns this season (23.8%), but he won’t be available on Sunday against the Panthers, per ESPN:

This is big. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the New Orleans Saints are going to be without Taysom Hill during Sunday’s game with the Carolina Panthers due to a couple of different injuries; Hill was unable to practice this week after injuring his foot and non-throwing hand last week against the Detroit Lions, and he was officially listed as questionable for Week 14’s game.

If he’s unable to go, the Saints will be without their second-best rusher (only Alvin Kamara has ran for more yards than Hill’s 346 this season) and an important piece in the receiving game. Hill’s 8 first downs by receptions are more than tight ends Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson (7 each), ranking fifth-most on the team.

And Hill is a big scoring threat, too. He and Kamara are tied for five touchdowns from scrimmage this season, most on the team, though Hill has an edge for his lone touchdown pass. There isn’t another player in the NFL like him, and the Saints are going to feel his absence, especially in scoring position. Hill is responsible for 5 of the Saints’ 21 red zone touchdowns this season as a passer, runner, and receiver.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Blind test: How do the Saints’ post-Drew Brees quarterbacks stack up?

How do the Saints’ post-Drew Brees quarterbacks stack up? Ignore names and contracts and run the numbers in our blind test:

Life without Drew Brees has been hard on the New Orleans Saints. They’ve wandered the desert from one quarterback to the next, constantly searching for an oasis — only to stumble into one mirage after another.

When Derek Carr put pen to paper on a four-year, $150 million contract this offseason, it looked like the Saints had finally found what they were looking for. But their offense has left a lot to be desired with Carr under center, and comparing his performance to the quarterbacks who preceded him doesn’t paint a flattering picture.

Some quarterbacks (like Trevor Siemian) have a much smaller sample size than others. Some were only in New Orleans for one season (like Andy Dalton) while we have multiple years of data to work with for others (Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill). So while it isn’t the cleanest comparison, we’re looking at per-game averages and per-dropback stats as opposed to volume metrics to try and account for the variance in sample sizes.

And because this is a blind test, we’ll hide each quarterback’s identity until the end. We’re effectively taking the names off the jerseys to see how they stack up by the numbers, removing biases and factors like contracts and play callers. Here’s what we found, with the top performer in each category highlighted in bold text:

Pro Football Hall of Fame displays Taysom Hill’s gear after historic game

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is displaying Taysom Hill’s game-worn gear on exhibit after the do-it-all dynamo reached a historic milestone:

Now this is cool: the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced a new exhibit on Tuesday featuring New Orleans Saints do-it-all dynamo Taysom Hill. Hill recently became just the second player in NFL history to score at least 25 rushing touchdowns while catching 10 touchdown receptions and throwing 10 touchdown passes.

New York Giants Hall of Famer Frank Gifford is the only other player to accomplish that, so Hill is in rare company. A handful of other players have scored 10 or more times as a passer, runner, and receiver, but only Hill and Gifford have gone the distance here. Hill is up to 26 rushing touchdowns, 11 passing touchdowns and 10 receiving touchdowns in his career thus far. Gifford totaled 34, 14, and 43 touchdowns, respectively.

Hill’s game-worn jersey, play-call wristband, and cleats from Week 9’s win over the Chicago Bears are now on display in Canton. How’s that for impressive?

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Pro Football Hall of Fame makes room for Saints star Taysom Hill

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is making room for Taysom Hill, asking the Saints for memorabilia from his historic performance against the Bears:

Now that’s something special. The New Orleans Saints announced Monday that the Pro Football Hall of Fame reached out to request memorabilia from Taysom Hill’s uniform after his historic performance against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Hill became just the fifth player in pro football history to have 10 passing touchdowns, 10 rushing touchdowns and 10 receiving touchdowns in a career. Hill’s touchdown catch against the Bears finally sealed the deal.

If you’re curious, Hill was the first player to do so since New York Giants great Frank Gifford accomplished the feat in 1957; according to ESPN, he’s now one of five players in the 10-10-10 club, along with Gifford; Charley Trippi, leader of the old Chicago Cardinals’ “Million Dollar Backfield”; Red Grange; and Jimmy Conzelman.

Those four have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Hill may not receive his own bronze bust (he doesn’t have the All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition of those old-school legends of the game), but his name and memorabilia will be in Canton for years to come. And that’s definitely worth celebrating.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Taysom Hill’s rushing success is just as effective as the ‘Tush Push’

Alvin Kamara is right. He says Taysom Hill running ability is equal to the “Tush Push,” and we’ve got the numbers to prove it:

Alvin Kamara is right. The New Orleans Saints running back gave his teammate Taysom Hill a big shoutout after their Week 9 win over the Indianapolis Colts, crediting Hill for his rushing ability — coming off a game in which Hill gained 63 yards off of just 9 carries, with Kamara not far behind (59 yards on 17 attempts).

In his postgame press conference, Kamara said that Hill “is the equivalent of the ‘Tush Push’. You know what’s coming and you can’t stop it.”

Also called the “Brotherly Shove” for its popularity with the Philadelphia Eagles offense in recent years, the play is a modified quarterback sneak that allows teammates to push the quarterback forward while blockers open up space ahead of them. Going into Week 9, the Eagles have converted a first down on 17 of their 21 attempts with this play (81.%). The rest of the NFL has a success rate of 72.7%, going 40-for-55.

And that brings us to Hill, whose success rate as a runner clocks in at 71.1%. Like other quarterbacks around the league who can make plays with their legs, he forces the defense to guard all eleven players, often forcing a moment’s hesitation that can make a big difference. Defenders still misjudge Hill’s speed in the open field and he’s one of the Saints’ best big-play threats as a rusher. His 20-yard touchdown run against the Colts was the longest gain on the ground for the Saints this season. They call his number for good reason.

Now, we should acknowledge something before the nerds points it out for us: these are two different success rates. The “Tush Push” numbers are only considering first down conversions. For Hill, we’re using the formula from Pro Football Reference, which considers what percentage of the yards needed were gained per carry. It’s a little more complicated, but it’s also more comprehensive, and it still gets to Kamara’s point.

But if we only want to look at Hill’s first down conversions as a runner, here they are: he’s moved the sticks 15 times on 38 attempts this season (39.5%), which trails a real “Tush Push” success rate. That’s still a solid number. He’s converted the eighth-most rushing first downs among quarterbacks this season despite his limited role; he isn’t a starter like Jalen Hurts (35 first downs), Lamar Jackson (27), Russell Wilson (18), or other league leaders. As Kamara said, teams know where the ball is going when Hill has it in his hands. And they’re still failing to stop him.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Taysom Hill joined rare company with his do-it-all performance vs. Colts

Taysom Hill joined rare company with his do-it-all performance against the Colts. The Saints’ Swiss army knife is closing in on NFL history:

Taysom Hill joined rare company with his do-it-all performance against the Indianapolis Colts. The Saints’ Swiss army knife is closing in on NFL history — he’s one of a select few players who have gained 40-plus yards as a passer and runner with 10 or more receiving yards in multiple games.

There have been 78 such performances in NFL history, and a decent-sized crowd has done it once or twice. But Hill is one of five players who have done it three times, along with Cam Newton, George Taliafe, Ray Evans, and Tom Tracy. And that isn’t the mountaintop.

Two legendary pros have done so four times: Pro Football Hall of Famer Walter Payton and Louisiana legend John David Crow. Hill is one more game away from tying them, and two from making the record his own.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

WATCH: Taysom Hill dances around defenders for 20-yard TD run

WATCH: Taysom Hill dances around Colts defenders for 20-yard Saints touchdown run

The New Orleans Saints offense continued to hum for the first time in a while as Taysom Hill worked through the Indianapolis Colts defense for a touchdown on the longest run of the season for the Saints. His 20-yard score brought the Saints within a field goal of the Colts.

Hill currently leads the team in rushing for the day. It is his second straight week with a rushing touchdown, as he scored on a one yard run against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. Hill has two touchdowns on the season and is up 34 touchdowns in his career.

The Saints offense looked as good as they have all season in the first half against the Colts, on pace for a shootout with the Gardner Minshew-led Indianapolis offense.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Dennis Allen shoots down the idea of starting Taysom Hill at QB

Dennis Allen shot down the idea of starting Taysom Hill at quarterback. With Derek Carr managing an injury, Jameis Winston will get the nod:

The New Orleans Saints quarterbacks room is in an odd spot. Derek Carr is managing an injured throwing shoulder, and rookie backup Jake Haener is in the middle of a six-game suspension to start the season — and they just brought back Jake Luton to round out the depth chart. But between the issues in pass protection and Taysom Hill’s mobility as a runner, it might have made sense to consider starting him instead of Jameis Winston on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

However, that isn’t a route Dennis Allen is interested in taking. The Saints head coach shot down that idea after it was brought up during his Wednesday media availability session after practice, clearly outlining a plan for Winston to start this week if Carr can’t go.

Allen said there was “no consideration” of starting Hill at quarterback instead of Winston, but he clarified that the team won’t rule Carr out until they have to. He’ll be evaluated daily after spraining the AC joint in his right shoulder. If his body responds well to treatment and he’s able to perform at a high level, there’s a chance he could play after all.

But if Winston does get the nod to start, Allen added, plenty of other players must step up. He described that scenario as “a total team effort.”

So who will it be on Sunday? It’s too soon to say, based off the team’s words, but their actions suggest it will be Winston. They didn’t sign Luton to the 53-man roster (where, NFL rules dictate, he must stay for the next three games) for nothing. All signs point to Winston leading the offense out of the tunnel this week against his old Buccaneers team. Maybe the third time’s the charm as he seeks his first real win against them.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Packers coaches discuss the challenges of defending Saints weapon Taysom Hill

Packers DC Joe Barry acknowledged the challenge in defending Taysom Hill, the only player since the 1966 merger with 10 TD’s as a passer, runner, and receiver:

The Green Bay Packers know Taysom Hill well. They signed him out of BYU when he turned pro so many years ago, envisioning him as a potential understudy for Aaron Rodgers; things didn’t work out, though, and the New Orleans Saints picked him up after noticing him while studying one of his teammates at the roster cuts deadline.

And the rest is history. Literally. Hill has carved out a unique role in New Orleans, becoming the first player since the 1966 NFL-AFL merger to score double-digit touchdowns as a passer (10), receiver (11), and runner (23), including the playoffs. He’s also logged 1,101 snaps on special teams and record 15 tackles in the kicking game, blocking two punts. It’s a resume not seen in decades.

He’ll have a chance to suit up against the team that first gave him a shot on Sunday, and Packers coaches are acutely aware of the challenges he’s bringing to Green Bay. They have to prepare for his package of plays well as the more-typical system the Saints run with Derek Carr under center.

“It’s two different offenses,” Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry began. “It really is, based on who’s at quarterback. They do a really great job. In essence, he’s a tight end, but they line him up at No. 1, and he runs routes like a receiver. They line him up in the backfield like a halfback. Use him in protection, but then also use him in the passing game out of the backfield. But he truly is a weapon when he’s lined up.”

Hill has gotten off to a strong start in 2023; he’s run for more yards on his own than the Minnesota Vikings have as a team through the first two weeks. Fantasy football nerds may hate it, but he adds something new to the Saints offense that opposing coaches have to account for.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur admitted as much, saying: “He’s a weapon, that’s for sure. You spend a lot of time preparing for a guy like that because he can throw it over your head. He’s done it before. He’s started games in this league at quarterback. So he’s a guy you’ve got to have a very good plan for.”

Hill is finally returning to Lambeau Field, where his NFL career began; his last two games against the Packers were in New Orleans (in 2020) and Jacksonville (in 2021, relocated due to the impacts of Hurricane Ida). The Packers have done a great job of defending him in the past, but they were gashed for 211 rushing yards just last week, so they’ve clearly got some vulnerabilities the Saints could exploit. Hill ought to be a big part of that.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]