Category: Taysom Hill

The Saints offense may have found its way in win over Seahawks

Seattle’s defense is bad, but there are glimpses of identity in the Saints’ deployment of the run game in Sunday’s win, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

During the New Orleans Saints 39-32 win against the Seattle Seahawks this weekend, it looks like Dennis Allen and his team may have found their identity on the offensive side. Or at least the beginning pieces of one. Allen said before the season began that the Saints want to be a team that can produce on the ground and they did so emphatically on Sunday. And yes, the Seattle defense is bad, but the way New Orleans deployed their weapons on the ground is worth noting and something the team could continue to build upon.

The Seahawks are the worst run defense in the NFL. They rank No. 32 in rushing yards allowed, No. 31 in rushing touchdowns surrendered, and No. 28 in yards per carry given up. It’s not a great defense. However, it’s not smart to discount the Saints in the meanwhile.

Putting up 235 rushing yards on any NFL team is something of which to take note. Someone plays the league’s worst rushing defense every week throughout the season and not every team puts up those numbers. And those that do don’t do it in as unique a fashion as New Orleans did on Sunday.

Star running back Alvin Kamara totaled 103 rushing yards on 23 carries while offensive weapon Taysom Hill added 112 of his own on 9 rushes. Hill also found the endzone three times in the run game, adding a passing touchdown to tight end Adam Trautman as well. But it was the way the Saints spread around their production that’s impressive. According to Pro Football Focus, 44 of Kamara’s rushing yards came from running up the middle between center Erik McCoy and left guard Andrus Peat. Meanwhile, 93 of Hill’s came from rushing to the outside on either side of the offensive line.

New Orleans ran tosses, stretches, isos, counters and several more run plays from both gap and zone blocking schemes with Kamara. Then they turned around and ran powers, counters and draws with Hill. The Saints even mixed in a zone read which Hill himself gave to Kamara for a first down around the left side. The variety and diversity of the Saints attack goes to show that while they faced a weak rushing defense, they had the gameplan ready to take advantage.

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Sean Payton jokes about trading for Taysom Hill ‘in a year or two’

Sean Payton has jokes. During an appearance on Colin Cowherd’s show, he said he’d be happy to trade for Taysom Hill once he’s running his own team again:

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Oh, so now he has jokes. In the least surprising news of the day, former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said Monday that he’d be happy to trade for Taysom Hill once he’s running his own team again — fresh off the heels of Hill’s four-touchdown game against the Seattle Seahawks, in which the do-it-all tight end/quarterback/salaried employee No. 7 scored three times on the ground and once through the air, also recovering a fumble and returning a couple of kicks before blocking for Alvin Kamara on the game-winning first down.

During a Monday appearance on Colin Cowherd’s radio show, Payton relayed that he texted his ‘closest friend’ Saints general manager Mickey Loomis after the game: “Hey, if you’re uncomfortable with that $10 million salary, let me know in a year or two and I’ll take it off your hands.” If you’re curious, Hill is on the books for $5.1 million this year and $13.9 million next season. Because of the way his contract is structured, trading him before June 1, 2023 would only save the Saints $50,000 in cap space. Waiting until after that date frees up $9.9 million for 2023.

Anyway: Payton gushed about Hill’s big day, adding that he called Drew Brees on Sunday evening to point out that “our guy” Hill did something once accomplished by Brees’ old Chargers teammate LaDainian Tomlinson: running for 100-plus yards and 3 or more touchdown carries while throwing at least 1 touchdown pass all in the same game.

Joking or not, his interesting in Hill is hardly surprising. Payton has spoken often about how Hill has been one of his favorite players to coach in his 15-year career, and he’d naturally want to bring him wherever he’s coaching next. Maybe that’s Dallas, Miami, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, or even here in the NFC South with the Carolina Panthers. Payton will be the most sought-after coaching candidate available in years once he decides he’s ready to grab a whistle and a playbook and put the visor back on.

And the Saints will benefit from his next move so long as it happens in the next two years. That’s how many years are left on his contract, meaning he’ll have to be traded to join a new team. While Saints fans should expect a nice return, it feels unlikely that Payton’s departure will net the kind of haul that Jon Gruden once brought the Raiders (two first round draft picks, two second rounders, and $8 million in cash). A lot has changed in the decades since that big move, and it looks like a bit of an outlier compared to the handful of other coach trades that have happened over the years.

Anyway: we shouldn’t interpret this as Payton and Hill being a package deal. So long as the Saints are remaining creative on offense and Hill is enjoying good health, he’ll have a valuable role in New Orleans. He isn’t the quarterback, and he doesn’t need to be; forcing Hill to line up under center and pass limits his game and takes away many of the fun and exciting things he can do. Payton can go find his own Hill wherever he ends up next, well, unless he’s willing to send even more of his new team’s draft picks back where he came from.

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Drew Brees celebrates Taysom Hill’s big day, but takes issue with his highlight reel

Drew Brees celebrated Taysom Hill’s big day, but took issue with his highlight reel on FOX: ‘They didn’t even show the blocking, dude can do everything’

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Few people were as excited to see Taysom Hill thriving in the New Orleans Saints’ Week 5 win against the Seattle Seahawks as Drew Brees. Hill’s old mentor was cheering him on from the couch and sharing words of congratulations on social media just like any other fan.

But Brees took issue with one thing: the quick highlight reel of Hill’s best plays from the FOX broadcast showcased his three touchdown runs and a scoring pass, but it didn’t feature everything that makes him special.

“They didn’t even show the blocking,” Brees bemoaned in a post from his official Instagram account. “Dude can do everything.”

Hill threw several key blocks throughout the game, but his best moment in that phase of the game came in the final minutes. Hill lined up at fullback and ran out in front of Alvin Kamara, bowling over a Seahawks linebacker to spring Kamara for a 10-yard gain. It was enough to convert a critical first down and set up the victory formation.

So, yeah — Brees is right. Those blocks are just as important as the rushing attempts and passes thrown. Someday, some fan is going to take time out of their Saturday and put together a supercut of Hill’s best blocks. And we’ll be sure to let you know when it’s available.

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TE, QB, special teams ace? Whatever you call him, call Taysom Hill a playmaker

Tight end, quarterback, or special teams ace? Whatever you call him, call Taysom Hill a playmaker. The Saints are lining him up right where he needs to be:

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We honestly didn’t have a great feel for what the New Orleans Saints planned for Taysom Hill this year. After initially announcing his move from quarterback to tight end, that turned out to be more of a shift in focus than a full-time switch. Hill still lined up in the backfield during Week 1’s game with the Atlanta Falcons, though he didn’t throw a single pass, and ended up producing some of the team’s most explosive plays.

But as Dennis Allen had said over the summer, Hill was taking snaps at quarterback without spending the entire game there. Jameis Winston is the unquestioned starter, and Andy Dalton is his backup. That doesn’t mean Hill doesn’t provide some real value in his role as a do-it-all gadget player. He converted a first down twice as a runner, picking up an impressive 81 yards on the ground and scoring the game’s first touchdown on an 11-yard carry — which followed a huge 57-yard gain to set his new personal record.

He also played special teams with the punt return and punt coverage units, forcing a crucial holding penalty on Falcons long snapper Liam McCullough in the game’s final minute that moved the Saints offense into better field position on the ensuing possession. If McCullough hadn’t committed a hold Hill may have blocked the punt. Instead, Winston took over at his own 20-yard line (rather than the New Orleans 10) and lobbed a 40-yard pass to Jarvis Landry to flip the field. A couple of plays later, Wil Lutz booted a 51-yard field goal to retake the lead, and ultimately win the game. There’s a real possibility that things play out much differently had Hill not forced that penalty to start the sequence.

So he isn’t a quarterback, and he isn’t just a special teams asset. He also isn’t a conventional tight end. Hill played fewer snaps than tight ends Juwan Johnson (45) and Adam Trautman (25) against Atlanta, seeing 16 reps on offense. He carried the ball himself 4 times (gaining 57, 11, 9, and 4 yards) while running 4 routes (catching his lone target as a receiver to pick up 2 yards on 1st-and-10, which the Falcons admittedly defended well) and working as a blocker on 8 snaps.

That’s a unique distribution that sets him apart from the other tight ends on the roster, and taken with the greater context of his efforts on special teams and his dynamism as a runner, it explains why the Saints value him so highly. They have a package of plays in which he can help the team win games, and they’re going to continue giving him those opportunities until opposing defenses guard him better.

Hill gave it a good shot at trying out as a full-time NFL quarterback. That didn’t work out the way he wanted, but that’s okay. He’s being a team player and stepping back into the role that Pete Carmichael Jr. and the offensive coaching staff can work with. It’s earned him a contract extension with New Orleans that is paying him $10.1 million this year, per Over The Cap. If he can keep playing well when his number is called, that’ll end up looking like a bargain.

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WATCH: Taysom Hill burns the Falcons on 77-yard touchdown drive

Taysom Hill accounted for 68 of the Saints’ 77 yards on their first touchdown drive, with two big runs at quarterback, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

It was never a mystery, New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen made it known early on that offensive weapon Taysom Hill would still take snaps at quarterback throughout the 2022 season, even if that isn’t his main focus. On Sunday, that was immediately proven to be true.

On a pair of plays during the team’s second drive, Hill ran for a total of 68 yards and scored an 11-yard touchdown run. Both runs were designed runs for the multi-faceted weapon. The first, great blocking on the right side by fullback Adam Prentice and tight ends Adam Trautman and Juwan Johnson sprang Hill loose down the sideline for a 57-yard run.

On the touchdown run, it was newly extended center Erik McCoy that got downfield in a hurry, clearing the way for Hill. A key block by running back Mark Ingram helped as well. Hill waltzed into the end zone untouched (until the goal line at least) to give the Saints an early lead over the rival Falcons 7-3.

Saints practice takeaways, Day 19: Jameis Winston makes impressive progress

Jameis Winston, former LSU Tigers impress during New Orleans Saints practice and more takeaways from Day 19, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

It was a high-energy practice on Tuesday for the New Orleans Saints who near their final preseason matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers as the week goes along. The Saints spent a portion time today running through team drills and finished again with a two-minute drill to close out practice. There were some back and forth moments as the offense bounced back and responded to a defense that was dominant on Monday. Here are our key takeaways from Day 19 of Saints practice.

Michael Thomas dominates again in Day 13 of Saints training camp

Michael Thomas produces more highlights in Day 13 of Saints training camp and more important takeaways, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

The goal for New Orleans Saints training camp Day 13 was to watch some of the guys that will get real opportunities in this weekend’s Houston Texans matchup. But it’s hard to do that when a superstar just keeps making big plays. In front of the fans and in full pads, Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas dazzled yet again. Here are some of his highlights and more key observations from today’s practice:

Saints camp takeaways: Jameis Winston and Chris Olave bring the fireworks

Jameis Winston and Chris Olave brought the fireworks in Day 4 of Saints camp. 5 takeaways from Saturday’s practice, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Day 4 of New Orleans Saints training camp provided the biggest highlights of the week thus far. The team will now take the day off tomorrow before returning on Monday. They will be in pads as they kick off the next portion of the camp schedule. A welcome sight for offensive and defensive lineman in particular.

Today’s practice may not have had pads, but still provided a new element: the fans. In the team’s first open practice, the Saints brought some explosive moments for everyone to take in. Here are our observations from day 4 of Saints camp.

Adam Trautman on how Taysom Hill improves Saints tight ends room beyond the field

Saints tight end Adam Trautman explains how Taysom Hill’s value goes beyond his on-field production, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

There aren’t any players across the NFL more unique than New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill. Hill, once in the running for starting quarterback, will still find himself taking some snaps from under center in 2022. But the focus of his work will be as a pass-catcher and offensive weapon. His production from the position should help to bolster it, but according to fellow tight end Adam Trautman, his impact is felt far before the team takes the field.

“Taysom in the room is awesome,” Trautman told media after Thursday’s practice session. “Like I said, physically he’s terrific. But mentally, that’s a whole ‘nother level that he brings to the room.”

While big catches, runs and collisions are usually the hallmark of Hill’s game, the impact he is having off the field is noticeable. As a player with quarterback experience, he knows what the passer is looking for from his tight end group. Hill now gets to share that insight on a consistent basis with Trautman, Nick Vannett, Juwan Johnson and other teammates.

Remember, this is new for Hill. While he’s played tight end before, he has mostly been in the quarterback room or splitting time in multiple meetings in previous seasons. Now, he get to study and game prep with the position group and that will likely lead to great production in 2022. Add to that Trautman’s health going into the season, and there is reason for some confidence in a step forward. “I feel much better.” the third-year tight end said. “I came in last camp, I was probably ten pounds less than I usually am.”

The Saints tight ends room did not produce a 300-yard receiver in 2021. Trautman led the way with just 263 receiving yards. Hill should have a positive impact not just with his own production, but by helping to make the other players around him better. Something of which Trautman looks to be on the verge.

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Taysom Hill hits the practice field with no limitations after injury-plagued 2021 season

Taysom Hill hit the practice field with no limitations after an injury-plagued 2021 season. He’s making plays just six months removed from a Lisfranc injury:

Taysom Hill went out for practice at New Orleans Saints training camp like he’s done so many times before, but with a big difference from what he’s experienced before — his usual red no-contact jersey was exchanged for the same white threads every other offensive player was wearing. It’s the final stamp on what we’ve been told all along: Hill’s run as a full-time quarterback is over. He may get a few snaps from out of the shotgun, but Hill’s days at the team facility will start in the tight ends room, not with the other passers.

Instead, he went through drills with the tight ends, and didn’t look out of place. Hill reeled in a pass from Jameis Winston for a big gain down the seam. On another play, our own Ross Jackson observed, Hill burnt the linebacker covering him and forced C.J. Gardner-Johnson to rotate over the top to compensate. The pass from Andy Dalton was underthrown and tipped by a defender, sure, but credit that to the opportunistic defense turning things around after Hill created a problem for them.

It’s a helpful illustration of the role the Saints envision for Hill now that his biggest supporter is out of the building. Sean Payton worked with Pete Carmichael (and once upon a time, Joe Brady) to design a creative set of plays maximizing Hill’s athleticism. Big-play opportunities down the seam. QB power runs through the heart of opposing defenses. Blocked punts on special teams. And, yeah, the occasional scattershot pass. It’s up to Carmichael to figure out the best usage for Hill moving forwards, and the very early returns suggest he’s got a good idea of where to put No. 7.

But the real story here is the quick recovery that Hill made from a long list of injuries he accumulated last season. He suffered a Lisfranc injury in the 2021 season finale while playing through a case of plantar fascia in the other foot. At the same time, he was managing a torn ligament in his throwing hand’s middle finger. And that’s all after he missed most of October reeling from the effects of a serious concussion. To bounce back from all of those ailments so soon — much less to do so and then make a couple of positive plays in the first day of training camp practices — is impressive.

Hopefully Hill didn’t rush himself back to action. Whether the Saints see him doing damage as a receiver, runner, blocker, or something else entirely (Dennis Allen has joked about moving him to linebacker), he brings value to the team that others don’t. They’ll be counting on him in some big spots in 2022.

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