Tag: Saints

Taysom Hill recognized with his second career Offensive Player of the Week award

Take a bow, Taysom Hill. The Saints’ standout football player was recognized with his second career Offensive Player of the Week award:

Take a bow, Taysom Hill. The New Orleans Saints football player was recognized with his second career NFC Offensive Player of the Week award after making plays as a runner, receiver, and passer against the Cleveland Browns — not counting his impressive kick return for 42 yards.

Take that with his 138 rushing yards, 50 receiving yards, and an 18-yard pass, and Hill amassed 188 yards from scrimmage with 230 all-purpose yards. Each of those totals were personal bests for him, and he had three touchdown runs on the afternoon, too.

This is the third weekly honor for Hill after he was previously named NFC Offensive Player of the Week in 2022 and NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in 2018. Call him a quarterback, fullback, tight end or wide receiver — wherever Hill lines up, he makes plays. That’s what interim head coach Darren Rizzi expressed to FOX Sports sideline reporter Jennifer Hale during Sunday’s win over the Browns.

“Taysom’s an unbelievable football player, usually the more we can use him the better off we are,” Rizzi said on the broadcast, acknowledging Hill’s highlights despite an interception and fumble on the day. “We just gotta do a better job limiting the negative plays, can’t turn the football over. But we’re going to use Taysom as much as we can.”

Hill is averaging a career-high 38.3 rushing yards per game this season on top of 21.4 receiving yards per game, which is also the most for his time in the NFL. Over the summer Klint Kubiak and the Saints coaching staff expressed an eagerness to get more out of Hill than in past seasons, and you’re seeing that pay off. Hill just needs to stay healthy, protect the football, and keep earning recognition for his efforts.

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Saints Super Bowl champ named Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist yet again

Jahri Evans made the cut as a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame again this year. Is the third time the charm for the Super Bowl 44 champ?

They say third time is the charm. That’s the hope for New Orleans Saints legendary offensive lineman Jahri Evans. The Pro Football Hall of Fame released their annual list of semifinalists, and Evans was one of the 25 players who made the cut.

This isn’t unfamiliar territory for him. Evans has been a part of the semifinalists for each of the last three years, but hasn’t made the final cut. He has gotten closer on each attempt.

If the trend continues, this is the year Evans will be immortalized in Canton, Ohio. Evans was a semifinalist on his first attempt. Last year, he made his way into the group of finalists. Maybe adding the Saints Ring of Honor to his resume can swing things in his favor.

Three years feels like a long time until you look at the length of time other semifinalists have waited. Torry Holt is on his 11th attempt to go from semifinalist to enshrined in Canton.

Some of the first-time semifinalists who will make it tougher on Evans are Luke Kuechly, Eli Manning and Adam Vinatieri.

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This outlet says Darren Rizzi is making a case to stay long-term

It’s tough to go from interim to permanent head coach, but Bleacher Report feels Darren Rizzi is making a strong case to do just that.

The New Orleans Saints are undefeated since Darren Rizzi assumed head coaching duties from Dennis Allen. After only two games, Bleacher Report’s staff of NFL analysts believes Rizzi is forming a case to be the Saints head coach on a permanent basis.

Interim coaches aren’t typically retained after the season, but a strong ending would likely insert Rizzi into the conversation. The way Rizzi has rejuvenated the building feels similar to how Antonio Pierce impacted the Las Vegas Raiders a year ago. Pierce was retained as the Raiders head coach beyond his interim season.

Some would say winning cures all, and that’s the truth. On the other hand, the energy shift transpired before the Saints ever broke their losing streak. The shift partially had to do with moving on from Allen, but New Orleans picked the right person to close out the season as well.

Making a case or entering into the conversation is far from being the favorite. If Rizzi continues to lead the team in a similar fashion as he’s doing now, he deserves an interview during the search.

No team has scored more TDs on the Cowboys’ home turf than the Saints

No team has scored more touchdowns at AT&T Stadium than the Saints did in Week 2 — including the Cowboys all season long. New Orleans tore the roof off that sucker:

It’s a beautiful venue Jerry Jones built for the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium. It’s just a shame his team hasn’t scored more points for their fans than they have this season. The Cowboys have managed just five touchdowns on offense all year long, and it’s the New Orleans Saints who tore the roof off that sucker. The Saints are AT&T Stadium’s scoring leader with six touchdowns to their credit way back in Week 2.

At the same time, it’s a shame the Saints couldn’t maintain that pace. It’s why Dennis Allen got fired and they slumped into a seven-game losing streak. But the tide has turned, maybe. Darren Rizzi has brought new life to the locker room and the practice field and the sideline on game days. Klint Kubiak is running his offense the way he planned to with Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy back in the lineup and Taysom Hill recovered from injury.

The 35 points they dropped on the Cleveland Browns’ heads this Sunday were the most the Saints scored since they blew out the Cowboys in Dallas back on Sept. 15.

In a way, their bye week came at the worst time. You’d like to see the Saints keep this momentum going and continue playing fast in another matchup soon. But every team needs rest, and they could use it with McCoy on the mend (though Rizzi says he’s expected to be fine after the bye). The challenge then becomes picking up where they left off. And with the Los Angeles Rams, another playoff hopeful fighting for a winning record, coming up next? Rizzi and his squad need every minute to prepare to hit the ground running on Dec. 1.

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Darren Rizzi has an opportunity to definitively succeed where Dennis Allen failed

The Saints and Rams met last year with the season in the balance, and Dennis Allen failed that test. A rematch is coming up after the bye. Can Darren Rizzi pass it?

Darren Rizzi has an opportunity to definitively succeed where Dennis Allen failed after replacing the former New Orleans Saints head coach. He’s arguably already done that by ending the seven-week losing streak that cost Allen his job and winning back-to-back games. But their next matchup may tell the real story.

The Saints and Los Angeles Rams met last year with the season in the balance, and Allen failed that test. That loss in L.A. put the Saints so far out of the playoff picture that the remaining games were all for naught. A rematch is coming up after the bye, and we’re in a similar situation. Can Rizzi pass this test?

Maybe so. The Rams aren’t the juggernaut they once were, stuck at 5-5 while going back-and-forth in the win-loss column, but they are a hurdle the Saints must overcome to reach the playoffs this year. If the Rams lose to the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday night, they’ll take the field next week ahead of New Orleans by a single win. Knocking them off and winning three in a row would be a heck of an achievement.

And if nothing else, it would be symbolic. Allen struggled to coach the Saints up when they drew an opponent with a backbone, and that loss to the Rams felt like an indictment for him. With such a big impact on the team’s playoff odds at stake, he wilted. If Rizzi can rise to that challenge it’ll say a lot about where he has this team trending and where he could take them. And he’s got time on his side with the bye week buying a few more days to prepare for it.

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Former Saints QB coached his first HS playoff win, but hints at NFL return

Teddy Bridgewater might not be done in the NFL just yet. He won his first high school playoff game as a coach, but says he ‘can’t wait’ to return to the pros:

Teddy Bridgewater might not be done in the NFL just yet. The former New Orleans Saints quarterback retired earlier this year to take the job as high school football coach at his Miami Northwestern alma mater, and last week he led the Bulls to their first playoff win, 69-0 over Barron Collier. Now they’re set to host Levy high school for an opportunity to advance to the state semifinals in 3A competition.

But on Tuesday, Bridgewater suggested he could go back to the pros. Bridgewater tweeted:

“So many QB jobs available for me after we make this state title run. I can’t wait to return back to the NFL.”

While he’s thrived in reviving his high school program and spoken often about enjoying the opportunity to make a difference in his hometown, Bridgewater has expressed frustration on the drama and politicking surrounding the job. As part of a longer message, he previously wrote on his personal Facebook page that:

“Now we have grown men telling on KIDS!! Jeopardizing their future and their team’s future. As a man, what do you get out of that?? I pray MNW stays in the clear from all that’s going on because like I tell my coaches, I played 10 years in the league and never made any headlines and I’ll be damned if I let MNW have me caught up in some mess. I know it’s people waiting on the day it happens”

That’s a pretty strong condemnation. One of Miami Northwestern’s rivals vacated their season after an investigation revealed they had rostered an ineligible player, and situations like that clearly aren’t appealing to someone with other options like Bridgewater. We’ll see how things shake out in the weeks and months ahead, but a return to the NFL shouldn’t be ruled out. It’s clearly on his mind.

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Taysom Hill nominated for FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week again

Taysom Hill has been nominated for FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week after his huge game against the Browns. He last won this award in 2022:

Shout out to Taysom Hill — the New Orleans Saints star has been nominated again for FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week after his standout performance against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday. Hill scored three touchdowns runs while rushing for 138 yards and gaining 50 yards as a receiver, with an additional 18 passing yards to his credit (an interception and fumble notwithstanding).

He’s facing stiff competition this week from peak performers like Detroit Lions leaders Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown as well as Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, Denver Broncos rookie Bo Nix, and Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.

Saints fans can vote for Hill at NFL.com/FedEx until voting closes at 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

The last time Hill won this award, he was coming off an impressive outing against the Seattle Seahawks in 2022. That day Hill ran for 112 yards and three touchdowns as well, but he also threw a 22-yard touchdown pass, though he didn’t make any plays as a receiver. This time he impacted all three phases on offense. Maybe that helps him repeat.

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Sean Payton moved to Denver and still owns the NFC South

Sean Payton swept the NFC South, proving nothing’s changed but his address. Unfortunately, his dominance now includes the Saints:

The Atlanta Falcons were painfully reminded of something that has been true for nearly 20 years. Sean Payton has partial ownership in the Atlanta Falcons. Maybe they hoped things changed since Payton was no longer leading the New Orleans Saints.

However, when the Falcons visited the Denver Broncos, Payton showed the new emblem on the hat doesn’t lessen his dominance over the Falcons. Payton improved his record to 22-9 against the Falcons with a dominating 38-6 victory.

Atlanta wasn’t the only team to get this reminder. Payton swept the NFC South this year and showed them why they all felt relieved by his temporary retirement. This included Payton’s first career victory over the Saints.

The games haven’t been too close either. The Carolina Panthers kept it the closest, and they lost by 14 points. At the end of that game, Payton flat out said Carolina isn’t a good team. Maybe that was the jolt Carolina needed because they haven’t lost a game since those comments.

During his 16-year run with New Orleans, Payton had a winning record against every team in the division. As the coach of the Denver Broncos, he’s undefeated against his former division.

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Taliese Fuaga kept Browns’ star pass rusher off the stat sheet

Taliese Fuaga walked into the biggest challenge of his rookie season, and walked away with an impressive win against Myles Garrett:


Taliese Fuaga stepped into the biggest challenge of his career against Myles Garrett, and the rookie passed with flying colors. Garrett didn’t register a single snap against the New Orleans Saints. Not a sack, not a quarterback hit, not even a tackle.

It may make you wonder if Garrett is injured. He’s dealt with injuries, but Garrett said earlier last week he felt like he was at an 8, on a scale of 1 to 10. He’s also coming off of a 3-sack performance against the Chargers.

This is a huge win for Fuaga. He took one of the best pass rushers and made him a non-factor in the game. Garrett had just 2 pressures and a 8% pressure percentage, both are the lowest of the season for the defensive end.

Fuaga has been excellent in pass protection this year. He entered the week eighth in pressure rate allowed. His ranking may go up after a performance like this. It’s just further proof the Saints got a cornerstone piece in the first round this year.

This is the second time the Saints have erased a star pass rusher from the game. They did the same thing with Micah Parsons earlier this season. It isn’t over yet. The next standout rusher on the schedule is Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby.

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Jameis Winston was one of the first to congratulate Taysom Hill on his big day

Jameis Winston was one of the first to congratulate Taysom Hill on his big day, hurrying to embrace his old teammate after Saints-Browns:

Taysom Hill had a game for the ages when the New Orleans Saints hosted the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Hill was a major key to the Saints’ success in their 35-14 win, accounting for three touchdown runs — plus 138 rushing yards and another 50 receiving yards, and 18 passing yards on a trick play.

His old teammate Jameis Winston had a good day, too. Winston threw for 395 yards and two touchdowns against his former team while doing all he could to keep the Browns in it, and he didn’t turn the ball over. After the game Saints players, coaches, and other personnel queued up to see Winston, but he stepped up when Hill approached him.

“You were amazing, man,” Winston laughed, arms wrapping around Hill in a bear hug.

Once upon a time Winston and Hill competed for the opportunity to succeed Drew Brees as the Saints’ starting quarterback, splitting practice reps and preseason game action to push one another to be their best. Winston won that battle, but there’s still plenty of love between the two of them. Hill had a lot of Saints fans cheering him on Sunday. On some level, another one was watching him from the opposing sideline, too.

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