Tag: Stats

Former Saints quarterback on why Taysom Hill is one of a kind

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Steve Walsh shared his take on what he feels Taysom Hill brings to the table, and why Hill is ultimately one of a kind:

Taysom Hill has been on an absolute tear as of late, reaching multiple milestones as he’s been a pivotal part of the New Orleans Saints snapping a seven-game losing streak and replacing it with a two-game winning streak.

He’s a jack-of-all-trades that has never fully been able to be replicated, despite several NFL teams’ desperate efforts to do so. At the same time, it’s often said that a player like Hill is not to be invested in as a pure quarterback for the long-term.

That experiment has also been tried and failed as a part of a trend that ultimately faded away. Former Saints quarterback Steve Walsh is among those who shares that line of thinking.

“A guy like Taysom Hill is not going to last. You’re not going to invest 40 million dollars in a guy and let him run QB power, because those 10 million-dollar linebackers know how to hit you, and they know how to hurt you,” Walsh told me an interview for RG.org. “So you’re just not going to survive.”

A player like Hill is also, from a dollars and cents perspective, not going to be smart to go all in on for NFL teams.

“The economics don’t make sense in that type of quarterback. Now, is that somebody you like as your backup or your number three guy that can give you a change of pace?” Walsh continued. “Cam Newton played best when he was running QB power because that’s just how he played. But, he wasn’t going to be able to do that for an extended period of time; like a 15-year career.”

Quarterback or not, there is no denying the wave of success Hill has recently experienced.

Hill tallied 138 rushing yards on seven carries and 50 receiving yards from eight catches injury the Saints’ 35-14 win over the Cleveland Browns.

That wasn’t all he did to earn him the title of FedEx Air and Ground player of the week, though, either.

He also threw a pass for 18 yards and got some special teams action with 42 yards on a kick return. Very few players can put together a three-way performance quite like that.

How he and the Saints continue to build upon the new era they seem to have begun will be something to keep an eye on in a season that could ultimately be much more interesting that it looked like it would be just weeks ago.

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Wisconsin transfer guard has breakout performance in Nebraska win over Creighton

Big night for a former Badger transfer

Wisconsin transfer guard Connor Essegian powered Nebraska to a 74-63 road win over No. 14 Creighton on Friday.

The former Badger contributed 15 points and two rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench, shooting 4-of-6 from the floor and 1-of-2 from three.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s big win over UCF

Those bench points provided a critical boost for Fred Hoiberg’s team in its big rivalry victory. Essegian led several key scoring runs, highlighted by a solo 6-1 run midway through the second half to extend the team’s lead to 14 points.

Only two Nebraska players finished with more points than Essegian: starters Juwan Gray (16 points on 6-of-13 shooting) and Brice Williams (16 points on 4-of-12 shooting). No one on the floor matched his combination of production and efficiency.

The sharpshooter has played a steady role for the Cornhuskers during their 4-1 start to the 2024-25 season. His per-game averages include 19.2 minutes, 10.4 points and 2.6 rebounds on 44% shooting and 36.4% from 3.

Essegian transferred to Nebraska after two seasons with the Badgers. He played a big role as a freshman in 2022-23, averaging 27.4 minutes and 11.7 points per game. His role diminished as a sophomore in 2023-24 as Greg Gard reworked the roster, those numbers falling to 7.3 minutes and 3.2 points per game, respectively.

The Wisconsin transfer appears to have found a strong destination at Nebraska. The Hoosiers are amid a program-great run under Hoiberg. That began with a 23-11 record and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023-24 and has continued into 2024-25.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Saints rookie’s performance gets more impressive even on bye week

Taliese Fuaga’s performance versus Myles Garrett gets more impressive after Garrett’s monster game on ‘Thursday Night Football’

Cleveland Browns edge rusher, Myles Garrett, has recorded six sacks in the past three weeks, three sacks in Week 12 and three sacks in Week 10. When the Browns came to New Orleans in Week 11, however, New Orleans Saints rookie left tackle, Taliese Fuaga, kept Garrett off the stat sheet completely.

That performance was impressive even if you isolate it to one game. A rookie tackle going against a star pass rusher and winning the battle is a positive sign for Fuaga’s ceiling. Then, when you expand your view to multiple games, what he did becomes more impressive.

Russell Wilson couldn’t get away from Garrett in the first half of the Browns and Steelers matchup on Thursday night. Garrett had three sacks and a forced fumble against the Steelers. After the game, he proclaimed himself the best edge rusher and best defensive player in the league.

With two monster performances in recent weeks, his bravado is earned. That just makes Taliese Fuaga’s Week 11 performance more impressive.

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Saints are getting the most out of Taysom Hill, and they shouldn’t slow down

Taysom Hill had his most touches of the year on Sunday, and he’s too impactful to return to the sideline. They should keep leaning on him:

To call Taysom Hill’s performance against the Cleveland Browns incredible feels like an understatement. The New Orleans Saints tight end reverted back to the days of when he was a positionless player.

Hill totaled over 200 yards, so saying this next statement may seem a bit obvious. However, the Saints have to use Hill like that every week. Let’s go deeper than production because that level won’t happen weekly. Let’s focus on touches.

Taysom Hill should be used as a secondary rushing option to Alvin Kamara and one of the most prominent receiving threats, due to Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed’s injuries

This was only the second time this season Hill has touched the football 10 or more times. That number includes rushes, receptions and pass attempts. If you take away passes, Sunday was the first time Hill hit double digit touches.

Hill’s usage as a passer has increased recently. Over the last four weeks, Hill has attempted a pass in three of the four games. It’s a good way to keep defenses on their heels a little bit when Hill is taking the snap.

Passing can vary on a game to game basis, but his targets and rushes should remain at this pace. Hill caught 8 of 10 targets and ran the ball seven times.

Seven rushes feels like a reasonable mark to stretch for each week. The Saints don’t have many receiving threats, so three catches is doable. That’s a recipe for a minimum of 10 touches in a game. Hill is way to impactful for that to not happen on a regular basis.

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Taysom Hill just won his second FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week award

Just one tight end has won the FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week award in its 22-year history, and Taysom Hill has now done that twice:

The FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week awards have been a mainstay of NFL honors for 22 years, but just one tight end has earned it. And now he’s done it twice. New Orleans Saints star Taysom Hill won the award for the second time after his huge day against the Cleveland Browns, powering the Saints to a dominant win at home with three touchdown runs.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix was also recognized with this week’s award after completing 28 of 33 passes for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns in the Broncos’ big win over the Atlanta Falcons.

FedEx has pledged that they “will make a $2,000 donation in Hill’s name to a Historically Black College or University of his choice, which will be applied towards needs-based scholarships to deserving HBCU students.”

Hill set some new personal-bests along the way, too. Hill totaled 138 rushing yards from seven carries and 50 receiving yards off of eight catches. He also completed an 18-yard pass and picked up 42 yards on a kick return, impacting the game on both offense and special teams. It’s not the type of performance you see too often in today’s game.

And it goes to show how special Hill is, and how important his presence is to the Saints’ success. They may not win every game when he sees such a heavy workload, but Hill playing well does tend to correlate with victories. When he’s running with a head full of steam there aren’t many NFL defenses who can slow him down.

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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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Where the Chargers rank statistically after Week 11

Even after allowing 27 points, the Chargers still have the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL.

The Chargers improved to 7-3 after beating the Bengals in Week 11.

Justin Herbert was lights out in the first half until he wasn’t. He and the rest of the offense stalled in the second half before engineering a game-winning drive. The defense allowed more than 20 points for the first time this season.

With Week 12 coming up, how do the Bolts compare to the rest of the NFL? Here is where Los Angeles ranks:

Offense

Category Stat Rank
Points per game 22.0 ppg 18th
Passing offense 204.8 ypg 19th
Rushing offense 121.6 ypg 12th
Total offense 326.4 ypg 18th
3rd down conversions 38.81% 15th
Red zone scoring 53.85% 21st
Sacks allowed 26 19th
Turnovers 5 T-1st

Defense

Category Stat Rank
Points allowed 14.5 ppg 1st
Passing defense 206.6 ypg 12th
Rushing defense 110.5 ypg 11th
Total defense 317.1 ypg 11th
3rd down conversions 32.33% 2nd
Red zone defense 40.91% 2nd
Sacks 34 T-4th
Takeaways 13 13th

 

Where Wisconsin basketball stands in KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over UT Rio Grande

Where Wisconsin basketball stands in KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over UT Rio Grande

This story was updated to add new information.

Wisconsin basketball improved to 5-0 on the 2024-25 season with an 87-84 win over UT Rio Grande on Monday.

The Badgers struggled defensively for much of the contest, allowing the Vaqueros to shoot 49% from the floor and nearly 40% from 3. The team was somewhat on the ropes midway through the second half before John Blackwell and John Tonje led a scoring surge that tipped the scales, eventually leading to the three-point win.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s narrow win over UT Rio Grande Valley

One big stat that continues to matter: Wisconsin shot 84.4% (27-of-32) from the free-throw line in the victory. The team’s final 11 points came from the charity stripe. The Badgers are No. 2 in the nation in team free throw percentage at 88.6%; the stat has been a driving force behind the team’s 5-0 start.

That undefeated start led to national recognition, even before the win over UT Rio Grande. Wisconsin entered the AP Poll at No. 19 and USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll at No. 25 on Monday.

While the Badgers’ resume is building with each passing performance, their win on Monday didn’t impress some rating metrics. Wisconsin dropped 11 spots in KenPom from No. 29 to No. 40 after the win. Greg Gard’s team possesses the 18th-ranked offense and 83rd-ranked defense in the metric.

Allowing 84 points to a UT Rio Grande team that is No. 199 in KenPom assuredly led to the ratings downgrade, specifically defensively.

The Badgers also dropped from No. 22 in ESPN BPI to No. 30, reflecting the same general trend. BPI has the team’s projected final record at 19.6-10.4 and gives it an 8.2% chance to win the Big Ten.

Minus the needed defensive improvements, it’s hard to not be impressed by Wisconsin’s start to the season. This early season stage figured to see significant growing pains with new faces in the rotation. Instead, the Badgers are flashing top form and entering the conversation atop the Big Ten.

Wisconsin is back on the court on Friday against UCF at the Greenbrier Tip-Off.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

5 PFF stats to know from Packers’ win over Bears

Five stats to know from the Packers’ win over the Bears on Sunday.

The Green Bay Packers got explosive plays from Christian Watson, an encouraging performance from Rashan Gary and near-perfect passing day from Jordan Love under pressure, but lingering struggles in the red zone on offense and coverage problems in the passing game on defense turned Sunday’s showdown with the Chicago Bears into a nail-biter at Soldier Field.

In the end, it took an impressive special teams play from the Packers to secure a victory.

Here are five stats from Pro Football Focus to know from Sunday:

10.0: The receiving yards averaged per route run by Packers receiver Christian Watson. Anything above 2.0 yards per route run is elite for a season; 10.0 for a game is otherworldly. Watson ran only 15 routes but caught four passes for 150 yards, including three of at least 25 yards. His 25-yarder set up a touchdown in the third quarter, and his 60-yarder set up the final go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter.

5: The number of pressures from Rashan Gary, a team high. He produced three hurries, one quarterback hit and one sack — an impressive feat considering how often the Bears were throwing quick or short. Gary added four run stops, another team high. The problem? While Gary was great, no one else on the Packers defense had a particularly good day on Sunday.

8-for-8: Jordan Love’s passing numbers while under pressure. He has struggled while pressured this season, but not Sunday. He connected on all eight passes for 185 yards, or 23.1 per attempt. Don’t be surprised if Love, now with two healthy legs, is much, much better against pressure down the stretch of this season.

8-for-10: Caleb Williams’ passing numbers when blitzed by the Packers. The rookie quarterback completed eight passes for 87 yards and twice scrambled against extra pressure. On the final drive, he identified a blitz coming pre-snap, changed the protection and fired a completion to Keenan Allen to get the Bears into field goal range. His passing grade against the blitz was elite — 94.5. The Packers only pressured Williams on 11 of 39 dropbacks.

7: The number of Packers defenders who were charged with giving up multiple completions. Williams and the Bears attacked everyone. Javon Bullard, Edgerrin Cooper, Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and Xavier McKinney all gave up at least three completions into their coverage. Sunday was the Packers’ third-lowest coverage grade of the season.

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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