Saints get two key parts back for price of one
NEW ORLEANS – The Saints got two players back for Week 8 before their 31-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals at MercedesBenz Superdome.
Yes, quarterback Drew Brees has often been like two players for the Saints throughout his 14 seasons with the club, but there was another player available in Week 8.
One of Saints coach Sean Payton’s favorite toys – quarterback/running back/wide receiver/tight end/special teams ace Taysom Hill – also joined Brees. He was not hurt. He was just underused in Brees’ absence, as Hill became the No. 2 quarterback when previous No. 2 quarterback Teddy Bridgewater replaced Brees as the starter for the previous five games when Brees was out with a thumb injury.
With Hill as the No. 2 quarterback and the only other available quarterback when Brees was out, Hill was too valuable to continue assuming all of the blades of his Swiss Army knife role.
So when Brees returned to complete 34 of 43 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns, Hill also returned.
“With Drew back, you really get two players back,” Payton said. “Because when Drew comes back with Teddy behind him, Taysom now can play all four special teams. He can play tight end.”
Hill caught a season-high three passes for a season-high 63 yards with a 5-yard touchdown for a 24-9 lead with 12:48 to play in the game. His 22-yard catch and run to the Arizona 24yard line late in the first quarter set up the first Saints’ points on a Wil Lutz 26-yard field goal for a 3-3 tie early in the second quarter.
Hill had a 36-yard catch and run to the Arizona 9-yard line in the fourth quarter that set up Brees’ 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Thomas for the 31-9 lead with 5:18 to go in the game.
The 36-yard play fooled the Arizona defense and Hill.
“I was surprised,” Hill said. “I thought I was going to have a safety barreling down on me, but as I caught it, there was obviously nobody there.”
Look for more Brees-to-Hill connections for the NFC Southleading Saints (7-1), who are open this week before hosting the Atlanta Falcons Nov. 10 in New Orleans’ Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Hill’s previous high-reception game this season was two for 16 yards in the loss to the Rams at Los Angeles on Sept. 15 when Brees injured his thumb. In three consecutive games – Dallas, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville – Hill caught no passes and was targeted zero times.
“He’s a real good football player,” Payton said. “We are just trying to get him as many plays as possible. It was more challenging when he was your second-string quarterback though.”