The Saints did it again, or more accurately: They didn't get it done again.
For the fifth consecutive time, and with their third starting QB of the season, the Saints lost. This time it was 27-17 to the Dallas Cowboys, with a rash of turnovers undoing any hopes of a late-game rally.
With all that in mind, here are my three quick takeaways from the Saints' loss to Dallas on Thursday Night Football.
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TAYSOM IS QB1
Taysom Hill is the Saints' starting quarterback as long as he's healthy enough to do it for the rest of the 2021 season.
It's really that simple. I wouldn't think I'd need to lay this out, but I saw Ian Book trending on Twitter, and I will not abide that. Ian is fine. He's not ready to start in the NFL. He's certainly not ready to start behind a patchwork OL and with zero reliable pass-catchers to speak of.
Was Taysom perfect? Far from it, to be honest. He made mistakes. He missed some throws. He was late on some reads. His third interception was brutal, but at least you could credit Trevon Diggs. His pick-6 was egregious, and had me wondering if the foot pain from his plantar fascia tear was starting to get the better of him. But the offense, unlike the last four games, showed signs of life in the first half. Hill extended plays with his legs. He made plays with his speed. He hurdled a guy (although he should probably stop doing that if he wants to survive as a starting QB). He did all of this on a foot that was probably causing more pain than he'll ever admit. He injured a finger in the first quarter and played the rest of the game in a splint. You can't put a number on it, but he's a warrior, and it's what the Saints need more of on offense.
As was the case often with Trevor Siemian, he wasn't done any favors. Brett Maher missed a long field goal. Nick Vannett held on what would've been a huge Mark Ingram run. Garrett Griffin's questionable personal foul torpedoed a drive on the first play. Kenny Stills’ hands struck again, popping up a catchable ball for a Micah Parsons interception in the red zone.
The Saints lost any chance to win the game with a turnover-filled final quarter, but they were in position to take a lead in the second half. They failed, but even having a chance is progress from the results of the previous two games. With 10 days to recover and re-establish a plan, and potentially get key starters back, this team should have a chance to string some wins together.
The Saints have a lot of questions to answer. Who should start at QB the rest of the way, assuming health, isn't one of them. It's Taysom Hill.
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BIG BOYS GOTTA EAT
It's a shame Adam Trautman is watching from injured reserve, because the big boys are going to feast as long as Taysom Hill is the quarterback.
It just makes sense. You're running heavier formations to force an opponent to respect the run, even if it's not Alvin Kamara lining up in the backfield. It's a wrinkle you can employ effectively when the best threat to run is the quarterback. And the Saints took advantage. TE Juwan Johnson hit on a big gain before leaving with a neck injury. Fellow TE Nick Vannett was used on a variety of effective screens and leakouts. Lil'Jordan Humphrey struck big twice, including a touchdown pass in the first half.
In the end, the tight ends and Humphrey combined for 7 catches for 133 yards and a TD. It's not the prettiest offense you'll find, but there's no question it was effective. The Saints might not have the most skill at the "skill" positions. But they do have bulk. And if Week 13 was any indication, they're going to use it.
The offense bogged down in the second half. There were drops. There were interceptions. The big guys put their forks down. Deonte Harris hit a big play for a garbage-time score. But if the Saints can get thing back on track, it’ll probably start with the big guys.
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ALL HANDS ON DECK (AND THE RUSH)
The injury focus is, understandably, on the offense for the Saints, but the bodies missing from the pass-rush become an equally big concern late in games.
It's easy to forget, considering how effective and efficient that pass-rush managed to be throughout the night. They got to Dak Prescott repeatedly, keeping him off-balance and laying hits (legally) when possible. But as the Cowboys QB does as well as anyone, he was able to avoid sacks and lost yardage. Carl Granderson got in the backfield to force a hold, and it looked like the rush got a hand on Prescott's arm to force an interception into the hands of Marshon Lattimore in the 4th quarter.
But it's never as simple as it appears. It was all hands on deck throughout the night, and more often than not, those players have delivered. PJ Williams ran a stunt and picked up the sack to force a punt in the first half, Demario Davis was frequently pinned on the interior and flying upfield. The extra pressure looks great when it works, but it can burn when it doesn't. The Cowboys didn't muster a ton of offense, but when they did it was of the big-play variety. Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb combined for 77 yards on two plays on Dallas' first scoring drive. Tony Pollard took care of another by himself for a 51-yard TD run.
It's asking a lot of the back-end. Pass-rush depth doesn't always manifest at the line of scrimmage. With how the Saints chose to handle it, the deficit appears on the back-end. The Cowboys took advantage. The Saints have lost five in a row.