The Saints are one win, and a bit of help, away from one of the more unlikely playoff visits you'll ever see.
So why do I get the impression that a large number of Saints fans are actively displeased that Taysom Hill gets an ounce of credit for it at all?
That became clear to me when I sent out a tweet after a win over the Panthers, with nothing more than a question of whether we can start appreciating that the guy who many claim "isn't a real quarterback" has found a way to go 6-2 as a starter in the NFL.
The tweet generated more than 130 replies/responses, a vast majority of which can be distilled by this response from @RyanBrees (guessing that's not a given name).
"Never. They're winning in spite of his QB play, not because of it."
And that's the idea where I think folks are missing point. Remember, this isn't a QB competition anymore. Jameis Winston already won that. He played well and had the Saints on the way to 5-2 when his season ended on one ugly Devin White tackle. The Saints had to move on, as frustrating as that was, and they did with Trevor Siemian. He started four games. The Saints lost four games.
Wins might not be a QB stat, this is true. But the QB is as big a part of team wins as anyone on the field. And don't kid yourself. It's only because we're talking about wins. If they were losses, no one ever hesitates to heap blame on the QB.
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The Siemian run might honestly never have happened had Hill not been just coming out of concussion protocol heading into Week 9. The run continued with Hill suffering a foot injury, which he battled through to take over in Week 14 against the Cowboys. The Saints lost their 5th straight after Hill injured his hand and threw four interceptions.
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I get it, Taysom doesn't do a lot of the traditional QB things at the level you'd want to see from a long-term starter. That's true. But we're not talking about long-term. We're talking about right now. We're talking about a one-footed, nine-fingered QB gritting through pain and finding a way to put this team on the precipice of a playoff run. It's not Taysom vs Jameis, it's the Saints vs expectations and that's what Saints fans should be concerned with.
Beyond the numbers, don't fool yourself into thinking that the way Hill is operating at quarterback isn't positively impacting the defense. One of the driving causes of that five-game losing streak was failing to protect the football, which meant constantly playing from behind. You simply can't win a game on defense if you never have the lead, and that's what changed over Taysom's three starts.
The Saints are now 6-0 this season in games they don't turn the ball over. They're 2-8 otherwise. In fact, the Saints have won their past 14 turnover-free games dating back to 2019. That's not a coincidence.
After the Bucs shutout, both acting head coach Dennis Allen and Hill used the words "make them go the long way," and that's what happened. In the second half that game the Saints had five consecutive three-and-outs. In some instances, you'd consider that letting down a defense. But the Bucs' average starting field position in the second half was inside their own 25. A punt is a positive result if it sets up your defense in a position to succeed. The opposite is true if you're setting up a defense on short fields and with a quick-change after a turnover. The latter would be forcing a defense to win in spite of you, the former is playing complementary football.
If you don't believe the defense is impacted by an offense playing turnover-free football, explain these numbers:
AVERAGE POINTS ALLOWED IN...
- 6 games (all wins) without an offensive turnover: 10.3
- 10 games (2-8) with at least 1 offensive turnover: 25.3
In Hill's last three starts, which have featured a focus on ball-security and field position, the Saints defense has improved that average even further to just 6.3 points allowed per game. They've done that by getting on the field in advantageous situations and making it count.
That's what the Saints have done all season. They've found a way in a year that everything seemingly went wrong. They've found a winning recipe playing to the strengths of a quarterback that has a clearly defined skillset and limitations. And they're one win and some help out of the playoff field. When Teddy Bridgewater led the Saints to a 5-0 record in 2019 after Brees' injury, he heard his name chanted around the Superdome even as he sat on the bench later in the year. He won games 12-10 and 13-6, operating in a similar fashion. He found a way. The fans understood and appreciated what was happening. They made sure he knew that.
Why isn't Taysom getting similar support for doing the same thing with a much more depleted roster and unrelenting issues with his hand and foot? Regardless of who you're hoping takes over the QB job for the Saints this season, a playoff run won't be what decides that. Winston will continue his rehab, and it feels likely the Saints bring him back knowing they've already chosen him once and he delivered.
But that's a decision to be made down the road. He's not available this season. So don't let QB allegiances stop you from seeing the bigger picture: No one wants to meet this defense in the playoffs, particularly with a QB who is going to force you to beat them at their best to win the game. That's the recipe that's allowed the Saints to enter a Week 18 rematch with the Falcons simply needing a win and a 49ers loss to the Rams to get into the playoffs.
Forget the stats and analysis and the future QB for a few games and just enjoy the ride.
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