When New Orleans Saints lost starting quarterback Drew Brees to ribs and lung injuries earlier this week, it was expected that backup Jameis Winston would take his place under center for the upcoming game against Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. But according to recent reports, this won’t be the case.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Friday that Saints decided to turn to versatile Taysom Hill as their QB and have given him all practice reps with the starting lineup throughout the week.
Brees started last week’s game against the San Francisco 49ers but didn’t return for the second halftime. Winston stepped up in his place, attempting 10 passes in the remaining two quarters and completing six for 63 yards. This was only the 26-year-old’s second feature this season, after taking 10 snaps in Week 9.
It looks like the Saints’ coaching staff wasn’t satisfied with what they’ve seen from Winston and will now roll the dice with Hill.
The start against Atlanta will be Taysom Hill’s first in the NFL. While nominally a quarterback, Hill has been mostly used as a utility player by Saints so far in his career and has taken the field as a running back, wide receiver, tight end, and quarterback, among other positions.
In 2020, Hill made the most impact as a rusher, running for 186 yards and a touchdown in 34 carries. He also caught six passes for 64 yards and a score.
When it comes to his performance at the quarterback position, Hill has attempted five passes this season, completing four of them for 86 yards. Since coming to the NFL, he has 10 completions out of 18 attempts and has thrown for 205 yards and an interception.
