Report: Saints' Taysom Hill Won't Require Surgery on Tendon Injury in Finger
Dec 3, 2021
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 07: Taysom Hill #7 of the New Orleans Saints warms up before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Caesars Superdome on November 07, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill's finger injury reportedly won't keep him out of games.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Saints team doctors determined the mallet-finger injury Hill suffered won't require surgery and he will attempt to play through it.
Schefter added the injury was not as severe as the one suffered by Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson earlier this season that required him to undergo surgery and miss three games.
Hill suffered the injury in the first quarter of Thursday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys. His hand hit the arm of Cowboys defensive end Dorance Armstrong on the follow-through after he threw a pass intended for Marquez Callaway.
The Saints use the 31-year-old all over the field. In eight games played, he has 320 passing yards, 205 rushing yards and 52 receiving yards. He also sees time on special teams.
Hill missed two games with a concussion before returning in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. While playing backup to Trevor Siemian, he completed two passes for 33 yards and ran one time for four yards in his first game back. But his usage was way down in his return.
The BYU product played just 17 of the Saints' snaps against Atlanta (22 percent). According to Amie Just of NOLA.com, he was on the field for closer to 50 percent of the offensive plays prior to his injury.
Hill had the best season of his four-year career in 2020, starting eight of his 16 games and passing for 928 yards and four touchdowns while adding 457 rushing yards and eight more scores.
He had been competing with Jameis Winston for the starting quarterback position prior to this season. Winston suffered a torn ACL in Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while Hill was out, leaving Siemian to step into the starting role.
Siemian was benched prior to Thursday's game because of his struggles as the starter. He threw for 924 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions in four starts.
The Saints have a few extra days off before their next game against the New York Jets on Dec. 12.
The New Orleans Saints should not have played Taysom Hill at quarterback in the second half of Thursday night's 27-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys . Hill was clearly hampered by the finger injury he suffered in the first half...
Taysom Hill's Updated Fantasy Outlook After Saints' Loss vs. Cowboys
Dec 3, 2021
New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (7) looks to pass during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill made his first start of the season in Thursday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys. The Saints suffered their fifth straight loss, 27-17, to fall to 5-7.
Hill completed 19-of-41 passes for 264 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He also added 101 rush yards on 11 carries. So how should fantasy football owners view Hill moving forward this season?
Hill flashed his arm talent a couple of times with some nice throws early on. He found Lil'Jordan Humphrey wide open for a touchdown in the second quarter.
But Hill later suffered an injury to his throwing hand, causing him to play with his fingers wrapped for the rest of the game. That might've been a factor in his subpar completion percentage of 46.3.
Hill is known for his dual-threat ability, but New Orleans didn't play to his strengths to start the game. In the first half, he had just two carries for 12 yards. He followed with seven carries for 75 yards in the third quarter alone.
With New Orleans trailing in the fourth quarter, the Saints once again tried to focus on the passing attack. But Hill threw bad interceptions on back-to-back-to-back possessions, including a pick-six to defensive lineman Carlos Watkins.
Tipped and PICKED. Damontae Kazee has it for the #DallasCowboys!
Hill's day was salvaged by a garbage-time 70-yard touchdown pass to Deonte Harris, capping one of the most unique fantasy performances by a quarterback in recent memory.
Deonte Harris turns on the jets for a 70-yard touchdown! @tayynation1#Saints
The boom-or-bust nature of Hill's play is hard to trust. His rushing yards give him a boost in fantasy production, but it doesn't mean much if he doesn't reach the end zone. It's also hard to expect him to consistently put up big numbers through the air.
Hill is not a dependable fantasy option and shouldn't be looked at as more than a QB2. Fantasy owners in two-quarterback leagues can give him a look and consider him a plug-and-play option if he has a favorable matchup. But in all other formats, he should be viewed as a backup player to stash on your bench.
Alvin Kamara Reportedly Ruled Out for Saints vs. Cowboys Because of Knee Injury
Dec 2, 2021
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 07: Alvin Kamara #41 of the New Orleans Saints runs the ball during the fourth quarter in the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Caesars Superdome on November 07, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Superstar New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara will reportedly miss his fourth consecutive game Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater, a knee injury will keep Kamara out Thursday, while offensive tackles Ryan Ramczyk and Terron Armstead will also sit out with knee injuries.
When healthy this season, the 26-year-old has been as productive as always, rushing for 530 yards and three touchdowns in eight games while adding 32 catches for 310 yards and another four scores.
But knee soreness cost him games in November, meaning the injury-depleted Saints were without their best offensive weapon. Without him in the lineup, the team has gone 0-3, dropping to 5-6 overall.
Kamara's importance to the New Orleans offense has been clear throughout his career. Coming into the 2021 season, he had posted at least 1,300 yards from scrimmage in all four years of his career and double-digit touchdowns in three campaigns.
He was superb in 2020, rushing for 932 yards and 16 touchdowns while catching 83 passes for 756 yards and another five scores.
Few players in football offer the Tennessee product's impact as both a runner and a receiver, which makes him uniquely difficult to replace when he's unable to play.
The Saints will rely on the combination of Mark Ingram II, Ty Montgomery and Tony Jones Jr. in the backfield Thursday with Kamara out, plus quarterback Taysom Hill figures to play a big role as a runner.
Taysom Hill Likely to Replace Trevor Siemian as Saints Starting QB vs. Cowboys
Dec 1, 2021
New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (7) before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, in Philadelphia. The Eagles defeated the Saints 40-29. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)
Taysom Hill reportedly "appears
poised" to take over as the New Orleans Saints' starting
quarterback for Thursday night's Week 13 game against the Dallas
Cowboys.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network
reported Wednesday that Hill has been taking practice reps with the
first-team offense and will replace Trevor Siemian as the starter if there are no
setbacks with his foot injury:
From @GMFB: The #Saints are likely starting QB Taysom Hill on Thursday assuming his foot holds up today, while the #Giants are expected to start QB Mike Glennon this week due to Daniel Jones' neck strain. pic.twitter.com/lR7khibGZ4
Hill lost a training-camp competition
against Jameis Winston for the starting job to open the regular
season. Winston suffered a torn ACL in an Oct. 31 win over the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers and was replaced by Siemian for the past four games.
Although Hill has been active for each
of Siemian's starts, he was initially recovering from a concussion
suffered in the Bucs game and then trying the manage the foot injury,
which severely limited the multifaceted playmaker's impact over the
past month.
The Saints lost all four games under
Siemian's guidance, dropping from 5-2 to 5-6, which likely spurred the move to consider another quarterback change.
Hill started four games last year in
place of the since-retired Drew Brees and played quite well in
his first extensive work as an NFL quarterback. He completed 71.9
percent of his throws (82 of 114) for 834 yards with four touchdowns
and two interceptions. He added 209 rushing yards and four scores on
the ground.
The 31-year-old BYU product recently
signed a unique four-year contract extension that's heavily dependent
on his future role.
It's worth $40 million at baseline if
he remains an all-around offensive weapon, but there's an additional
$55 million in potential earnings mostly tied to him becoming the
franchise's starting quarterback, per Rapoport.
Now it appears Hill will get a chance
to stake his claim to the role during the stretch run of the
regular season if he can play through a partially torn plantar fascia
in his foot.
"I had a partial [tear], which after
learning about, they said you'd rather have a full tear," Hill told
reporters. "I think that's been what we've been working through in
terms of pain management and tolerance. That's been the challenge. I
think we're just getting to the point where I'm going to be dealing
with pain. It's just getting to the point where it doesn't limit
functionality."
His first start of 2021 is set to come
against a Cowboys defense that's giving up the sixth-most passing
yards per game (262.3) this season.
The Saints' aerial attack has been
limited throughout the year in large part because of not having a true
No. 1 wide receiver, with Michael Thomas missing the entire campaign
with an ankle injury.
Hill will try to provide a spark to
help the Saints push back toward a playoff spot.
Report: Taysom Hill Taking Saints' 1st-Team Practice Reps Ahead of Cowboys Game
Nov 29, 2021
New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (7) before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, in Philadelphia. The Eagles defeated the Saints 40-29. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)
The New Orleans Saints have lost four games in a row and may be primed to make a quarterback change prior to Thursday's matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Taysom Hill took first-team reps during practice, with Trevor Siemian working with the backups.
New Orleans' season took a turn for the worst when starting quarterback Jameis Winston suffered a torn ACL during a Week 8 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team looked like potential Super Bowl contenders at the time with a 5-2 record and victory over the defending champions, but they are now 5-6.
Siemian started all four of the consecutive losses and has completed 57.2 percent of his passes for 1,083 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions on the season.
It is not all his fault, as the Saints have been without star wide receiver Michael Thomas all season and played without Alvin Kamara in each of the last three contests. There just aren't many game-changing weapons on the offense without that pair, and Siemian has been unable to establish a winning consistency.
Hill brings far more versatility to the table than Siemian because of his ability to run.
The 6'2", 221-pounder has been used as a running and receiving threat at times this season, and he could add a spark to an offense that needs it. Still, the former BYU quarterback is also someone who has never inspired when it comes to throwing the ball downfield in the NFL.
Hill has four passing touchdowns to four interceptions in his career and has found more success on short underneath routes and screens than anything else as a passer.
Whether that will be enough to counter a formidable Cowboys offense with Dak Prescott in control remains to be seen, but the Saints could use a change after their recent losing streak as they look to play their way back into postseason position.
Erik McCoy Says Saints 'Got Our Butts Beat' by Bills in Blowout Loss
Nov 26, 2021
New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy (78) gets set to take the field before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, in Philadelphia. The Eagles defeated the Saints 40-29. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)
New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy didn't mince words after his team's 31-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving.
"It sucks," McCoy told reporters. "I can't really expound on it much. We got our butts beat today."
The Saints' season has taken a disappointing turn after a 5-2 start. It's perhaps not a coincidence that things have fallen apart for their offense since Jameis Winston tore his ACL and damaged his MCL in the second quarter of a Week 8 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Winston wasn't having a great season prior to the injury, but he was running head coach Sean Payton's offense effectively. The 27-year-old had the highest touchdown percentage in the NFL (8.7) among qualified quarterbacks and only threw three interceptions on 191 attempts.
Trevor Siemian, who took over the offense after Winston's injury, has a similar stat line in his four starts. The Northwestern alum has nine touchdowns and three interceptions in five games, but his three picks have come in the past two games.
Since putting up 376 yards of offense against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, the Saints have averaged 295.3 yards in their past three games. They have committed five turnovers during their four-game losing streak.
Thursday's loss knocked the Saints down to No. 10 in the NFC standings, but they are only one game behind the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers in the loss column. Their 5-6 record is tied with the Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers.
New Orleans will attempt to get back on track with a home game against the Dallas Cowboys, who have dropped three of their last four games, on Dec. 2.
Report: Saints' Deonte Harris Appealing 3-Game Suspension for DUI Arrest
Nov 26, 2021
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 21: New Orleans Saints Wide Receiver Deonte Harris (11) returns a kick in the first half during the game between the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles on November 21, 2021 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Deonte
Harris was informed of a three-game suspension from the NFL before
Thursday's game against the Buffalo Bills after he was sentenced to
one year of probation in early November following a DUI arrest in
July.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network
reported Friday that Harris immediately appealed the suspension, which cleared
him to play in the Thanksgiving Day game and will allow him to remain
active until the appeal is heard.
Harris' case ended after he entered a
plea of not guilty with an "agreed statement of facts," which
allowed the judge to render a sentence without delivering a verdict
of guilty or not guilty, according to the Baltimore Sun. The Saints
wideout was placed on probation through Nov. 8, 2022.
The 23-year-old Baltimore native was
arrested in Maryland on July 16. The police report stated he was
pulled over for driving more than 20 mph over the speed limit, after which the
officer noticed "bloodshot and glassy" eyes and an odor of
alcohol. He failed field sobriety tests and a Breathalyzer test
showed his BAC was more than three times the legal limit, according
to the Baltimore Sun.
Harris' attorney, William H. Murphy
Jr., released a statement to Amie Just of the New Orleans Advocate
after the probation sentence was handed down.
"The court recognized that he was
a fine young man with a great future ahead of him and accordingly,
she gave him what is called probation before judgment, which is not a
conviction under Maryland law," Murphy said. "We are happy
about the result and look forward to this young man having an
exceptional career in the NFL and an exceptional life."
Rapoport noted Harris and the Saints
have "known a suspension was likely coming" since the sentence
was announced.
Harris made one catch for nine yards in
Thursday's 31-6 loss to the Bills. He also returned four kickoffs and
one punt on special teams.
The Assumption University product ranks
third in the NFL with 591 kickoff return yards in 2021. He's also
recorded 27 receptions for 427 yards and two touchdowns on offense.
New Orleans' next game comes Thursday
when it hosts the Dallas Cowboys. A date for Harris' appeal hearing
wasn't announced.
Josh Allen Throws 4 TD Passes as Bills Blow Out Saints in Thanksgiving Night Clash
Nov 26, 2021
Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox, left, celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (1) and quarterback Josh Allen (17) in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Derick Hingle)
Josh Allen threw four touchdown passes in concert with his team's dominant defensive effort as the Buffalo Bills rolled to a 31-6 road win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday at Caesars Superdome.
Buffalo led 24-0 after three quarters. Tight end Dawson Knox caught a seven-yard TD pass in the first quarter before adding a 24-yarder late in the third. In between, a 34-yard Tyler Bass field goal and a third-quarter touchdown pass from Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs for five yards completed the scoring.
Allen's fourth and final touchdown pass went to running back Matt Breida, who caught a 23-yarder in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
The short-handed Saints played without both top running backs, as Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram II sat with knee injuries. New Orleans was also without offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk (knee) and defensive end Marcus Davenport (shoulder).
The remaining Saints struggled on offense, amassing just 64 yards on their first six drives (not counting a first half-ending kneeldown).
They did engineer a 10-play, 75-yard drive capped by a Nick Vannett 11-yard touchdown catch to cut the lead to 24-6, but that served as the Saints' offensive apex.
The Bills ended up out-gaining the Saints 361-190 after possessing the ball for nearly 35 minutes.
The Bills unfortunately did not come out of this game unscathed as No. 1 cornerback Tre'Davious White suffered a left knee injury in the second quarter.
White's knee appeared to slightly buckle as he blanketed Saints wide receiver Marquez Callaway in coverage. He was initially ruled doubtful before Buffalo declared him out.
The 7-4 Bills moved into a tie for first place in the AFC East with the New England Patriots. The 5-6 Saints fell a half-game out of the NFC playoff picture behind the 5-5 San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings with the loss.
Saints RB Tony Jones Jr.: 16 carries, 27 rushing yards
Saints TE Nick Vannett: 1 catch, 11 receiving yards, 1 TD
Best Version of Bills Shows up in Superdome
At its best, Buffalo has as strong a case as any city that it's home to the best NFL franchise.
The Bills have seven wins, six of which have come by 18 or more points. They include a 38-20 road win over the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs and a pair of shutout victories over the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans by a combined 75-0 score.
The Bills also have four losses, including a 9-6 result to the 2-8 Jacksonville Jaguars and a 41-15 home defeat to the Indianapolis Colts that saw Jonathan Taylor score five touchdowns.
On Thursday, the best Bills showed up, with numerous players stealing the spotlight.
Having a healthy Knox in the mix helps. All he's done in the past two games is catch nine passes for 112 yards and two scores. He has seven touchdowns in eight games after missing three contests because of a broken right hand.
Knox went to work on his first score, making a few Saints miss tackles before crossing the goal line:
Diggs is also heating up with touchdowns in five of his last six games. His phenomenal footwork and route-running were on display during his touchdown:
The former Maryland star has at least 60 receiving yards or a touchdown in each game this year.
Of course, Allen delivered all those passes, and he looked far more like the 2020 NFL MVP candidate version of himself rather than the shaky, inconsistent gunslinger that came to play in 2018 and 2019. He did throw two interceptions, but neither ended up mattering in the 25-point win.
The Bills have also gotten a backfield boost thanks to Breida, who gives Buffalo more burst and elusiveness in the open field. That was clearly evident after he took Allen's screen pass to the house for six:
Breida and Devin Singletary made up the backfield with a healthy Zack Moss scratched. The move to Breida has worked, with the five-year veteran amassing 172 scrimmage yards on 23 touches in his last three games.
Meanwhile, the Bills' defense had the Saints' number all night, capped by this Jordan Poyer interception:
After allowing the Colts to run free the week before, the Bills defense needed to respond with a big performance, and they got it in a tough environment.
The Bills will certainly be tested the rest of the way, with two games against the AFC East co-leading Pats and a road date with Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the regular-season ledger.
However, Buffalo at its best can beat any team, anywhere. The question is whether that 2021 Bills version shows up enough consistently down the stretch.
New Orleans' Season Is Sinking
The Saints' last four games bring to mind the closing lyrics of The Tragically Hip's ode to the city, "New Orleans Is Sinking."
"My memory is muddy, what's this river that I'm in? New Orleans is sinking, man, and I don't want to swim."
New Orleans started the year 5-2, with wins over three legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The combined score in those three wins: Saints 102, Opponents 43.
That start is nothing but a muddy memory at this point.
The shorthanded Saints have since lost four straight without starting quarterback Jameis Winston (torn ACL, MCL damage). A laundry list of injuries have existed all month, which includes a 27-25 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, a 23-21 result to the Tennessee Titans and a 40-29 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Those games at least had varying levels of competitiveness, but any drama and intrigue in this one was gone well before the fourth quarter.
The Saints couldn't move the ball through the air or on the ground, and save for two Allen interceptions, the defense had no answer for anything Buffalo did Thursday.
Granted, the Saints are playing with a backup quarterback right now. In addition, Siemian was thrust into a very difficult spot as he plays behind a banged-up offensive line. Missing the team's top star in Kamara certainly hurts, and star wideout Michael Thomas isn't playing this year as he recovers from ankle surgery.
But it's more clear than ever that New Orleans' season is sinking with the team officially sliding out of the playoff picture Thursday.
The Saints have historically been a tough, resilient bunch under head coach Sean Payton over the past decade-and-a-half. Not every season has gone their way, but New Orleans never went worse than 7-9 since 2006.
Granted, all those teams had Drew Brees, and this one does not. But the Saints showed what their peak looks like earlier this year, and there's time to answer the question as to whether New Orleans is capable of hitting anywhere close to that mark again.
However, with the team losing so many key members that started the season with them, they may have to find another way to swim and stay alive in the playoff race.
What's Next?
The Bills will host the Patriots in a key AFC East matchup on Monday, Dec. 6 at 8:15 p.m. ET from Highmark Stadium.
The Saints will welcome the Dallas Cowboys into New Orleans on Thursday at 8:20 p.m.
Fantasy Alert: Mark Ingram Out for Saints vs. Bills; Tony Jones Among RBs Available
Nov 25, 2021
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - OCTOBER 17: Mark Ingram #2 of the Houston Texans is tackled by Zaire Franklin #44 of the Indianapolis Colts in the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 17, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram will not play Thursday's game against the Buffalo Bills, per Fox Sports' Jay Glazer.
That leaves Tony Jones, Dwayne Washington and Ty Montgomery as the remaining running backs for the NFC South team since Alvin Kamara is also sidelined.
The 31-year-old Ingram dealt with an ankle issue last season with the Baltimore Ravens after injuring it in Week 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles, though it happened to correspond with the team's Week 7 bye, lessening the time he missed.
For the season, he rushed for 299 yards and two scores in 11 games.
After parts of 10 seasons in the NFL, wear and tear began to show on Ingram's tires. Add in the presence of J.K. Dobbins and the rushing ability of quarterback Lamar Jackson, and the Ravens moved away from Ingram as a focal point of the offense.
That made him expendable this offseason, and the Houston Texans added him to the roster. But they traded him to the Saints in October, where he started his career in 2011 and played for eight seasons.
With Ingram out, Jones is probably the best fantasy option from New Orleans' backfield, but it wouldn't be a surprise if none of the remaining backs put up impressive numbers.
