Why the Saints Should Start Taysom Hill Over Drew Brees in Week 14
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees has missed the last three games with a severe rib injury and a collapsed lung. The Saints placed him on injured reserve on November 20th, but he was throwing at practice as of last week. Brees is eligible to come off injured reserve this week, as the 10-2 Saints prepare for a road game against the 3-8-1 Philadelphia Eagles. While the legendary quarterback might be eligible to return to action, there are several reasons to keep him sidelined at least another week.
Drew Brees is the ultimate competitor. He has missed just nine games because of injury in fifteen seasons with the Saints. He is also still playing at a Pro Bowl level. Brees leads the NFL with a 73.5% completion percentage, a category he led the league in for the previous three seasons.
He’s averaged 265 yards per outing in his eight full games in 2020, throwing for at least 280 yards five times, with 18 touchdown passes and just 3 interceptions. Brees is this team's best chance to win their second Super Bowl championship. Risking a re-aggravation of such a serious injury by rushing him back too soon would undoubtedly end his season.
Nov 22, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees prior to kickoff against the Atlanta Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Anyone who's ever had a rib injury will tell you that breathing in cold air is brutally unbearable. On Sunday, the early forecast has the game-time temperature in the low 50s - unseasonably warm for Pennsylvania in December. But the game is a late afternoon kickoff (4:25 pm EST), as the temperature will be dropping.
The turf at Lincoln Financial Field is also traditionally one of the worst in the league, and weather forecasts are also calling for the likelihood of rain. Definitely not the friendly confines of the Superdome, where the Saints will host the Kansas City Chiefs the following week.
The Eagles are struggling this season, but are still very much in the NFC East race, so have a lot to play for down the stretch. They also have a formidable defense with a fierce pass rush. Philadelphia has 38 sacks and 89 QB hits, paced by one of the most physical defensive lines in football.
Ends Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett, and DT Fletcher Cox are Pro Bowl-caliber players who combine 18 sacks and 35 QB hits. The Saints protect their quarterback as well as anyone in the NFL, even without left tackle Terron Armstead on the Reserve/Covid-19 list the previous two games.
Jan 13, 2019; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Terron Armstead (72) and Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) try to recover a loose ball during the first quarter of a NFC Divisional playoff football game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY
New Orleans can defeat the Eagles without Brees and is heavily favored to do so. The Saints have the league's top-ranked defense who has been playing at an elite level this past month.
Only three teams have turned the ball over more than the Eagles, who rank just 28th in passing offense and have made the change at quarterback from Carson Wentz to rookie Jalen Hurts this week.
The Saints have tortured quarterbacks recently by holding them to a 53% completion percentage rate, recording 17 sacks, and forcing 11 turnovers in their last five games.
Quarterback Taysom Hill has surpassed expectations in his three games since stepping in for the injured Brees. He's completed 71% of his throws and has exceeded 230 passing yards twice with 2 touchdowns passes and 1 interception.
Hill has plenty of weapons, including wideouts Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, RB Alvin Kamara, and TE Jared Cook. These players are among the league's best at their respective positions and test any pass defense. As long as Hill is decisive with the football, this passing attack can still strike for big plays at any time.
Dec 6, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (7) passes against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY
© Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Taysom Hill adds an extra element Drew Brees does not - the rush. He is a dangerous rushing threat to opposing defenses. New Orleans' offense has averaged 201 yards on the ground and 5.2 per carry in Hill's three games under center. In those games, the quarterback rushed for 178 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Philadelphia's run defense ranks 25th in the league, a factor to keep in mind if the weather turns ugly at Lincoln Financial Field in the late afternoon. Hill and running back Latavius Murray could be significant factors between the tackles on a sloppy playing field.
New Orleans has a marquee matchup in Week 15 when they host the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. One headline to that game will be a potential quarterback showdown between Brees and Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes.
While the Saints shouldn't need Drew Brees to beat the Eagles, they may need him to match points with a prolific Kansas City offense. Even with as well as their defense has been playing. If Brees doesn't play against the Eagles, he would not have taken a snap in a game in 35 days since the November 15th victory against the 49ers.
Oct 27, 2019; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) runs from pressure from Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Rodney Gunter (95) in the second quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY
Drew Brees has always been a creature of habit, a player who relies on timing and rhythm. He also has impeccable work habits and practice routines, which allows him to play well even after a layoff between games.
Brees missed five games last year while recovering from thumb surgery, returning to the lineup in a home game against the Arizona Cardinals. He completed 34 of 43 attempts for 373 yards with 3 touchdowns and an interception in that game. The only other time Brees returned from an injury was in 2015 against the Dallas Cowboys after a one-game absence, throwing for 359 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Over his 15 seasons with New Orleans, Brees has played in 35 contests with at least two weeks between games because of a bye, injury, postseason bye, or season openers. He’s completed 68% of his attempts in those games, averaged 320 yards per outing, and threw 82 touchdown passes with only 29 interceptions. History has shown us to expect a sharp performance from Brees when he returns to the lineup.
Oct 12, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) throws against the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Drew Brees undoubtedly wants to get back to the field. Sean Payton, the coaches, and the team have done a magnificent job maintaining their focus without Brees. The Saints are undefeated when he's missed games because of an injury, including 3-0 in 2020 and 8-0 over the last two seasons.
New Orleans is still a much better team with Number 9 behind center than on the sideline. However, even if given a clean bill of health by medical personnel, the smart decision is to start Taysom Hill against the Philadelphia Eagles and bring their Hall of Fame quarterback back the following week for a championship push.
