Taysom Hill is not the quarterback. But he remains a valuable player for the Saints.
The New Orleans utility player showed why on Monday with a 30-yard touchdown catch that put him in the NFL record books.
As the Saints faced second-and-9 in the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hill lined up in the slot and cut wide to the left sideline on a pass play. Cornerback Jamel Dean followed tight end Adam Trautman down the middle, and Hill broke free from safety Keanu Neal on a burst zone coverage. Hill then raced down the sideline and carried a 30-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton to give the Saints a 7-3 lead.
With the score, Hill became the first player of the Super Bowl era to record more than nine touchdowns as a runner, receiver and passer. He came into play Monday with 21 career rushing touchdowns, nine passing touchdowns and eight receiving touchdowns.
After starting nine games at quarterback in the previous two seasons under Sean Payton, Hill has seen limited reps behind center in 2022 with 14 passing attempts under first-year head coach Dennis Allen. He made the bulk of his field contributions as the Saints’ second rusher with team-leading 409 total yards and six touchdowns heading into Monday’s game.
The Bucs have learned the hard way that he’s also a threat as a wide receiver and a player who demands attention from defense no matter where he lines up.
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