Taysom Hill took full advantage of his limited opportunities this past season

Feb 1, 2023 - 3:00 PM

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Going into the season, Dennis Allen made it clear that Taysom Hill’s main focus would be at the tight end position this past year, stating specifically that he “may be one of the better players in our league in that role,”. However, this role never really materialized for Hill. As a pass catcher in this offense, Hill caught 9 of his 13 targets for 77 yards and a couple of touchdowns on the year. Basically, a non-factor at that spot.

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

A spot where Hill made a very lasting impact was in the running game. Almost every time Hill touched the ball on his infamous quarterback power plays or some type of designed run, he seemed to immediately jolt the New Orleans Saints offense back to life. Which is why many were confused why his usage was so inconsistent all year. Hill finished the year with 575 yards on the ground (avg. 6 YPC) and seven touchdowns. While these numbers are fairly exceptional, he could’ve easily contributed to a greater extent. In fact, the teams win total is a perfect example of that. The Saints were 6-0 this past season when Hill carried the ball seven or more times in a game. The only exception was in the first game of the season where Hill carried the ball four times for 81 yards and a touchdown in a win against the Falcons. It was clearly evident that Hill directly contributed to the team's success, which leaves one wondering why he wasn’t involved more.

Even as a thrower Taysom did well in his limited opportunities. He completed 13 of his 19 attempts for 240 yards and two touchdowns on the year. Many of which were either critical conversions or explosive plays.

The highlight of Hill’s season came in a week five game against the Seahawks where Hill carried the ball nine times for 112 yards and three touchdowns on the ground while throwing for another. A total of four touchdowns on the day, making it one of the most memorable performances in recent Saints memory.

And for good measure, he returned a few kicks and even recovered a fumble in the same game. What can’t he do?

Taysom Hill’s ability is nothing short of phenomenal. He is one of the most explosive players in not only this Saints offense but in the entire league. The team must do whatever they possibly can to find him the football next season as they simply cannot waste a player of his caliber. Only good things happened when he touched the rock. Hopefully this team has figured this out and provides Hill with a more prominent role next season.

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