NEW ORLEANS — Taysom Hill, playing on a bum foot, and throwing with a bum hand after an early series injury, excited fans with his runs but misfired on his second half passes and had little other support as the Saints lost their fifth straight, 27-17, to Dallas Thursday night in the Superdome.
Playing without seven players projected as starters at the season’s start, the Saints offense got a boost from Hill’s early passes and later runs, but Hill hurt the middle finger of his throwing hand early and had trouble with the sharpness of his passes thereafter.
"He played with a lot of heart and a lot of guts but we didn’t help him any in the first half," said head coach Sean Payton.
Hill hit on 12 of 21 passes in the first half for 144 yards and a touchdown with one interception. In the second half, when he appeared to be noticeably having problems with the injured finger, he hit on only 7 of 20 passes for 120 yards and he was picked off three times, the last one, a pick-six that sealed the game. His stats improved with a 70-yard garbage time pass to Devonte Harris, which was about a 15-yard pass and a 55-yard run that no doubt excited fantasy players with either guy on their team.
Hill did excite the crowd though and nearly kept the team in the contest with 101 yards rushing on 11 carries. He finished with 19 of 41 passing for 264 yards along with the two touchdowns and four interceptions. Hill's passing and running accounted for 365 of the team's 404 yards.
Hill said his finger is not broken but that it would be assessed Friday. He said his injured planter fascia has gotten to the point where he could do whatever he needed to do for his game, in fact, he said he specifically asked to run the ball during the halftime break.
"I made a comment to the coach at halftime and said I’d like to do some of those QB runs," he said. "I didn't know we'd call them all on the next drive."
Hill's electric running in the second half was in contrast to his passing struggles. With the Saints down 20-10, Marshon Lattimore picked off Dak Prescott and gave the Saints the ball at the Dallas 46, but Hill was picked off on the Saints next three possessions.
Meanwhile, Dallas made just enough big plays on offense – a couple of big receptions by CeeDee Lamb and a 58-yard scoring run by Troy Pollard to secure the win.
Dallas also benefitted from poor call on an alleged blind side block by Garrett Griffin in the third quarter, a phantom call that negated a big first down play and the ensuing series resulted in the Pollard TD for the Cowboys.
The Saints were without three of the league’s top offensive linemen and running back Alvin Kamara along with tight end Adam Trautman. And, as they had been all year, there was no Michael Thomas and Jameis Winston has been gone for more than a month.
Yes, the Saints could get Ryan Ramcyzk, Terron Armstead and Alvin Kamara back sooner than later, but Hill’s prognosis could be in doubt with an unspecified middle finger injury.
Of course, you never say never, but, it appears injuries to the seven Saints offensive starters, placekicker and two defensive starters are just too much for the team to overcome.
An expanded playoff field means there is still a chance for the team to make the postseason, but they'll have to play a brand of football not seen in more than six weeks and while there is expected to be some returning help, it's not like the cavalry is coming.
