Recap

By Bob Rose | SI

For the first time since 2005, the New Orleans Saints would face their archenemy, the Atlanta Falcons, without Drew Brees behind center. Saints head coach Sean Payton shocked most of the football world at mid-week when he announced that Taysom Hill would get the start for the injured Brees over the more experienced Jameis Winston.

Amid reports of a divided locker room over their preference at quarterback, the Saints responded with a dominant defensive and offensive performance in pummeling the Falcons 24-9.

Atlanta began this contest with a 65-Yd march, bolstered by a 45-Yd completion to WR Calvin Ridley, which ended with a short field goal. New Orleans would go three-and-out on their first possession, with Hill taking a sack on 3rd and short. The Saints defense took control of the game after that.

After that opening drive, New Orleans allowed just 183 yards through the rest of the game and held a potent Atlanta offense to only three field goals. The Falcons were just 2 of 14 on 3rd downs and had negative yardage in the third quarter. New Orleans sacked Atlanta QB Matt Ryan 8 times and intercepted him twice, putting a stranglehold on the game.

Full Story - SI

By John Sigler | Saints Wire

While Taysom Hill was the talk of the town in his first start for the New Orleans Saints, several teammates turned in great tape for their efforts against the Atlanta Falcons — and a few others left something to be desired. Here are our picks for standouts from Week 11:

STUD | Kwon Alexander

The most impressive plays may have been the ones Alexander didn’t make. He correctly read two passes into the flat and broke on the ball near-perfectly, coming within inches of an interception and likely running it back for a touchdown both times. He just couldn’t seal the deal. If he keeps his head up when crashing down on the receiver to better track the pass, he might have two turnovers to his credit. But Alexander has added so much athleticism and improved eye discipline to the Saints defense while patrolling the middle of the field that it’s easy to see why the team traded for him.

DUD | Erik McCoy

McCoy didn’t have a bad game, but an offensive lineman is going to catch some flak if his holding foul wipes out a 57-yard touchdown pass. He was also dinged for allowing pressure in pass protection, but on the whole, there isn’t much to complain about for McCoy. The Saints had success running behind him and he mostly played clean football whenever Hill was looking to throw. It’s just a shame that his penalty took such a great play (and the points that came with it) off the board.

Full Story - Saints Wire - USA Today

By Jeff Kerr | CBS Sports

Taysom Hill made his highly anticipated first career start Sunday, which netted a familiar result for the New Orleans Saints -- another win. Hill certainly wasn't Drew Brees in New Orleans' 24-9 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, but he was efficient.

Hill finished 18 of 23 for 233 yards and recorded a 108.9 passer rating, with no touchdown passes and no interceptions. Hill is just the seventh quarterback in the NFL since 1950 to have completed over 78% of his passes in his first career start (minimum 20 attempts). Of those seven quarterbacks in that category, he joins Stan Humphries as the only quarterback to average over 10 yards per pass attempt (Hill averaged 10.1 yards per attempt Sunday).

Hill also rushed for 51 yards and two touchdowns (and a lost fumble), leading the Saints in both categories. He joined Daunte Culpepper as the only players in the Super Bowl era with at least 40 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in their first start at quarterback (Culpepper accomplished the feat in Week 1 of the 2000 season).

"I thought that he played well," said Saints head coach Sean Payton, evaluating Hill's performance. "He had the one turnover late in the game. ... We had a big touchdown pass called back. It's a good team win.

Full Story - CBS Sports

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (7) runs off the field after an
NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, in
New Orleans. Tyler Kaufman, Associated Press

By Brandon Judd | Deseret News

Taysom Hill made the most out of his first chance to start an NFL game at quarterback Sunday, helping lead the New Orleans Saints to a 24-9 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

The fact the win came against an NFC South rival and kept the Saints in the running for the NFC’s top seed just added to the moment, as Hill — who’s developed a reputation for his jack-of-all-trades abilities — passed the test in his first opportunity to earn a win as a starting quarterback in the pros.

“To be able to come out and get a win in my first start was gratifying, more than anything,” said Hill, who told reporters after the game he spent time reflecting this week on his NFL journey. That journey has included going undrafted, joining the Saints off waivers from Green Bay and spending much of the past four seasons as a utility player on offense and special teams.

Full Story - Deseret News