Saints The Onside Kick vs Vikings... (1 Viewer)

[Super44]

The Vikings are trying to keep the game in close, and they have a little momentum after Thielen’s late TD catch... 12 point deficit, just over 2 minutes left... and the Vikings go for an onside kick attempt.

Saints counter with their “hands team”... a personnel package that puts the guys with the best hands on the front lines, to snatch a bouncing and unpredictable ball with defenders bearing down on them...

The Saints typically set this up with a row of players up front that will engage the defenders, and then a great “hands” guy (CGM when healthy) behind that to secure the kick... the Saints have Emmanuel Sanders, Alvin Kamara, and even Marquez Callaway (an experienced KR) as options... so who’s back there?

Taysom Hill! The Saints are the only team out there that would put their backup QB as the guy to secure an onside kick... I wear Taysom Hill pajamas, and even I was like, “WHAAAAAT?!?”

Hill snatches the bouncing kick, secures it and goes to the turf, with Vikings all around him... game over.

Did anyone notice how Hill used perfect technique? He essentially lowered his body as the ball came towards him, then grabbed the ball with his hands and then rolled his body around the ball, shielding the ball from the Vikings?

 

[IsraeliSaintsFan]

One of the announcers pointed out that it was Hill who recovered the kick and asked rhetorically "are there 6 Taysom Hills?".

 

[Saint Taysom]

It’s such a unique situation because Hill is such a unique player!

If Hill is good to go, and the QB spot opens up for any stretch of time, Hill takes over as the starting QB... but when Brees is playing, Hill isn’t the backup QB, it’s wINsTon...

...so Hill is featured more in the game plan in other roles when Brees works as the starter... so much so, that in the current situation.. it’s Hill that is the guy when a team tries an onside kick against the Saints.

 

[Merl]

Unfortunately, yes.

I think I am blind now! Is there any way to un-see that?

 

[DCTransplant]

Did anyone notice how Hill used perfect technique? He essentially lowered his body as the ball came towards him, then grabbed the ball with his hands and then rolled his body around the ball, shielding the ball from the Vikings?

Training video for Anzalone

 

[SystemShock]

Because they weren’t expecting him.