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In todays NFL the placeholder in the kicking game is usually the punter. Why is that? Well, for one, the kicker and the punter spend plenty of time together while not involved in other team activities which allows them the reps to hone their skills together. Back in the day it was the QB or the backup QB who tended to placeholder duties. Why was that? The main reason was to maintain the presence of the opportunity for a fake FG in which the QB would raise up with the ball and attempt to throw it for a first down. Some NFL teams still use a backup QB as the placeholder, but most don't. That's because the QBs time at practice is used primarily with the offense, trying to improve their skills at their primary position. In some cases, the punters in the NFL were once high school quarterbacks and have the ability to carry out a fake FG at the NFL level. For the Saints no, but Hedley is 6' 4" tall and 220 pounds.
Strategy Using The Backup QB as the Placeholder IMO for the Saints should involve Taysom Hill. Hill already plays on most other special team units. As a QB all his life, surely, he has already at some point got down on one knee and held for the kicker. In the bigger picture what Hill could offer would be the possible fake on more than the typical rise up and pass play.
On short yardage 4th downs where the Saints are at the edge of the kickers high percentage make distance, Hill could simply stand up and shift the personnel in and out to favorable matchups where he could run or pass. He could send Grupe out to the far sideline just like Brees and Carr have done. Slight chance that Grupe would be a primary target or even involved in the play whatsoever, but, just like Brees and Carr, the defense would have to commit a defender to him rather than leave him uncovered. The defense on the field would not be the primary defenders. It would be their special team unit comprised of mostly backup players. The Saints would have the advantage of surprise as well as personnel groupings matching man on man with Hill doing his usual power QB run.
Short of using Hill as the placeholder, the Saints could send out the standard kicking team including Hill lined up as the wing and then shift everyone, with him in the wildcat QB position where he could run or throw.
Either of these should be worked on in 2024 and incorporated into the Saints special team fake field goal playbook, IMHO.
Any thoughts on this for any of you armchair special team coaches?
Strategy Using The Backup QB as the Placeholder IMO for the Saints should involve Taysom Hill. Hill already plays on most other special team units. As a QB all his life, surely, he has already at some point got down on one knee and held for the kicker. In the bigger picture what Hill could offer would be the possible fake on more than the typical rise up and pass play.
On short yardage 4th downs where the Saints are at the edge of the kickers high percentage make distance, Hill could simply stand up and shift the personnel in and out to favorable matchups where he could run or pass. He could send Grupe out to the far sideline just like Brees and Carr have done. Slight chance that Grupe would be a primary target or even involved in the play whatsoever, but, just like Brees and Carr, the defense would have to commit a defender to him rather than leave him uncovered. The defense on the field would not be the primary defenders. It would be their special team unit comprised of mostly backup players. The Saints would have the advantage of surprise as well as personnel groupings matching man on man with Hill doing his usual power QB run.
Short of using Hill as the placeholder, the Saints could send out the standard kicking team including Hill lined up as the wing and then shift everyone, with him in the wildcat QB position where he could run or throw.
Either of these should be worked on in 2024 and incorporated into the Saints special team fake field goal playbook, IMHO.
Any thoughts on this for any of you armchair special team coaches?
