Did Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill do anything tonight to close the door on the Saints’ starting QB gig? The Saints matched up against the Jaguars in Week 2 of the preseason. Hill got the start last week, but Week 2 was Winston’s turn.
How did Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill look?
Which quarterback played the better game? Were the circumstances fair? They saw about the same level of production in the first preseason game.
Jameis Winston
Winston started hot, capping off a 4/4 drive with a 43-yard TD deep down the middle of the field. Two false starts put the offense behind the sticks, and the second drive ended with a punt.
The next drive might have been even more impressive. The Saints QB once again went 4/4. This time, he threw a 29-yard TD down the left sideline to Marquez Callaway, putting the receiver over 100 yards in just the first quarter.
Winston started the game going 9-10 for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was accurate and decisive. He ran the offense to perfection. His night was over with 1:08 left to play in the first quarter.
Taysom Hill
Hill joined the game with backup receivers and offensive linemen, so he was already at a disadvantage. Things didn’t go well on Hill’s first two drives. In those two possessions, the offense lost 9 yards. Hill went 2/3 for 3 yards and was sacked twice on third downs. That’s not quite the same output Winston had.
On his third drive, Hill struggled to pull the trigger on a 1st and 10, which led to an intentional grounding. On 2nd and 20, he benefitted from a tight whistle from the referees as Lil’Jordan Humphrey pushed off down the left sideline to secure a first down. However, the drive stalled after that, and they turned the ball over on downs.
Hill’s final drive of the first half saw him make a pair of throws past the sticks. The first was a completion to Ty Montgomery for 18 yards on what appeared to be a 7 route (corner route). As Winston stood on the sideline, Hill followed that up with a 15-yard completion that set up a field goal.
On the first drive of the second half for Hill, he threw an out route behind his receiver that Jacksonville nearly intercepted. Then, he threw it behind his receiver again on the subsequent 3rd and 7.
Hill looked more comfortable on his next drive. He completed a beautiful back-shoulder fade in the red zone for a touchdown. He put it high and outside where only Humphrey could catch it. Hill finished 11/20 for 138 yards.
One QB won the race to QB1
Winston and Hill both flashed for the Saints in Week 1 of the NFL preseason, but there was a clear winner in their second preseason game. Winston will be the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints when the regular season rolls around. It was meant to be this way.
Hill would’ve had to win the job by a mile to actually get it. He holds value to the team outside of the position as a playmaker, especially with Michael Thomas still on the mend. Winston outplayed Hill in the two preseason games, and it was by enough that everyone could see it.
Hill will still take snaps under center in 2021. He will attempt passes throughout the normal course of games situationally. Hopefully, he can transform his body back to play his normal role in the offense.
Dalton Miller is the Lead NFL Analyst at Pro Football Network. You can read more of his work here and follow him @daltonbmiller on Twitter and Twitch.