Drew Brees: Saints should be getting Taysom Hill 10-12 QB reps every game

Drew Brees knows a thing or two about the Taysom Hill QB offense, and he knows one thing for sure: The more, the better.

Brees was the quarterback who would jog over to the sidelines as the Saints incorporated more and more the Taysom QB reps. And he didn't mind it, because he saw the results. That's why Brees, joined by WWL's Mike Detillier and Bobby Hebert at the second annual NOLA Pickle Fest , thinks the team should be pushing a lot more QB reps Taysom's way.

"I don’t know why we haven’t lived in a world where Taysom Hill is getting 10-12 snaps a game at quarterback. … Look, if you want to go and you want to chart the plays where he’s in and he’s playing quarterback, and you just chart the result of the plays and then you match that up with the rest of the plays, I would argue that some of our most successful plays, consistently, are when Taysom Hill is at quarterback," Brees said. "Now, I’m not sitting here saying that hey, there should be a quarterback controversy and Taysom Hill should be the starter, but what I’m saying is there is a tremendous value when he is playing quarterback."

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The numbers certainly back up the argument. Over the past two years Taysom has averaged more than 5.5 yards per carry on 177 rush attempts. He's rolled up 976 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs in that span. But his presence does more than that, because every time he runs onto the field the defense is scrambling to be prepared for what he's going to do.

It's a level of stress that the Saints offense has been, and should continue to be glad to put on the opposition.

"Think about for a defensive coordinator, the amount of time you have to spend in a week of preparation to get your guys ready for the Taysom Hill package, like, that’s terrifying. That’s terrifying," Brees continued. Because if you get into a game and Taysom Hill plays quarterback seven plays and just wreaks havoc on your defense for five of those, you might get fired.”

There's a new offense in town for the Saints these days, but all indications are that the Klint Kubiak scheme is going to get Taysom on the field early and often, and in a variety of roles. It's his willingness to sacrifice for the team that makes it a lot easier for the QBs who play with him to be willing to come off the field for his reps.

"That’s probably the hardest thing for most quarterbacks, because you’re sitting here saying no, I’m the guy. I do not want to leave the field, right. Yea, I mean, look, we all feel that way, right?" Brees continued. "But then when you all of a sudden look at the results, right, and the fact that you just love the guy. You love the dude as a teammate, right, but you recognize the value that he brings and everything that he does, and so it’s like, you know what, if this is gonna help us get in the end zone more, then put him out there as much as you want.”

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MORE FROM DREW BREES

On where Brees sees the Saints heading into 2024

“Our division is wide open, right, but our division has been wide open for the last 2 or 3 years, right. I think what I haven’t seen is just consistency, you know. I’d say last year, look, we finished the year playing great, but unfortunately we were in too big of a hole that we weren’t able to pull out of it. I think you want to feel like, No. 1, each and every week you’re getting a little bit better or you’re playing, you kind of know what your bread and butter is, like, you know what your identity is, you know what you’re kind of leaning on, right? And I’d say over the last couple years we’ve had certainly a top 10 if not a top 5 defense as long as we can stay healthy. Up front, look, I love our offensive line, but we’ve got to stay healthy.”

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On state of the OL, offense in general

“Bottom line is offensively you … have to be able to control the line of scrimmage, and you do that through being able to run the football, and that doesn’t mean that you’re getting these huge splash plays, that can be just, man, 3 and 4 yards, just dent the defense. Use the passing game as an extension of the run game, which was a hallmark of our offense with Sean Payton, right? I mean, so much of those throws were, man, it’s getting the ball out of our hands. There’s nothing more demoralizing for a defensive line then all of a sudden you feel like, man, I beat my guy. I put together a great move or a counter move and I’m right on the quarterback and he gets the ball out of his hands, so in my mind I was thinking to myself I’m not taking a sack on this drive. I am getting the ball out of my hands because I want the D-line to recognize that man, no matter how good I play or how fast I get to the quarterback, he’s getting the ball out so it’s not making a defense. Then they’re frustrated, right, and you can change their mentality. Now, if you want to feed their ego and allow them to get negative plays and allow them to make these kind of … drive-killing plays. … Look, I like this Kubiak offense. I mean, I’ve always loved the Shanahan offense, right. So I think our ability to run the ball with this zone scheme, I think it’s gonna open up all kinds of throwing lanes. I think these two receivers, Olave and Shaheed, need to have — I think they need to show as much consistency in the intermediate passing game as their ability to make the big, splash plays.”

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On QB Derek Carr

“I’ve seen Derek Carr operate. Like, this goes back to his early years with the Raiders and with Jon Gruden. Like, that Jon Gruden offense is not an easy offense, right, it’s basically our offense but I would argue even wordier. I think Gruden had a tendency to make it super wordy and put a ton on the quarterback, and I would watch those prime time games where everybody’s mic’d up, and I would listen to Carr, I would watch him. I know what he’s looking for. I mean, you know enough about these teams now where you know when they get to the ball and it’s a check-with-me situation and then based on what the defense is doing, here’s where I’m going. And man, I senses a confidence and I sensed, hey, I can read this. I know what I’m doing. I can get us into the right play. I’ve seen that guy play some incredible games and step up in some really, really clutch moments. Here he comes to a new team, with new personnel and new environment, and look, last year, like I said, I think for the whole team was just somewhat inconsistent. But now we come into this year, he’s got a year with this team and with this personnel under his belt. He’s got a system that is incorporating, I think, the best of what he’s done in the past, incorporated with I think the best of what this system brings over from the Niners, complemented with a great defense that has great leadership and I think is poised to have another kind of top 10, top 5 type year.”