Drew Brees’ retirement left a huge void to fill for the New Orleans Saints.
It’s not every day that you find an All-Pro, Super Bowl-winning, and sure-fire Hall of Fame quarterback.
However, it’s not that the cupboard is empty for the team in that position.
Taysom Hill took over for Brees when the latter got injured last season and he played fairly well.
He won three games in four starts and amassed 928 passing yards with four touchdowns.
Hill also had eight rushing and one receiving touchdown.
Those numbers might give him an edge for the starting quarterback role.
But Jameis Winston is writing another script during the preseason.
Jameis Winston after getting his eyes fixed pic.twitter.com/BnQM5QDl0Q
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) August 24, 2021
In his version, he is the rightful heir to Brees between him and Hill.
It’s not just lip service because he’s proving his case on the field.
Comparison Of Hill’s And Winston’s Preseason Performances
The Saints lost to the Baltimore Ravens during their first preseason game, 17-14.
Hill had eight completions for 81 yards and an interception.
Winston had a pick to his name, but he also threw a touchdown pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
The former Tampa Bay starter finished with seven completions and 96 yards.
More than a week later, the Saints won against the Jacksonville Jaguars, 23-21.
Hill did better compared to the previous outing when he collected 138 yards and a touchdown on 11 completions.
Unfortunately, Winston edged him out again.
While he only had nine completions and 123 passing yards, Winston threw two touchdowns passes, both to Marquez Callaway.
Jameis Winston's first Pass TD to Marquez Callaway traveled 53.3 yards in the air.
That's the most air distance on a Saints Pass TD since 2016 (preseason, regular season or playoffs). @NextGenStats pic.twitter.com/Joh9E5pYR9
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 24, 2021
His first pass was a 43-yard bomb while the other went for 29 yards despite a blitz by Jacksonville.
Both quarterbacks did not throw an interception.
New Orleans will have their final preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Hill can still perform well in that game to persuade head coach Sean Payton that he is the rightful starter.
But at this point, the job is Winston’s to lose.
Accuracy Is The Key
When it was inevitable that the Saints would lose to the Buccaneers in last year’s Divisional Round game, Brees said a few words to Winston.
With teary eyes, the long-time starter said to Winston that the Saints are his team now.
Brees is right, but it won’t take much for Winston to lose the job.
For starters, Hill is a decent thrower that can also take off when the play is not developing according to design.
He might be listed as a tight end or a wide receiver but he can lead the offense as well.
Likewise, Winston can’t afford to be the erratic thrower of old.
Jameis Winston is a 27 year old Heisman winning, former #1 overall pick. He’s one of only 8 quarterbacks in NFL *history* to throw for 5,000 yards in a season.
People gave up on Jameis way too early!
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) August 24, 2021
The Buccaneers got fed up with him not because he couldn’t throw the ball but because he couldn’t find the right target.
In his last season as Tampa Bay’s starter, the former Florida State standout threw for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Unfortunately, he gave up 30 interceptions as well.
While the Saints remain tight-lipped on who their starting quarterback will be, the odds are in Winston’s favor.
But once he gets the role and starts to perform erratically, he can kiss the position goodbye.
Payton has winning experience with Hill and he won’t hesitate to play that card again if needed.
