Overreactions from the Saints ugly win over the Broncos

The New Orleans Saints won a clunker of a game on Sunday afternoon when the team defeated a quarterback-less Denver Broncos. Some will say “a win is a win” but if you watched the same game we did, you know that’s not the truth. Despite an 8-2 record after a 31-3 victory, we still have fans overreacting on every platform of social media. It’s understandable based on the offense’s performance, but at the end of the day, there is not a ton we can take away from the game.

However, that didn’t stop the entirety of Who Dat Nation from making their thoughts and feelings known. Here are some of the top overreactions from Sunday’s matchup:

Taysom Hill is NOT a quarterback and Jameis Winston needs to start

Let’s get this one out of the way early. Hill had the worst start of his career. But, it was only his second start and the sample size is still incredibly small. Additionally, with the Broncos fielding an undrafted rookie wide receiver from the practice squad to be the quarterback, the gameplan changed. Last week against the Atlanta Falcons, Hill was asked to be a game-changing quarterback. This past Sunday Hill was asked to be a game-managing quarterback.

I am not pardoning Hill for his mistakes during the game. There were plenty. All you need is look towards his clear fumbling issues, his interception which led to the Broncos only points, and his inability to go through his progressions with any authority. Hill was routinely overlooking open receivers and check downs, and largely relied on his legs to make plays on his own. The 78 passing yards was indicative of what Hill was capable of on Sunday with the gameplan that was handed to him.

However, it is a massive overreaction to think any of that makes him ineligible to be the Saints starting quarterback. Taysom outperformed expectations against the Falcons, and underperformed against a stout Denver defense when asked to simply keep the ball safe. Head coach Sean Payton knew the only way the Broncos could even remotely have a chance on the day is if Hill turned the ball over. There was clear evidence of that fear considering the only points that Denver was able to muster was due to a Hill turnover.

As I mentioned last week, Taysom will need time to settle in and adapt to a brand new role. He may or may not be the guy for this team, but let’s leave that overreaction for next week. Let’s give Taysom another go on the road in Atlanta, and then we can have that conversation.

Alvin Kamara is irrelevant with Hill at quarterback

In the two games Hill has started Kamara has 97 total yards, 1 touchdown and 1 reception for -2 yards. A far cry from Kamara’s usual workload and performance. A lot of this comes from Hill opting to run the ball for two yards rather than throw the check down to the best running back in the NFL.

At first glance it does appear that Kamara is irrelevant in a Taysom Hill-led offense. However, the Saints defense has done a phenomenal job at setting the offense up with great field position which helps eliminate the need for big plays. Furthermore, Kamara, and even Michael Thomas, have been managing injuries the last few weeks. The game against Denver could have simply been Payton taking advantage of the matchup to give his star running back some rest. That theory would explain Latavius Murray’s 124 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.

Kamara is in Payton’s gameplan no matter who is starting under center. I firmly believe that his lack of production the last two games can easily be explained by circumstance.

The Saints will be the NFL’s best defense

With Week 11 ALMOST in the books (thanks Baltimore Ravens) the Saints are currently ranked as the NFL’s best defense. They have allowed the fewest yards per game, they have arguably the best rushing defense in the league, and the secondary has vastly improved. One of my biggest takeaways from the game was that this defense was of championship caliber. But, could they be the best in the NFL when the season finally concludes? Unlikely.

This New Orleans defense is good, but I believe it is an overreaction to think that they will end the season as the best defense in the league. They have played well against good teams, but have played phenomenally against bad teams. One could say that the defense has been able to pad their stats against atrocious teams (one of them without a quarterback). However, the Kansas City Chiefs and the ever-bothersome Minnesota Vikings are still set to come to town. This unit still has tough challenges ahead.

What are your overreactions? Let us know in the comments. Make sure you follow Canal Street Chronicles on Twitter at @SaintsCSC, “Like” us on Facebook at Canal Street Chronicles, follow us on Instagram at @SaintsCSC and make sure you’re subscribed to our new YouTube channel. As always, you can follow me on Twitter @KadeKistner.