Taysom Hill shut plenty of people up with his game against Atlanta

Maybe there Saints could be fine with Taysom Hill under center?

Either Sean Payton knows what he’s doing or the Atlanta Falcons are really bad. Either way, the Taysom Hill experiment might not be pretty, but it’s worked enough for New Orleans to pick up a 24-9 victory.

Entering Sunday, many around the league were surprised that the team would be going with Hill over former No.1 pick Jameis Winston. They might be even more shocked how correct that call was with a well-rounded outing from the likes of the gadget player under center.

It wasn’t perfect, but Hill impressed in his first start. Going 18-of-23, the 30-year-old connected with six different targets for 233 yards. Trusting his legs as usual, he also led the team in rushing with 51 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

As for his arm? Hill didn’t just rely on short passes to carry his load and chew down the clock. The former BYU quarterback belted a 44-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders down in the red zone to eventually lead to a Saints score. He also threw for more than 20 yards three different times.

Can this work for the time being with Hill?

The Saints will have a second outing against Atlanta to start December. Next week, a game against the Denver Broncos could lead to more big plays. The Broncos’ run defense has struggled at times this season while the Falcons’ secondary is only slightly better than the mess in Seattle.

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Hill won’t be asked to do much passing, but he’s showing his arm can be effective. His legs still a go-to option when looking to keep drives alive in the open field. Add in his winning mentality and this actually could work for New Orleans as Drew Brees recovers.

It might be crazy, but Payton has always believed in Hill. Since basically walking on to the program, he’s done what’s been asked and continues to make plays. After being paid $21 million for the 2021 season, it was time to see if he could be the answer for the future of the Bayou.

One game isn’t enough to prove anything, but the Hill era could work for the present.

Checking the scoreboard: Payton 1, the world doubting his choice, 0.