The simple reason why teams can’t stop Taysom Hill rushes even though it’s so obvious

There’s a simple reason why teams can’t seem to figure out that Taysom Hill is going to rush when he operates under center.

When New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill lines up under center, it seems so obvious. He’s going to run, and he’s going to go right up the middle.

Even the most casual of NFL fans could probably tell you that. So why are NFL teams seemingly unable to figure it out?

In Week 5, Hill rushed for over 100 yards. On the season, he’s averaging 10.9 rushing yards per attempt. If he were getting the requisite 6.25 yards per game to qualify for rushing leaderboards, that would be the highest in the league.

He’s attempted just one pass going into Week 6. So, how do teams not see this coming and gameplan to stop it? The answer is the Saints force their hand and don’t let them.

How the Saints force the defense’s hand with Taysom Hill

Typically, when the Saints line Taysom Hill up under center, they run a spread package that utilizes five receivers. In Nick Underhill’s film study following the Saints’ needed Week 5 win (subscription required), he looked at the frequency of which the Saints do this and how unstoppable it is.

Underhill detailed that this forces the defense’s hand. On the off-chance that Hill does pass, the defense needs to make sure it covers the receivers in man coverage.

The Saints can do this in part because they don’t need a ton of fortified coverage protecting Hill. If he runs, he hardly needs blockers, he barrels through like a bulldozer with one of the strongest dropped shoulders in the league.

It’s so simple that it’s almost silly. It makes you wonder why teams don’t just switch it up and tempt him to pass with coverage that protects against the run. For that reason, we might see Hill pass more (he already attempted one as of this writing in Week 6) just to keep the idea and threat of him passing alive so his runs are still as powerful as they are.

Keep an eye on the personnel when Hill is under center. If there are five receivers, it’ll explain the run threat a lot better.