Saints training camp started about a month ago, and a decision has not been made on who will be the team’s starting quarterback to open up the season. Based on reports, the quarterback competition between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill is still a toss-up at the moment.
Both quarterbacks have had their moments during training camp. In last week’s preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens, Hill and Winston only provided small sample sizes of where the offense could thrive under their watch.
However, there were also some instances where both signal-callers showed that they still need to improve upon. The next opportunity for Hill and Winston to show that they are more than capable of becoming the heir apparent to Drew Brees will be against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The game will take place on Monday Night Football inside of the Caesars Superdome. Despite the Saints still being in preseason mode, the game versus Jacksonville will be viewed with great anticipation among the fanbase.
A national audience will see the Monday night game against the Jaguars and could decide who becomes the starting quarterback for New Orleans. According to Head Coach Sean Payton, Winston will open up as the starting QB on Monday night versus Jacksonville.
He also stated that starters that did not see action versus Baltimore would most likely be playing on Monday. Players such as Alvin Kamara, Ryan Ramczyk, and Terron Armstead were among those that did not play in the opener against Baltimore.
Something that both QBs can have working in their favor compared to last week is the opportunity to have Kamara involved in the offense. The all-pro running back brings an element to the Saints’ offense that the other running backs do not have.
Could it play a factor in Coach Payton’s decision on the team’s position opening at QB? We all know that one of Payton’s biggest pet peeves is the execution of the screen pass. The play has been in the Saints’ arsenal ever since Payton arrived in New Orleans in 2006. Currently, no one knows how many snaps Kamara will see in Monday’s contest against Jacksonville.
However, both quarterbacks will need to show that they are proficient enough to incorporate Kamara’s presence in the offense. Hill will have an opportunity to show that he can operate the Saints’ infamous two-minute drill that ran so smoothly under Brees.
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He will also have another chance to demonstrate his effectiveness when it comes to screenplay situations. His inability to properly incorporate screenplays is one of the flaws pointed out in his performances last season.
While the Saints starting QB role is not the only storyline for the team heading into Monday’s game against the Jaguars, by far, it is at the top of everyone’s list. Based on how Winston and Hill will perform on Monday night, we could still be wondering who has the edge as the regular season quickly approaches.
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