NFL.com – 23 (=)
“Don’t look now, but the Rizzlers have won two straight, and — thanks to Atlanta dropping another game — the NFC South and a potential wild-card berth remain mathematically within reach. New Orleans might need a tall ladder and a long arm to get there, of course. This might be one of those cases where the bye week works against a team like the Saints. They’ve gotten their mojo working the past two games to rebound from their seven-game losing streak; stalling that momentum with a Week 12 bye could be a detriment. Then again, they might also have a few starters coming back from injury, so perhaps it works out fine. In Sunday’s win over the Browns, Taysom Hill rushed for a career-high 138 yards — more than his season total coming in — on just seven carries. He also set new career highs in receptions (eight) and targets (10) and tied his career high with three rushing TDs. We’ll forget Hill’s INT and fumble for now, but the Saints will need to be tighter with the ball when they return to action in Week 13 with a big one against the Rams.”
USA Today – 21 (+3)
“It is so weird how a coach can lose a team, lose their job, and suddenly the interim boss gets it going in the right direction. The New Orleans Saints may not be the team they were the first two weeks but they are light years better than the losing streak.”
Bleacher Report – 23 (+4)
“The New Orleans Saints must enjoy roller-coasters. Their 2024 season has certainly been one.
The Saints started the season with a pair of blowout wins. They followed that up with a seven-game skid that got head coach Dennis Allen fired. Since then, they’ve gone 2-0, including a blowout win over the Browns on Sunday.
Taysom Hill had a roller-coaster of his own against Cleveland. He turned the ball over twice in the first half, but he responded with the best game of his career. In addition to catching a career-high eight passes for 50 yards, Hill carried the ball seven times for 138 yards and three touchdowns.
After the game, Hill told reporters it was simply a matter of shaking off the giveaways and getting down to work.
“It was one of those things where I had to take a step back and say, there’s nothing that I can do about it now,” said Hill. “So, let’s go do what I can do to help us win this game, and fortunately I continued to get some opportunities.”
Interim head coach Dennis Rizzi had nothing but good things to say about Hill after the win.
“He sure didn’t look 34. He looked more like a 24 year old today,” Rizzi said. “He’s kind of an ageless guy. He keeps himself in phenomenal physical shape.”
Analyst’s Take
It’s probably too late for the Saints to push their way back into the NFC South mix, but they can make things interesting down the stretch. Their defense is still a liability, but Rizzi at least has this team showing some fight.
Rizzi and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak have also figured out how to fully unlock Hill. With Marquez Valdes-Scantling providing a spark to the receiver room, the Saints again have a functional offense. — Knox”
CBS Sports – 24 (+4)
“Darren Rizzi to the rescue. He’s 2-0 as the interim coach as they still have some life.”
Sports Illustrated – 19 (+3)
“Darren Rizzi, you had me at admitting you clogged the toilet. Now you green light the world’s greatest stat line of all time. How can I not want you to earn the full-time head coaching gig?
Taysom Hill:
1-of-2 passing, 18 yards, INT
Seven rushes, 138 yards, 3 TDs
Eight catches on 10 targets, 50 yards”
