It will be a new-look New Orleans Saints team that faces the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football. The Saints are making a change at quarterback starting Taysom Hill in place of Trevor Siemian, per ESPN’s Mike Triplett.
Hill has been dealing with a foot injury and Saints head coach Sean Payton had been reluctant to publicly declare the change. The versatile playmaker will be making his first start at quarterback this season.
“They are hoping that Hill can help revive their sagging offense, even if he is not quite back to full strength yet,” Triplett detailed. “The versatile playmaker was limited to an emergency backup role the past two weeks. But he said Tuesday that he is feeling “a lot better” this week.
“Coach Sean Payton stopped just short of naming Hill the starter Tuesday, saying that he wanted to see how Hill was feeling on Wednesday. But Hill has been preparing to start, barring any setbacks in his recovery.”
The Saints will also be severely short-handed ruling out star running back Alvin Kamara along with two offensive linemen, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“The Saints won’t have star RB Alvin Kamara (knee), OT Ryan Ramczyk (knee) or OT Terron Armstead (knee) for tonight vs. Cowboys, sources tell me and @SlaterNFL,” Rapoport tweeted on December 1. “They are out. Short-handed again.”
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The Cowboys Are Expecting Lawrence, Lamb & Cooper to Play vs. Saints
After weeks of unfortunate luck, the Cowboys are finally getting some good news on the injury front. Star pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence is expected to be activated for the Saints game, per The Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken.
Lawrence last played in Week 1 after being sidelined with a broken foot sustained during a September practice. The Cowboys are also expecting both Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb to suit up giving Dak Prescott back his top offensive weapons.
As for the Saints, veteran Mark Ingram is likely to take over New Orleans RB1 role after being out in Week 12. It will be worth watching how Payton utilizes Hill at quarterback as he has also been used at running back, tight end and wide receiver during his tenure with the Saints.
Prescott on McCarthy’s Absence: ‘We Will Fight & Get Everything Done That We Need to’
The Cowboys are dealing with absences of their own, but mostly on the coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will temporarily assume the duties of head coach after Mike McCarthy tested positive for COVID-19. The Cowboys have a total of six coaches who will be absent against the Saints, per the team’s website. Prescott explained the Cowboys’ mindset heading into a primetime NFC showdown without their head coach.
“The message was to continue on, just continue on,” Prescott said, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. “The coaches have done a great job putting us in a routine and giving us a foundation. And we got great leaders and great coaches and coordinators that are going to do a great job in stepping up. We are going to miss Coach but his health is first and foremost important. We will fight and get everything done that we need to.”
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Saints Make QB Change vs. Cowboys, Rule Out Pro Bowl Playmaker: Report