Seahawks @ Saints
Final Score: Saints 39, Seahawks 32
Writer: Ben Brown (@BenBrownPL on Twitter)
Sigh. Every year, fantasy managers are tormented by one random enormous game by Saints’ QB/RB/TE hybrid Taysom Hill, and today was that day. Hill ran for three touchdowns and threw for a fourth, and all of us who took a chance on Andy Dalton in a cupcake matchup were severely disappointed. Alvin Kamara had a solid game capped off by a 54 yard catch and run, but was held out of the endzone thanks to Hill’s dominance on the ground.
On the Seahawks side, Geno Smith was cooking yet again, hitting DK Metcalf for a touchdown and Tyler Lockett for two. All three scores were on near-perfect throws from Geno, and it’s becoming pretty clear that he’s for real this season.
After not punting last week, the Seahawks must have forgotten how to punt, because this is a questionable play that turned the ball over to New Orleans with great field position, and as you can imagine, they would then score a touchdown to go up by seven.
https://twitter.com/MrMatthewCFB/status/1579172106931093505?s=20&t=0i14mjFBtglFZVMdQUfJUA
It was still early in the game, but this obvious mistake was seemingly the difference in another shootout for the Seahawks.
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
Geno Smith: 16/25, 268 Yards, 3 TD | 3 Carries, 13 Yards
Geno Smith is actually blossoming into a legitimate threat at QB right before our eyes. His three touchdowns on the day were all gorgeous throws, and for the first time this season none of them went to a Tight End on your bench.
Geno started the game off with a bang, completing a 50-yard touchdown to DK Metcalf on their first drive of the game.
The narrative around DK Metcalf shouldn’t be that he’s QB-proof, but that Geno Smith is actually a damn good quarterback.pic.twitter.com/7AvcGBJ8if
— Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge) October 9, 2022
I was really impressed by this touch throw on the run over a defender’s head.
After recovering a Saints fumble right before the half, Seattle had an opportunity to take the lead and they capitalized. This 35-yard bomb from Geno to Tyler Lockett gave the Seahawks the lead heading into the half.
Lockett Rocket's first TD this season! 🚀
📺: #SEAvsNO on FOX pic.twitter.com/aHufQe4NlT
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 9, 2022
Later in the game, Geno hit Locket again for another deep score.
GENO SMITH! Absolute dime to Tyler Lockett.
📺: #SEAvsNO on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/X4lelc0SFE pic.twitter.com/q7bsLXUerr— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2022
Again, this was a dime of a throw from Geno that was perfectly placed in a spot that only Lockett could get to despite it being between four defenders.
Geno wasn’t perfect on the day, he had an underthrow to DK in the red zone that killed a drive, resulting in a field goal. He also may have benefited from more of a running attack in the second half, as they essentially abandoned the run once Rashaad Penny got injured (more on that in a moment). Regardless, Geno played well enough to win this game today.
Running Back
Rashaad Penny: 8 Carries, 54 Yards
Kenneth Walker III: 8 Carries, 88 Yards, TD
DeeJay Dallas: 1 Carry, 4 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Rashaad Penny is a bad man. He broke out a 32-yard run in the 1st quarter, rumbling and stumbling down the sidelines.
Rashaad Penny!!! pic.twitter.com/G1pKofyWHa
— Rapinas do Mar (Cortes) (@cortesrapinas) October 9, 2022
Rashaad Penny almost hit 21.5 mph on that run. At 235 pounds. That's just not fair.
— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) October 9, 2022
The Saints’ defense struggled to stop the pass on Sunday, so Penny wasn’t used very often and it’s a shame. Unfortunately, Penny went down with an injury early in the 2nd half and did not return. He was carried off the field and was in obvious pain. It has since come out that he fractured his tibia, an injury that will likely end his season. It’s an unfortunate ending for a player who has struggled with injuries for so much of his career and was finally living up to his immense potential.
#Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny suffered a fractured tibia, sources say, and he’ll have tests tomorrow to determine associated damage to see if surgery is necessary. As of now, it’s likely. Heart-breaking.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 9, 2022
Enter Kenneth Walker, the new starter for this offense. He announced his arrival in a big way with a 69-yard touchdown run for the first of his career.
Welcome to the NFL Kenneth Walker III 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/ypuWwZ1PVr
— Wyatt 🥃 (@WyattB_FF) October 9, 2022
It was only the third carry for Walker after Penny’s injury, so we didn’t get an extended look at him, but this highlight will nonetheless set the hype train in motion.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tyler Lockett: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 104 Yards, 2 TD
DK Metcalf: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 88 Yards, TD, 1 Fumble (Lost)
Noah Fant: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 49 Yards
Will Dissly: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 21 Yards
Dee Eskridge: 1 Target
Tyler Lockett was the man of the hour in this receiving corps, scoring two touchdowns on gorgeous deep balls by Geno Smith. On the second touchdown, Lockett was able to beat his man off the line after the defender appeared confused before the snap.
Lockett’s counterpart, DK Metcalf, had a good game of his own but it could have been better. His touchdown was obviously a spectacular play, but he scored a second one later in the game that was called back by a holding penalty. He also fumbled the ball on the first play of the second half, coughing it up to the Saints who went on to score a touchdown.
FUMBLE!
Werner knocks the ball out from Metcalf, and Onyemata recovers it – SAINTS BALL! #SEAvsNO ⚜️ 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/niz92iBmxY
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 9, 2022
In this week’s Seattle TE update, Noah Fant had the best statistical day but it still didn’t amount to anything fantasy relevant. Will Dissly had a couple of catches but was unable to find the end zone this week. Neither player wowed me.
New Orleans Saints
Quarterback
Andy Dalton: 16/24, 187 Yards, TD, INT | 7 Carries, 4 Yards
Taysom Hill: 1/1, 22 Yards, TD | 9 Carries, 112 Yards, 3 TD, 1 Fumble (Recovered)
Taysom. Hill. The fact that he accomplished these stats on only 23 snaps is both amazing and scary at the same time. It seemed like every time he touched the ball resulted in an explosive play, and the defense simply had no answer for him. Hill benefited from some great blocking ahead of him on most of his runs, but he wasn’t afraid to run guys over when someone was standing in his way. The offense looked completely different with him at the helm.
Not only did Hill convert four scores on offense, but he also recovered a fumble on the colossal failure that was the Seahawks’ punt attempt. Here are all of the highlights you need to see from Hill’s performance.
TOUCHDOWN TAYSOM 🙌#SEAvsNO ⚜️ 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/vnVtdor0u4
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 9, 2022
Seahawks FUMBLE the punt!
Taysom Hill recovers it!!#SEAvsNO ⚜️ 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/N6XS0OEBeF
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 9, 2022
Taysom Hill recovers the fumbled punt 💪
Then scores his 2nd TD of the game 🙌#SEAvsNO ⚜️ 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/YPn1BEwbG1
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 9, 2022
Taysom Hill does it ALL
This time a 22-yd TD strike to Adam Trautman #SEAvsNO | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/E2KiwCc8MJ
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 9, 2022
TAYSOM HILL TAKES IT TO THE HOUSE!!!!!! ⚜️
the 3rd rushing TD of the day for Hill #SEAvsNO ⚜️ 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/VoS0SGgKgi
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 9, 2022
Ladies and Gentlemen: Taysom Hill
⚜️ 3 rushing TDs
⚜️ 1 passing TD
⚜️ 1 fumble recovery
⚜️ 112 rushing YDs
⚜️ 69 kickoff return YDs
⚜️ 22 passing YDs pic.twitter.com/9mxeLKzSeC— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 9, 2022
Andy Dalton, the starting QB for the Saints, wasn’t terrible in this game. He was under constant pressure for much of his time on the field, limiting his ability to wait for receivers to get open downfield. His worst pass of the day was his lone interception. The defender slipped on the play, giving Dalton an opening to fit the ball into the receiver, but the defender got right back up and the ball was thrown right to him. Dalton was taken off the field in favor of Hill fairly often, limiting his opportunities to score. Dalton was a popular streaming pick, and if it weren’t for Hill he likely would have hit.
Running Back
Alvin Kamara: 23 Carries, 103 Yards | 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 91 Yards | 1 Fumble (Lost)
Mark Ingram II: 9 Carries, 16 Yards
First and foremost, Alvin Kamara looked healthy. That’s the main takeaway from this game. On the ground, he wasn’t spectacular but he was solid. He ran hard and looked quick on his feet. He wasn’t laboring at all. These are all positive things. Kamara’s biggest play came on a screen pass late in the 3rd quarter. He had a bunch of blockers out in front of him, then made a great move to evade a defender and turn a long gain into an explosive one.
A beautiful sight for Alvin Kamara managers 🤩pic.twitter.com/zrXEYAG3hs
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) October 9, 2022
Overall, this was a positive day for Kamara and his managers, but the icing on the cake would have been a touchdown or two that otherwise went to Hill. It should have been much bigger.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Chris Olave: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 54 Yards, TD
Adam Trautman: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 32 Yards, TD
Juwan Johnson: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 13 Yards
Tre’Quan Smith: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
Marquez Callaway: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 5 Yards
Keith Kirkwood: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
With most of the Saints’ offense funneling through Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara, there wasn’t much work to go around for this group. Chris Olave had the best day of the bunch, and that’s even after a head injury knocked him out of the game early in the second half.
Damn, hope Chris Olave is okay.
Looks awful.https://t.co/ymTQtZbWAK
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 9, 2022
This was initially called incomplete, but the Saints challenged and it was determined to be a touchdown. Thankfully for those who started Olave, it salvaged his day, but the apparent head injury that followed is deeply concerning. Monitor this during the week.
Adam Trautman dropped an easy TD on a nice throw from Andy Dalton, but was able to catch one from Taysom Hill later on.
Michael Thomas is slated to come back next week, and it’s much needed especially with Olave’s injury. Outside of Olave and Thomas, there isn’t anyone reliable in this passing game, which is a bit concerning.