Saints Clinch NFC South in Win Over Falcons and Playoff Teams Should Fear Sean Payton's Use of Taysom Hill

The New Orleans Saints are your 2019 NFC South champions after defeating the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving, but they didn't make it easy for their fans.

Nonetheless, despite a late scare, Taysom Hill was the player of the game for the Saints, blocking a punt and scoring two touchdowns in the 26-18 win.

Hill blocked a punt and recorded a rushing and receiving touchdown in this one, all of which set the tone for the Saints in the first half. His blocked punt gave them tremendous field position, resulting in his first TD, and then he scored on a long run on 3rd and 1 late in the half to make it 17-9.

While Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas put up solid numbers in the win, the Saints' usual suspects aren't what playoff contenders should be fearing. Hill is a matchup nightmare and special teams all-star, which is going to go a long way in the postseason.

Sure, we saw head coach Sean Payton get a little fancy with Hill last year, but it seems he's pressing all the right buttons with the Swiss Army Knife this time around. Remember, Hill kept a crucial drive alive with a fake punt against the Eagles and had a receiving TD against the Rams in the playoffs last year, so his value is clear.

Teams haven't entirely figured out how to stop him yet either, so that should concern defensive coordinators in the NFC. If Hill can get loose like he did tonight, expect the Saints to have their way with opposing defenses in January.