The New Orleans Saints trailed the Los Angeles Chargers for much of their preseason game, but some late-game heroics from quarterback Taysom Hill made it entertaining. Hill took over from primary backup Teddy Bridgewater just before halftime, and ended up throwing a clutch touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter to narrow the deficit.
Hill led the offense in its march downfield, taking the handoff and rolling out from the Chargers’ five-yard line. He was able to turn the corner and avoid a Chargers pass rusher, tracking his target while on the move. Running back Devine Ozigbo was able to weave through traffic inside the end zone and made a minor adjustment off of Hill’s direction, getting open for a touchdown catch.
Now in position to tie or go for the lead, the Saints opted for a two-point conversion. It wasn’t meant to be, with Hill’s primary target — rookie wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey — slipping on the turf and forcing his quarterback to take a sack from the Chargers pass rushers bearing down on him. The Chargers held onto their 17-16 lead.
It was a great moment for Ozigbo, who set it up with some big gains on the ground earlier in that same possession. His positive impact was especially nice to see after he fumbled the ball away on an earlier opportunity at the goal line, which turned into a 98-yard scoring drive for Chargers quarterback Cardale Jones. The undrafted rookie running back out of Nebraska has to do more to earn a roster spot, but his summer has featured more good than bad.
