Shelby Harris Stands Up For Kendall Hinton by Putting Down Saints QB Taysom Hill

In complementing Denver Broncos wide receiver-turned-quarterback Kendall Hinton, teammate Shelby Harris savaged Hinton's New Orleans Saints counterpart.

Addressing reporters for the first time since contracting COVID-19, the veteran defensive end discussed the "crazy situation" that was Denver's Week 12 fiasco against the Saints, an asterisk-worthy game which pit Hinton versus Drew Brees backup Taysom Hill.

"Kendall did a great job. What more can you do? To have no practice and go out there and play a game at quarterback in the NFL after not playing quarterback for a year—a couple years—that still blows my mind to this day. But also, I want to throw out that he still has a touchdown pass more recently than [Saints QB] Taysom Hill—just to throw that out there," Harris said Friday. "It's just crazy to be put in that situation but he went out there and he had all the heart and the determination you could have and that's all you could ask for. So, all due respect to him.”

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Indeed, Hinton's most recent TD pass occurred in October 2017 while playing collegiately at Wake Forest. This, before the 6-foot, 195-pounder would convert from QB to WR and enter the NFL this past April as an undrafted free agent.

Hill, a 2017 UDFA, has yet to score through the air across four professional seasons. It hasn't happened for him since November 2016 during his redshirt senior campaign at BYU.

It's hardly a surprise the former struggled last Sunday, completing just 1-of-9 balls for 13 yards, no TDs and two interceptions amid the Broncos' 31-3 trouncing. Zero practice time. A game plan held together with gum and string. An ultra-aggressive defensive opponent. Suffice it to say, this wasn't a fair fight.

Hill, the pet project of elite head coach Sean Payton, should have looked like Joe Montana in comparison. But he didn't. In fact, he didn't so much as cross the century mark, limited to 4.9 yards per pass attempt en route to a lukewarm 43.2 rating. He finished 9-of-16, committed an INT, and took three sacks.

Yes, Hill accounted for two scores on the ground, which was his prime directive. But the bigger point, at least to Harris, is that he's inspired very little as the placeholder of the Saints' powerhouse whereas Hinton should be commended for the unwinnable situation and accompanying pressure foisted upon him.

"In the Saints game, I saw guys who hadn’t given up when all odds were against you and you don’t have a quarterback," Harris said. "Just watching the guys go out there still battling and fighting, it was interesting to watch.”

Follow Zack on Twitter @KelbermanNFL and @MileHighHuddle