Why Week 15 of the NFL season features a very fun matchup for Tennessee Vols fans
The 2023 NFL schedule was officially released on Thursday night and it included a matchup that will be extremely fun for Tennessee Vols fans. Well, it'll be fun for Tennessee fans who aren't also fans of the New Orleans Saints or the New York Giants. When the Giants travel to New Orleans in Week 15 […]
The 2023 NFL schedule was officially released on Thursday night and it included a matchup that will be extremely fun for Tennessee Vols fans.
Well, it'll be fun for Tennessee fans who aren't also fans of the New Orleans Saints or the New York Giants.
When the Giants travel to New Orleans in Week 15 to take on the Saints, it will feature a fun Vol-on-Vol matchup.
As long as everyone stays healthy throughout the season, the Week 15 showdown between the Saints and the Giants will include former Vols cornerback Alontae Taylor presumably lining up (at some point) across from former Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt.
Taylor was a rookie for the Saints last season after getting selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The former Vol standout played extremely well for New Orleans last season, even earning lofty praise from his new Saints teammate (and former LSU star) Tyrann Mathieu.
Hyatt, meanwhile, was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft after a breakout season that saw the South Carolina native set a school record at Tennessee for receiving touchdowns in a season (15).
Taylor and Hyatt were teammates together at Tennessee in 2021, so there's certainly some familiarity there.
And Taylor is one of the few defenders that can match Hyatt's speed. Taylor ran an official 4.36 in the 40-yard dash at the combine last year. Hyatt ran a 4.40 at the combine in early March. It's worth noting that Hyatt said he was dealing with a bum hamstring at the combine and it's generally accepted that his 40 time if healthy would've been in the 4.3 range. Still, Taylor has the speed to keep up with Hyatt.
Hopefully the Saints give Taylor the Hyatt assignment, though it depends on how the season plays out before Week 15. Either way, this will be a can't-miss matchup for Vols fans this fall.