We’re on Day 57 in our countdown to the New Orleans Saints‘ season opener, which means this 57-yard touchdown pass from Doug Nussmeier back in 1996 is our pick for the Saints Play of the Day. Nussmeier appeared in five games across two years with the Saints as a quarterback early in his football life, and his first career start came against the Atlanta Falcons late in his rookie year. It was a lot to ask of the fourth-round draft pick from Idaho.
Unfortunately, video of the play is hard to come by. If you do have a link to video of the play, let us know. The official highlight reel from Fox Sports didn’t include the 57-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terry Guess, but it did feature a blocked Saints field goal, each of Bobby Hebert’s three turnovers as the Falcons QB and a short touchdown run from turncoat Atlanta RB Craig Heyward, plus Nussmeier’s early interception. To make it worse, another video archived an out-of-control run by Nussmeier that careened into the chain gain and the Saints dance team on the sideline. Sometimes that’s the way it goes; you’re remembered for your mistakes, not your successes.
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That’s a lesson Nussmeier could pass on to the young quarterbacks in his room. He returned to New Orleans as a member of Kellen Moore’s coaching staff, and his experience as a pro QB is one reason the team didn’t sign a veteran in free agency to support Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener. He’s coached with Moore at different stops since 2018 and spent time before that at high-profile college programs like Florida, Michigan, Alabama, and Washington. Expect him to do a lot in guiding those young passers this season and showing them what to do — and what not to do.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Doug Nussmeier’s 57-yard touchdown pass is the Saints Play of the Day