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The Saints have just one preseason game remaining until their regular-season kickoff on Sept. 12. And they still have no official starter at quarterback after going 15 straight years with Drew Brees under center. Coach Sean Payton reportedly wants to declare a No. 1 ahead of Saturday's preseason finale, though, and if not then, definitely by Week 1, when the Packers come to town. That leaves one question: In the wake of Monday night's latest preseason action, who has the edge in the battle to succeed Brees? Is it Jameis Winston, the former Buccaneers starter; or Taysom Hill, Payton's famous utility man?

Entering Monday's exhibition with the Jaguars, we might've made the case for Hill. While his passing upside has never matched that of Winston, who's also four years younger at 27, he's already a well-established Payton favorite -- so convincing in his dual-threat abilities that he regularly stole snaps from a future Hall of Famer in Brees. And despite an uneven camp and preseason debut, he's already a proven threat with his legs, arguably giving New Orleans a higher floor for its first post-Brees offense. Couple that with Payton's pledged commitment to ball protection -- a noted Winston flaw over the years -- and Hill seemed like a real possibility to at least open Week 1 as a quasi-starter, tasked with bringing efficiency to balance Winston's bigger but more mercurial arm.

Can one preseason game really change that? In the case of Monday night's win over the Jaguars, in which Winston went 9-of-10 for 123 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers, we think it can. No one on the Saints staff equates throwing bombs against Jacksonville backups with doing the same thing against a real defense in a real game. But Winston's electric showing in his first official start of the QB competition wasn't just productive; it also fully showcased why the Saints probably even bothered to gamble on Winston as a backup in 2020, and why they're giving him a chance to take over a potential playoff team now. For all the mental miscues and turnover sprees that have dotted his career, Winston has always possessed big-play ability, and his physical talent as a passer -- a more prototypical QB -- was far and away superior in his battle with Hill on Monday night.

Saints quarterback battle

Week 2 preseason stats

Jameis Winston

9 of 10, 123 yards, two touchdowns

Taysom Hill

11 of 20, 138 yards, one touchdown

In the end, whether it's two weeks into the regular season or 10, Payton may come to a point where he prefers the reliability of Hill's short-area specialties -- a gadget-style approach that could work well if Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas are at full speed for the home stretch. We still would be shocked if Hill doesn't have a prominent role out of the gate, either as a rotational QB or in his trademark jack-of-all-trades duties. But if a higher ceiling is what the Saints are looking for in Year One of their revamped QB experiment, if Payton is more concerned with making a surprise title run than just sniffing the playoffs, and if New Orleans is just a little bit eager to rediscover some of the downfield magic that waned in Brees' final years, the better -- if slightly riskier -- bet appears to be Winston.

This was a close competition all offseason, and it arguably still is. That probably says more about the Saints' lack of a long-term answer than it does about the quality of their signal-callers going into 2021. With Hill, again, it wouldn't come as a total shock to see Payton deploy him early and often, even as the official starter with Winston taking the bulk of the snaps. And yet, if you're looking to size up the current battle and project which man will actually open the new year under center, the present favorite is Jameis.

The Drew Brees era is over. Do the Saints turn to Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill? The CBS Sports app will get you ready for every step of the Saints' 2021 season. If you've already downloaded the CBS Sports app, favorite the Saints so you don't miss any updates.