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The conversations about Ian Book coming out of training camp were all positive.

People within the organization were impressed with how quickly he picked things up and how he could make corrections and grow daily. He has a lot of upside, and there is a lot of curiosity about how he will continue to develop over the coming years.

But no one thought under any scenario he'd be playing this soon. People don't usually prepare for absolute doomsday scenarios where all three starting quarterbacks are taken out of action, and the rookie fourth-round pick is the last man standing. That's a movie plot, not something that happens in real life – until it does, and it has happened here. Barring some unforeseen event, Book will start Monday night against the Miami Dolphins after Taysom Hill, and Trevor Siemian landed on the COVID-19 list on Thursday.

This isn't the best situation for a young player. The Saints were without starting tackles Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk last week, and tight ends Juwan Johnson and Adam Trautman have already tested positive for COVID-19. And based on how the virus has been spreading through teams and leagues, it seems wise to brace for the worst.

Book will be playing with house money to a certain extent, just given the circumstances he's entering. He isn't set up for success, and a rough game probably wouldn't mean a whole lot. Anything he does well should be considered a positive, and hopefully, he can piece together enough of those to end the night with a victory.

The only thing good about this situation is that everything began to unfold now instead of later in the practice week, which means Book can get a full week of practice to prepare as the starter, and the team can craft the plan around having him at quarterback. If this had happened a day or two later, there would have been a scramble to piece together a plan that he could handle, and he wouldn't have been as well-positioned to succeed this week.

Book has already proven that he is better than what the scouting reports said he would be. Coming out of college, it was suggested that he did not possess the ability to play within a structured offense. Book did show that he had a knack for making plays off script, which was his forte in college, but he was also accurate playing from the pocket throughout camp. He very much kept himself in the mix with the other quarterbacks on the roster throughout the summer, and certainly proved he has the upside to stick around the league for a while one way or another.

There is certainly a case to get made that Book's first summer with the team was better than many of the other young quarterbacks who have come through here the last few years, such as Garrett Grayson, Joe Callahan, and even Hill's first training camp with the team. Book would have to show a lot of development to catch up to where Hill currently stands, but just from first impressions on accuracy, poise and pocket presence, Book appeared to be starting from a higher point than all other points of comparison.

Book's preseason exposure was limited. He appeared in the first preseason game, threw 16 passes and completed nine with one interception. There was nothing negative about the performance. Book did a good job during that game of making plays on the move and, for the most part, got it out quickly. There were a couple of plays where he could have sped up his trigger, but overall, he was solid in that area. The interception came on an underthrown pass up the sideline when Book was facing pressure on his last attempt of the game.

Some of the things Book does well could suit him in a game like this. If Book is running for his life or is too often under pressure, which hasn't been an issue for the other quarterbacks, then there is probably very little chance for him to succeed. But if he does show the same ability that he had at Notre Dame to make plays outside of the pocket or after getting moved off of his spot, that might help him if both tackles are sidelined and things get a little messy.

The biggest issue he might face is having people available around him. The team is already down two tight ends, and the receiving corps has endured issues all season. Nothing about this will be easy. But nothing about this season has been easy. Every single time the Saints take a step forward, it feels like something is there, trying to pull them back.

Somehow, this team has overcome everything and kept itself in contention for a playoff spot. Can Book continue that trend?