New Orleans Saints Quarterback Taysom Hill
Video Call With New Orleans Media
Friday, September 25, 2020
You got a chance to play briefly with Aaron Rodgers. And I just want to ask you about him and Drew (Brees) sort of compare. I mean, what are some similarities and maybe even some differences between those two?
"I think overall, both of those quarterbacks, they win a lot of football games with their mind. And, obviously, Aaron (Rodgers), there's probably a little more off timing throws, and Aaron (Rodgers) runs the ball a little bit more than Drew (Brees) does, which is probably what I would say, what would be the difference. But both quarterbacks win with their minds. I would say, Drew, what makes him special and unique is, his ability to know what the defense is doing, attacking their weakness. And, I certainly saw the same thing from Aaron (Rodgers). And he had a great command of the offense and, finding the weaknesses and exploiting them."
The Saints and the Packers played early in your tenure here with the Saints, but you didn't play in that game. So, I guess how special is this for you that you actually are going to be a part of the game plan to play against them?
"Yeah. The turnover in Green Bay has been high since I was there last. There are certainly several players that are still there that I consider friends. It's a fun game to be a part of. But man, overall, I had a great experience in Green Bay, going from the number of injuries that I had, and then being undrafted. And the reality is, Green Bay created an opportunity for me to be seen. And I'll forever be grateful to the Packers and their organization and they certainly have a soft spot in my heart as well. Because of the opportunity that they created for me."
The kicking game has looked real sharp these first two games, and I was wondering does that surprise you at all, considering you guys didn't get that preseason and same live work?
"No, I'm not surprised. I look at Thomas (Morstead), I look at Wil (Lutz), I look at Zach (Wood). And those three core guys have been together for the last several years and they're all professionals. They're vets that were working in the offseason. They put in plenty of work during training camp. And so, I'm not surprised how well they've performed so far."
In terms of the coverage units, you guys seem to be picking up right where you left off last year. Is that just, sort of kind of the same thing?
"Yeah, I would say the same thing. I think our core guys are guys that we have played together. And I would also say, last year, we were all still getting used to each other with a new Special Teams Coordinator. And I think, going into this year, we didn't have a learning curve. You know with Coach Rizzi, like we were all familiar with each other. And we obviously added a few new parts, but the core, nucleus and stuff is all still there. And you know, Craig (Robertson) and Thomas (Morstead) who were our special teams captains, like those guys have done a great job making sure that everybody's ready and they've been great leaders, special teams wise."
Did you guys still have the quarterback challenges during this preseason? And if so, what was your record? How did you do?
"Yeah, good question. We did. We did still have the QB challenges, but it wasn't as organized, you would say is it as it normally is. And honestly, I'm not sure what the record was. If you ask me I'm sure I would say, I will say that I won. If you ask Drew (Brees) he'd probably say the same thing. If you asked Jameis (Winston) he'd probably say the same thing. I'm not sure where we were."
Was there a particular talent, since Jameis was the new guy in the bunch? Was there a particular skill set that he showed off that came out in those even more than in a practice session?
"I'll say most of the QB challenges, most of it was, playing around. There wasn't really a ton of opportunity to throw a deep ball and we were just having fun. So there's nothing particular that stands out in my mind."
Just following up on my last question. From the Washington game, that preseason game in 2017 for Green Bay to now, how would you say that you've grown since then?
"Yeah, I mean, I think overall, just my overall confidence of playing in the NFL. I think that transition from the speed of the game to, you know, the style of defense that you play week in and week out, my comfort level of that has grown tremendously and continues to grow. But I'd say that those are the main things that stick out in my mind. Every year, I feel like it's a little bit easier to, to recognize and make right decisions and make plays. And that's what comes to my mind."
Do you ever find yourself looking back, like, oh, it's been three years since then, and just how far things have come for you since then?
"Yeah. And I think again, this week is one of those weeks that's created an opportunity for me to, for me to do that. And I certainly did in my career, playing out the way that it has so far. But man, it's been, the last few years have been so much fun for me and my wife and our family. And having the opportunity to be in New Orleans and playing in the NFL has been an incredible experience. But the reality is that, that incredible experience all started in Green Bay and I had a great experience there too"
It looked like on one of their punts last week that you kind of, like really, lit up Foster Moreau. And like, it seems like contact is one of the hallmarks of your game. Like how do you marry that though, with the thought that you're probably closer to that quarterback chair, then you have been at any point in the last couple years?
"Yeah, that's something that I have to remove from my mind, frankly. I prepare every week to play quarterback. But I also know that my role is unique. And that can add value in a different way to this team. So, I feel like if I'm worried about avoiding contact, preserve my body, preserve me as a quarterback, then I am not, adding as much value as I possibly can to my team. So, I am not thinking about that as I take the field. And my mindset is to make every play count that I'm on the field and to help our team win football games."
