NEW ORLEANS SAINTS QUARTERBACK TAYSOM HILL
On if the second half was fun:
"Absolutely. We talk about it all the time, and sometimes you're in Training Camp and you have long days and you forget, and you oftentimes have to remind yourself a reason to play this game. This isn't work and it's a lot of fun and it's a lot of fun to have the opportunity that people give to you. Having the opportunity to get on the field and play is a great opportunity."
On if today was an example of all the things he can do well as a QB:
"Yeah, I think so. I haven't seen all the numbers. I have to go back and watch it. I felt like we were able to move the ball. Things broke down and we were able to avoid negative plays. We had a sack but we were able to come back from that and convert on third down. I think having the ability to make plays and things like that, it just makes us more difficult to stop and avoid making negative plays."
On his scramble in the third quarter:
"I was trying to get the ball over there and see if we broke free. I felt pressure and I had to avoid, and unfortunately I had to avoid away from the route and the concept that we had going. At that point, I was just trying to avoid a negative play. I felt like I could get the edge rather than throwing the ball away and try to get some yards, and we were able to do that. I tried to get what I could, avoid the hit and get down."
On if his coaches tell him to get down more than he does:
"I've never had a specific conversation of, 'Hey, you need to protect yourself.' I think it's kind of an unwritten rule. I try to do that, I tell them all the time, but I feel like I can break a tackle, so it's hard to bring myself up. I think there are opportunities where you can go down and protect yourself. I felt like today, I can't think of one unnecessary hit I took. I got sacked but that's the only one that comes to mind."
On how much he takes responsibility for keeping the team focused:
"Everything starts with us [quarterbacks]. We touch the ball every play and after a play, you try to create a mindset that, 'Hey, on to the next.' I would say the only thing that's really frustrating for me, and sometimes as a quarterback, you have to check yourself, but you can't let the previous play dictate what's going to happen next play. Look, everyone on the team wants to go out and be really successful and they're going to go out and do the best that they can every play. Stuff happens. The only frustrating thing is that guys let that linger. I didn't think that happened tonight. We had a couple turnovers and we bounced back. I thought that was a really good thing coming out of the game."
On QB Teddy Bridgewater being sick today:
"It's a tough game and it's a tough position to play if you're not able to give it 100 percent. It really is demanding and requires 100 percent of your energy and focus. It makes it difficult."
On if he could tell Bridgewater was sick:
"Yeah, I mean I think he was a little down energy-wise today. He was feeling crumby throughout the week. We knew that. We tried to help him out when we could and allow him to get some rest throughout the week when the opportunity presented itself."
On how he brings as much energy as he can to each game:
"I think we've all been there. We've played the game for long enough that you're not going to feel 100 percent. This game is very important to be 100 percent as you go into a game. I think you just try to focus even more. I think there are a lot of distractions throughout the week and throughout the season. Certainly, being sick and having something nagging at you adds to that. I think you just have to be conscious of staying in the moment and it requires you to stay focused even harder. You just do the best you can."
On how much he focuses on winning the game:
"That is the objective. In halftime, Coach [Sean Payton] obviously wasn't too happy with the way we were playing offensively. We had great opportunities and our defense played really well. We slaughtered a few opportunities there. Coach let us know that he was not happy with the way we were going. Again, as a Quarterback and a guy that is calling plays, controlling the huddle, touching the ball every play, it came down to me. When I had the opportunity to play the second half, I felt like we needed some energy. The thing that I kept reiterating in the huddle was, we're going to have the opportunity to win this football game. I know it's a preseason game, but this is what it's all about. If we came out here to not win, then we're wrong. That was the objective."
On the pass he threw to WR Austin Carr:
"We were at a four-by-one formation which sometimes can be difficult for defenses and most defenses will have some checks. I saw the defender go out underneath it, but then I saw him turn back to me into a running back. The second I saw his body language come back to the halfback, I confirmed that the corner was with our outside receiver and I knew he was going to be open. I just threw him the ball."
On joint practices with the Los Angeles Chargers:
"It certainly helped us prepare. You get a couple days seeing their defenses so you kind of know what you're going to see on game day. You know what their bread and butter is. Certainly, some of the pressures that you can expect. From that standpoint, it makes it easier on the quarterback when you've seen all these looks before, actually against them. That was helpful. I think overall, just practicing with the Chargers, it's kind of hard when you go through training camp, you have two weeks and you're just practicing with each other. It really creates an opportunity to kind of see where you're at, at the beginning, and evaluate yourself and as a team, as a whole. I thought it was a great opportunity for us."
