New Orleans Saints Wide Receiver Tre'Quan Smith
Video call with New Orleans Media
Friday, November 6, 2020

I know it's probably stating in the obvious, but how much do you just look forward to playing on prime time Sunday Night games against a guy like Tom Brady, just being in the spotlight like that?
"Basically, it's always a great experience when you're going against somebody of that caliber, like Tom Brady. I'm happy to be out there healthy, playing and everything, playing just game of football that I love, no matter if it's prime time, or 12 o'clock, the first game (of the day). It's just the experience of getting out there and getting better and being out there with a group of guys like we have on this team. I can't look at it just as, oh, it's prime time. Let me change the way I do things. It's just another game for me."

I think your rookie year, you caught Drew Brees's record breaking pass, the one where he set the all-time yardage mark. And I know as he goes with Brady, this year, they're trading the record for touchdown passes seems like weekly. Is that something that crosses your mind, like when you're catching a pass for him or a touchdown that, I'm hoping him make history?
"No, not at all. Basically, I feel like he's helping to me leave my mark in the NFL. I feel like every time he throws me the ball, I'm not helping him, he's helping me. He's been doing this for so long. I just take it as a great experience just being able to work with Drew, and don't think about it or the records or anything. I just stay focused just making my plays."

Whether it's this week, next week, or sometime in the future, you'll get Mike (Thomas) back, Emmanuel (Sanders) back and everybody will be healthy. How much are you looking forward to just getting everybody on the field together?
"Hopefully it happens this game, but you never know. It'd be wonderful having everybody back and everybody healthy. It hasn't been like that since week one, sadly, in the game of football, you're going to have injuries regardless, and there's no way you can set that aside, because it's going to happen, it's inevitable. But if they come back this week everybody would be happy. I know they miss it. We definitely miss them being on the field helping us out."

How much does it help you or the other guys when everybody's healthy and you're just feeding off of each other?
"Definitely, you used the right word, feeding off each other. It's a great experience, definitely, with Mike (Thomas) and E (Emmanuel Sanders), when they're making plays, it makes me want to make plays, and everybody's happy. When we're rolling, and everybody's making plays and the ball is getting spread around, it's a great feeling when everybody's together."

Going against that Tampa defense, obviously, it's one of the best in the NFL, statistically. Is getting off to a fast start in this game maybe more important, just so that they can't key in on anything?
"Yes, it's definitely important. All the plays that we do have dialed up, we have to connect on them and make them work someway, somehow. Like you said, they're a very good defense. They've been playing at a high level the last couple of weeks, but I know if we go out there and do what we have to do, it's going to be a great game and we should come out on top."