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Sean Payton uses baskets of cheese to keep his players focused

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Taysom Hill made enough plays for the Saints to get the win vs. the Falcons as New Orleans' defense rose to the occasion in Week 11.

Coaches often have unique ways to motivate players. Sometimes, dairy products are involved.

After Sunday’s playoff-clinching win over the Falcons, Saints quarterback Taysom Hill told PFT by phone that coach Sean Payton recently placed baskets of cheese in the lockers of every player.

Hill explained Payton’s message, an homage to Payton’s mentor, Bill Parcells: “Don’t eat the cheese. Don’t get into the hype. Keep your heard down. Keep working.”

So what kind of cheese did the players get?

“Everything you can imagine,” Hill said.

In every season from 2017 through 2019, the trap eventually snapped on the Saints, in heartbreaking fashion. This time around, perhaps the widespread distribution of actual cheese will do the trick.