After three games as the starting quarterback in New Orleans, Taysom Hill has proven something to himself, and possibly to the Saints. And anyone else who’s paying attention.
He believes he’s a full-time NFL starting quarterback.
“Coach [Payton] and I have had, we’ve had a few conversations about that,” Hill told PFT by phone after Sunday’s 21-16 win over the Falcons. “And I have said that. He knows how I feel about how I can play and I know how he feels about me, too.”
Hill had his best day as a passer on Sunday against the Falcons, the second time New Orleans faced Atlanta in only 15 says. He completed 27 of 37 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns, good for a passer rating of 107.0. So how has he improved when it comes to throwing the ball?
“I would say that my timing with the receivers has probably gotten better and where I would say that I’ve seen the most improvement,” Hill said. “I felt like timing-wise with everybody was really good. I was really happy with our timing and our rhythm.”
How much has he been working on timing with receivers, either at practice or after practice?
“A lot, man,” Hill said. “That’s really where I put a lot of my time and a lot of my energy. Whether it’s watching film, you know, if we’re not on the field, we’re in conversation. I’ll also tell you I do a ton of visualization stuff at night and so I go through every play that we can solve. And I visualize how I’m going to play that play, what my footwork is going to be on that play, what happens if we get single high [safety, what happens if we get shell. I spent a lot of time, lot of time doing that.”
The Saints play next on Sunday at Philadelphia. Starter Drew Brees is eligible to return from injured reserve on Friday, two days before the game. So will it be Hill or Brees in Week 14?
“I have no idea,” Hill said. “I have no idea. I think that’s one of those things, look, Drew’s the guy and if he says he can go, then he’s gonna go. I think I’m in a situation where I’ve got to prepare as if I’m gonna go in case he can’t. But I really I have no idea. I have no idea.”
Payton may have an idea as to whether the offense can thrive with Hill, and that could buy Hill one more week. Depending on the extent to which Brees’ broken ribs are healing, Brees could be back in two weeks, when the Saints face the Chiefs.