Taysom Hill keeps doing what he does as Saints' do-everything guy

Taysom Hill has figured out how to not only get on the field for the Saints but also affect games in different ways. He demonstrated most of those ways in the first half of Thursday's Thanksgiving game vs. the Falcons.

The former BYU quarterback contributed a punt block, a receiving touchdown and a rushing touchdown in the first 30 minutes as New Orleans built an eight-pointlead over the Falcons in Atlanta. The touchdowns were his fourth and fifth of the season (four receiving, one rushing).NFL.com noted that Hill is the second quarterback since 1950, and the first since Jim McMahon in 1983, to catch and run for a touchdown in the same game.

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For the season, Hill had 29touches (16 rushes, 13 receptions) for 241yards. In addition, he had taken part in 160 special teams snaps prior to Thursday, with one kick return for 12 yards to his credit.

He hasn't forgotten how to throw the ball, either. He was 2 for 2 on the season for 35 yards before an incompletion on a trick play in the third quarter.

"While he's developing as a quarterback, there's a lot of places he's playing," Saints coach Sean Payton told reporters (via the team's Twitter feed) after the Saints' NFC South-clinching 26-18 victory. "Probably need to keep getting him the ball even more."

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"He's a real good practice player, and I think that, coupled with his athleticism and his love for the game — I don't know that there's anyone who enjoys playing football more than him, and that's . . . kind of contagious on our team," Payton added.

Hill's versatility has taken him from undrafted free agent two years ago (by the Packers) to waiver-wire pickup (by the Saints) to secret weapon for a Super Bowl contender.

"Look, when you have guys like Mike Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Jared Cook, the list goes on, it kind of creates opportunities for little old me because there's so much attention that's put on those guys, and coach (Payton) is one of the best ofbeing creative and putting guys in position to be successful, and I gotlucky because I was that guy tonight," Hill said.