Saints quarterback Drew Brees has received more attention for ill-timed interceptions and ragged performances than the customary string of strong outings this season.
He hasn’t been bad overall, but the team’s other shortcomings have put more of the onus on Brees to pull rabbits out of hats. When he comes up short, it’s left the focus on his miscues but that’s not the case this week.
Brees helped the Saints end their three-game losing streak in Pittsburgh last Sunday by throwing for five touchdowns in a 35-32 win that kept the Saints level with the Falcons in the race for the NFC South title. Brees only needed 19 completions to throw for those five scores, all of which went to different receivers, and was named the NFC’s offensive player of the week for his efforts.
It’s the 20th time in Brees’s career that he’s been honored as his conference’s top offensive player and the 18th time that he’s been tabbed since joining the Saints in 2006. That’s the most of any player over that span, which further illustrates how different things have been for Brees for much of this season.
The final four weeks offer plenty of chances to put a more positive label on the year, starting with Sunday’s home game against the Panthers.