While the Saints were rolling to seven straight wins after starting the year 0-2, a lot more attention was paid to the play of their defense and the potency of the Mark Ingram/Alvin Kamara backfield duo than to quarterback Drew Brees.
That was a big shift from past seasons in New Orleans, which saw Brees as the focal point of the team while he put his name all over the league’s record books. When Brees was being discussed, it was usually about whether he was a game manager now and what the shift might mean as he talks contract after the season.
On Sunday, though, Brees offered a reminder that he can still put the team on his back when needed. With the Saints down 15 points with less than five minutes to play, Brees completed 11 straight passes (with an interception negated by penalty) for 164 yards and two touchdowns. That made it easy for right guard Larry Warford to answer when asked if Brees still “has it.”
“Uh, yeah!” Warford said, via the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “What other proof do you need? He took control. Field general. Just get down the field and he got things rolling. He got into a groove. That’s just Drew, man. He responded.”
The 34-31 win made the Saints the first team since the merger with the AFL to follow up an 0-2 start with eight straight wins and left no doubt that the team still has a quarterback capable of making the big plays when needed.