November 6
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Late in the third quarter against the Giants, Saints receiver Lance Moore took off from the left slot on 3rd-and-17 and bolted downfield on what was supposed to be a deep post route. However, the linebacker dropped off his coverage early, and with a nice cushion from safety C.C. Brown, Moore decided to cut his route short and turned back toward quarterback Drew Brees. "As soon as I turned, the ball was right there," said Moore, who gained 22 yards on the catch, setting up a touchdown two plays later. That kind of synergy is constant when the Saints offense is on the field. Brees and his receivers are loaded with examples of plays that started off one way and changed in an instant because ..."
October 25
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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This is not an easy admission for Jason Taylor. He has spent more than half of his life making life miserable for the pretty boys who play sports' most glamorous position. He has chased, jarred and slammed them, all while striving to separate them from the football — and if they got separated from a limb in the bargain, so be it. If Wile E. Coyote had offered him some spare Acme products for an inflated price, the Dolphins defensive end probably would have tried those, too. So what does Taylor think of the current crop of NFL quarterbacks? "There's a handful of guys now that are really spectacular," he said. This season, the Dolphins have already faced three: Matt Ryan, Peyton Manning and ..."
October 22
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Dave Hyde
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The NFL's leading quarterback comes out of practice in New Orleans, grabs the phone and by way of introduction says this: "Up front, am I really going to have to answer any questions about the Miami-New Orleans free agency thing in '06, or can we just skip that?" Drew Brees is at the heart of a story he doesn't want to be in. Here's the story: Twice over five years, the Miami Dolphins agonized over making him their quarterback. Twice, they passed in a manner that scarred him some and this franchise even more. You can always look back at teams and find draft or free-agent mistakes. Even the best teams make dozens of mistakes. That's the business. But these two decisions involving this same ..."
October 22
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Dave Hyde
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The NFL's leading quarterback comes out of practice in New Orleans, grabs the phone and by way of introduction says this: "Up front, am I really going to have to answer any questions about the Miami-New Orleans free agency thing in '06, or can we just skip that?" Drew Brees is at the heart of a story he doesn't want to be in. Here's the story: Twice over five years, the Miami Dolphins agonized over making him their quarterback. Twice, they passed in a manner that scarred him some and this franchise even more. You can always look back at teams and find draft or free-agent mistakes. Even the best teams make dozens of mistakes. That's the business. But these two decisions involving this same ..."
October 20
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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After leading the Saints to seven touchdowns in a 48-27 rout of the New York Giants on Sunday, quarterback Drew Brees continued to score points Monday, only this time with his teammates. "The offensive line has been awesome," Brees said. "Look at what they've done protecting me the last few years, and now you throw in the balance of the running game. It's a direct correlation how that front five is playing for us." Saints Coach Sean Payton also heaped praise on a unit that is quickly emerging as one of the NFL's top offensive lines even with two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jammal Brown out for the season recovering from hip and groin surgeries. From left to right, tackle Jermon Bushrod, ..."
October 7
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Drew Brees understands his place in the fantasy football hierarchy. So he feels the pain of his thousands of investors who have been stunned to see him go the past two weeks without throwing a touchdown pass. Other than that, he said, he's been perfectly content in his supporting role. "For me, it's all about winning the game," Brees said. "And I enjoy seeing the way that we're winning football games, with great defensive play, with creating turnovers, giving the offense opportunities -- just playing with a great attitude and confidence level. The running game, the way it's going. The offensive line playing the way they have. "For myself and the receivers, we talked this morning. It was, ..."
September 28
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Superman quarterback Drew Brees was grounded Sunday afternoon by an aggressive Bills' defense and a fickle wind. But the Saints soared anyway in a 27-7 victory over Buffalo, getting a lift from their defense, special teams and rejuvenated tailback Pierre Thomas. In many respects, it was the team's most impressive victory since the 2006 season, with Brees being held to 172 yards passing -- his lowest total since 2006 -- and, for the first time in the past 12 games, zero touchdowns. "This is a game in the past that unfortunately probably would not have gone our way, you know?" Brees said of a slugfest that was stuck at 10-7 with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. "You can call it ..."
September 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The NFL schedule-makers did the Saints a favor by planning their trip to Buffalo for Week 3. But Mother Nature might not be so willing to cooperate. The weather is always a factor in western New York, where the forecasts for Sunday are calling for temperatures in the mid-60s with a 40 to 50 percent chance of rain. "Did I start watching the weather report in Buffalo from the time we got back home from Philly? Yes," said Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was the Bills' head coach from 2001 to 2003. "That flag right outside my office window was starched for three years. Very, very seldom do you play in that stadium and there's not wind. A lot of wind." Defensive coaches love ..."
September 15
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The talk this week is going to be about Donovan McNabb. It began Monday morning with breathless ESPN updates about the Eagles quarterback's cracked rib and his practice and playing status for this week. It continued with news alerts that the Eagles signed Jeff Garcia. Between McNabb, Garcia, Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick, we're going to become quite familiar with the Philadelphia depth chart at quarterback. But the quarterback everyone should be talking about is Drew Brees. Trust me, NFL people are doing just that after the Saints' 45-27 demolition of Detroit on Sunday. Brees' six-touchdown masterpiece against the Lions was only the latest showcase of his preeminence. He completed ..."
September 14
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The Saints' 2009 debut would have been spectacular if it wasn't so darn sloppy. Their 45-27 victory over the still-winless Detroit Lions on Sunday at the Superdome would have been a thing of beauty if it hadn't turned so ugly on a handful of occasions. It would have been perfect if . . . well, come to think of it, it was. A perfect example of everything these Saints are capable of, good and bad. And a perfect 1-0 start to a season that promises to be a thrill ride. "We got a win. We scored a lot of points. But we could have scored a whole lot more," said fullback Heath Evans, who caught the last of quarterback Drew Brees' six touchdown passes -- a career high for the prolific ..."
August 21
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Football has always been Drew Brees' sanctuary. Since he started firing spirals as a toddler, the gridiron has been his personal immersion tank, a refuge from the real world. Between the hashmarks, Brees could always forget his Ps and Qs and concentrate on the Xs and Os. So it should come as no surprise that the Saints' star quarterback embraced his return to the football field Thursday, just days after paying last respects to his mother, Mina, who died Aug. 11 of unknown causes. Brees rejoined the Saints in Houston on Wednesday and immediately jumped cleats-first into his normal game-week routine. For Brees, it was the best form of grief therapy. He watched tape, broke down the Saints' ..."
August 11
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Quarterback Drew Brees returned to his daily duties with the Saints on Monday, but his heart and mind remained elsewhere in the wake of his mother's death over the weekend. Brees, who missed the Black and Gold scrimmage Saturday, practiced twice and is expected to be with the team all week and play in Friday's exhibition opener against the Cincinnati Bengals at the Superdome. "It was a long weekend, it was a tough weekend," Brees said. Brees' mother, Mina, died Friday of unknown causes in western Colorado, Grand County (Colo.) chief deputy coroner Cindy Eller said. Eller declined to identify the town or release any other information. She said the cause of death is under investigation. ..."
August 9
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Saints quarterback Drew Brees was excused from Saturday's Black and Gold scrimmage after the reported death of his mother, Mina Brees. The Saints would only confirm that Brees was excused for a "family matter." But the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman reported that his mother, 59, died of unknown causes while visiting another son, Reid, in Colorado. Brees and his mother had been estranged for several years. Brees characterized the relationship as "nonexistent" after they had a public squabble in 2006. She was running for public office in Texas at the time, and Brees demanded that she stop using him in her campaign commercials. Saints Coach Sean Payton said he did not know if Brees would ..."
August 8
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The economy is still in the dumps. The real estate market remains tepid. But the market for NFL quarterbacks is positively booming. Anyone who happens to be a member of the exclusive 32-man fraternity is walking tall and living large these days. Life is good -- and quite lucrative. Four months ago, Matthew Stafford signed a six-year, $78 million deal. Three months later, Matt Cassell inked a a six-year, $60 million contract. Then last week, Giants quarterback Eli Manning rang the bell with a six-year, $97.5 million contract extension in New York. The deal, which makes Manning the highest-paid player in the league, hasn't been signed yet. But once the details are ironed out, one can ..."
July 31
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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When the Saints handed out playbooks to the 80-plus players on the roster this week, they should have included a copy of "The Precious Present." Spencer Johnson's time-honored parable could serve as an apt guidebook for the 2009 season. The Saints' time is now. Some NFL teams are rebuilding (Tampa Bay, Kansas City, San Francisco). Others appear to have seen their windows close (Seattle, Jacksonville, Denver). The Saints are built to win this season. Coach Sean Payton said as much earlier: "Our time is now with (Drew) Brees," he said. And Payton reiterated that notion Thursday, the day before the Saints open the 43rd -- and perhaps most anticipated -- training camp in club history. ..."
May 24
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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If you're a rich superstar athlete, how would you spend your weekends in New Orleans? Would you fete your wife and friends at one of the city's fine restaurants? Or maybe a quiet evening at home with your 4-month-old son, Baylen? If you were Drew Brees you would do some of that, but you'd also find time for other endeavors. On Friday night, the Saints star quarterback was on the stage at Tulane's McAlister Hall, where he delivered the keynote speech at the commencement ceremony for the first graduating class in Lusher Charter School history. Nattily attired in a double-breasted steel-gray suit, Brees was as calm and collected behind the podium as he is under center on Sundays. He held ..."
March 9
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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If it were up to Saints quarterback Drew Brees, he'd love to be reunited with close friend and former teammate LaDainian Tomlinson if the San Diego Chargers cut the former MVP tailback loose. While discussing Tomlinson's contract standoff on San Diego radio station XX 1090 AM, Brees said the "best case scenario" would be for Tomlinson to stay in San Diego because of what he's meant to the team, the fans and the community. But he also admitted, "I'm just waiting for the opportunity if he is available to come and snatch him away." When asked if he has discussed that possibility with Tomlinson, Brees said, "I think that's pretty obvious, don't you think?" When the radio hosts jokingly brought ..."
January 29
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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In a slight nod to an NFC team that shared many characteristics with the Saints in the regular season, Saints quarterback Drew Brees hinted Wednesday that he's leaning toward picking Arizona to win the Super Bowl. "I know obviously Pittsburgh's the favorite," Brees said. "But I feel like if Arizona plays like they played during the playoffs here, they've got as good a shot as anybody. I think they'd be extremely hard to beat, so it could be an interesting one." Brees was at the Super Bowl media center Wednesday, accepting what likely will be his final award from the 2008 season. Brees beat out Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning for the FedEx Air NFL ..."
January 7
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Reggie Bush's knee surgery was more serious than the Saints initially indicated last month, but General Manager Mickey Loomis said the team still expects the running back to be ready for minicamp in early June. Loomis said Bush had a microfracture procedure performed on his left knee after he was placed on injured reserve in mid-December. Bush's injury initially was reported as a sprained medial collateral ligament, which doesn't usually require surgery, but Coach Sean Payton indicated last week that Bush had an arthroscopic procedure performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Loomis did not give details about the surgery, but he said it was not a "major" procedure. "I wouldn't ..."
January 7
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Saints quarterback Drew Brees admitted he was "a little shocked" when he found out Tuesday morning he was chosen the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year, especially after he hadn't received a vote for the league MVP award last week. But that's the way Associated Press voters decided to solve the conundrum of Brees' prolific 2008 season, during which he became the second quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards, though his team missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record. Brees received 22 votes in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the league. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, who won the league MVP award last week, tied with Minnesota tailback ..."
January 6
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Drew Brees' prolific passing season earned him the Associated Press' 2008 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award on Tuesday. The Saints quarterback received 22 votes in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the league. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, who won the league MVP award last week, tied with Minnesota tailback Adrian Peterson for second place with nine votes apiece. "It's a tremendous honor," said Brees, who became just the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards this season. Brees was shut out in last week's MVP balloting because of the Saints' disappointing 8-8 record. But voters recognized his historical ..."
December 23
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist Jeff Duncan
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Saints quarterback Drew Brees will complete one of the greatest seasons by any player in NFL history Sunday and likely will have nothing to show for it. No division title. No playoff berth. Not even an individual honor, other than a run-of-the-mill backup spot in the Pro Bowl. How unjust. Not since Eric Dickerson ran for an NFL single-season record 2,105 yards in 1984 and was snubbed for MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors has an individual player accomplished more and been rewarded less. And that year, Dickerson had the misfortune of breaking the rushing record the same year Dan Marino set the single-season mark for passing yards in a season with 5,084 yards. But there's ..."
November 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist Peter Finney
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Apparently, it took the Saints a 43-day vacation from their home at the Superdome to show they mean business in beating the long odds to keep playing in January. The 51-29 pasting of the Green Bay Packers was the best performance of the season by Sean Payton's football team. It's the first time the team has won two games in a row, the kind of confidence builder any coach would welcome with division foes Tampa Bay and Atlanta next on the menu. And to state the obvious from the opening kickoff of the 2008 season: So long as Drew Brees remains healthy, the Saints have a shot to beat anyone in the league. What Brees did Monday night was pretty much what he has been doing since September, ..."
November 10
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Coming into the season, the Falcons secondary was an unknown quantity. Halfway through the season, it's not like they were household names. Last week in Oakland, DeAngelo Hall got more pub playing against the Falcons and later getting released than any one of the cornerbacks the Falcons have now. But after Sunday's 34-20 win over New Orleans and the top-rated passing offense in the NFL, some names are starting to emerge. Chris Houston: The rookie corner put an end to Saints' realistic comeback hopes by picking off Drew Brees in the end zone with 4:21 left. • Chevis Jackson: The rookie nickel back ruined what Brees' said was an attempt to throw the ball away with an interception at the ..."
October 13
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist Peter Finney
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If you listen to right tackle Jon Stinchcomb, who spends a good part of his Sundays in the huddle with Drew Brees, here's his story on the Saints quarterback. "What you see on Sunday," he said, "starts on Monday. You think about all the work he puts in. He's the first to show up, the last to leave. No one holds himself to a higher standard than that man." No one Saint at any position, Stinchcomb could have added -- had he been around to witness the long history of this franchise -- has ever matched No. 9 in consistently high-level performances over three seasons. In one way, it's so expected, it has become monotonous. Take Sunday. As Brees applied his scalpel to the Oakland Raiders ..."
September 29
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist Peter Finney
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The quarterback did a great job." That's what the coach of the Saints said. Sean Payton could have added: "This is a recording." There was a special sweetness to Sunday's 31-17 victory against the San Francisco 49ers. The defense hounded 49ers quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan, sacked him six times, intercepted him twice in the end zone, and kept his team out of the end zone until the game was history. Deuce McAllister came out of dry-dock, kept moving the pile to the tune of 73 yards on 20 carries, and was seen leaping across the goal line for the last of the Saints' four touchdowns as his teammates filled the air with verbal pompoms. Yes, this was no one-man triumph. In a 22-man game, ..."
September 9
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist Jeff Duncan
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Overlooked amid the uplifting play of the defense and the electrifying work of Reggie Bush in the Saints' 24-20 victory against Tampa Bay on Sunday was the stellar play of Drew Brees. The new-look defense received the credit for preserving the win, and rightfully so. It was excellent. But Brees was the reason the Saints were in position to win. His accurate right arm and astute decision-making produced all three Saints touchdowns. Each a momentum-turning, Category 5-type game-changer. Each a product of his beautiful mind. On the opening drive, the Bucs took away Brees' first option -- Lance Moore -- in the left flat. Undaunted, Brees hitched and promptly found David Patten, who had ..."
August 1
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Saints quarterback Drew Brees has shattered records and generated unprecedented results since he arrived in New Orleans in 2006. The Saints' passing offenses have ranked first and third in the NFL, and Brees has the most passing yards and completions of anyone in the league the past two seasons. So does he have improvements to make? "Yeah, there always are," Brees said. It was an unusually succinct answer from a player who typically has colorful and enlightening responses. What improvements does Brees want to make? "I can't tell you," he said more seriously than not. Then, he opened up, just a little. "There's always little things that I just consciously work on, and I'd bore you ..."
July 22
Orange County Register
columnist Marcia C. Smith
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The point of Drew Brees' visit to the Cathedral Catholic High gymnasium a few days ago was to share some lessons with youngsters about the daily importance of healthy diets and 60 minutes of exercise. The former San Diego Chargers-turned-New Orleans Saints quarterback guided 40 kids – all of them 10 to 13 from a local Boys"