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New Orleans Saints: Will Drew Brees be an elite quarterback in 2015?

By Nick Ziegler

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The New Orleans Saints have had one of the more interesting offseason’s of any team in the NFL, as they are undergoing a change in philosophy it seems.

If it wasn’t for the madness in Philadelphia with Chip Kelly and the Eagles, the Saints would likely be the team being questioned this offseason. New Orleans have had one of the best offenses in the NFL since Drew Brees arrived in New Orleans in 2006. With recent moves however, the Saints look to be moving to more of a run-first philosophy

Last season, the Saints had a very disappointing season with a 7-9 record, and that led to change this offseason. The biggest move was trading Jimmy Graham to the Seattle Seahawks for a first-round pick and center Max Unger. Another smaller, but also important move by the Saints was the trading of second-year wide receiver Kenny Stills to the Miami Dolphins. The Saints received good value back for their two talented offensive players, but it will leave a void in weapons for Brees.

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As a 36-year-old quarterback, Brees has to be upset about losing two of his top targets heading into his 15th season. The Saints were 7-9 last season, and their defense was awful, which is what they seem to be trying to fix by making some of these offseason moves.

This offseason for the Saints arises the question, have the Saints lost faith in Brees?

Part of the reason for the Saints taking a step backwards was also a down season for Brees’ standards. In 2014, Brees totaled 4,952 yards, 33 passing touchdowns, 17 interceptions, and five fumbles. While those stats are still very good by quarterback standards, for elite quarterback standards it’s a bit down.

The 33 passing touchdowns in 2014 was the lowest for Brees since 2010. Brees did share the lead with Ben Roethlisberger for most passing yards in 2014, but a lot of that damage was done with the Saints trailing in games.

One very concerning statistic from last season, was Brees struggling against the NFC South. The NFC South was widely regarded as the worst division in football with the Carolina Panthers winning the division with a record below .500. Against his own division last season, Brees had a 3-3 record, with seven touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. Having more interceptions than touchdown passes for Brees against the NFC South is almost impossible to imagine with four games coming against the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Dec 28, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Akeem Spence (97) defends New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. New Orleans Saints defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

In 2013, Brees was 5-1 against the NFC South, and totaled 14 touchdown passes and just five interceptions in six games. Brees’ play against the NFC South is very concerning, but what also was concerning was his play at home.

Just one season after having a perfect 8-0 record with 27 touchdown passes and three interceptions, Brees and the Saints would struggle at home. In 2014, the Saints had a 3-5 at home, and Brees saw his stats drop dramatically from 2013. Last season, Brees would only total 16 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

The recent moves made by the Saints to seemingly attempt to change their team identity overnight could be an indication that Brees is on the decline. Brees has been an elite quarterback for many years in the NFL, but those days seem to be over after this offseason. After the 2014 season, and seeing his best two weapons be traded away, it’s hard to predict that Brees will be an elite quarterback in 2015.

Next: Will Mark Ingram thrive for the Saints in 2015?

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