New Orleans Saints: Losing Drew Brees is the ultimate nightmare
Drew Brees was forced out of the New Orleans Saints’ Week 2 loss with a thumb injury and is out for several weeks. That spells disaster in the Big Easy.
In what was touted as one of the most hyped games of Week 2, the New Orleans Saints traveling to Los Angeles ultimately ended up in disaster. Many hoped that we’d see the same spark as we had their previous regular-season matchup. Unfortunately, Drew Brees was injured in the first quarter, allowing the Rams to walk away victorious in a slugfest.
With Brees going out early, he was replaced by Teddy Bridgewater who put up lackluster numbers in comparison. A hand injury is clearly not conducive to playing quarterback in the NFL. As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Brees is dealing with a thumb injury and is expected to miss at least six weeks of action.
Brees being sidelined leaves a major hole at quarterback for the Saints. While Bridgewater filled in, there is no one like Brees. Looking at the Week 1 game against the Texans, he orchestrated a pair of comebacks to secure the win. Put simply, the veteran signal-caller is magic when the ball is in his fully healthy hands.
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Losing Brees essentially shuts the door on the Saints making it to the playoffs and getting to the Super Bowl. 2019 was supposed to be the year for them and in Week 2, it’s already starting to fall apart. Brees is the leader of the Saints and, without him on offense, it’s a huge question mark. The offense in Week 2 without Brees struggled mightily, failing to get into the end zone and managing just nine points.
The Saints have thrived under Brees and losing him is a devastating blow. These next few games were crucial to ensuring the Saints were the real deal. Losing against the Rams was frustrating but dealing with the Seahawks and Cowboys next is something else entirely.
The Seahawks and the Cowboys both had big games in Week 2, moving to 2-0 as NFC foes for New Orleans. There’s no doubt they’re going to take advantage of the Saints without Brees. It’s frustrating to watch as we all hoped that the Saints would go all the way this season.
While the Saints still have a chance at a Wild Card playoff spot, securing the No. 1 or 2 seed feels like a faraway dream. Unless the Saints can find a more suitable replacement, they’re going to continue to struggle. They could decide to give both Bridgewater and Taysom Hill the chance under center but that’s a shot in the dark. Without Brees, the Saints don’t feel like the Saints anymore.
As devasting as losing Brees is, the New Orleans Saints could pull through as long as their defense steps up as they did against the Rams. Cameron Jordan is in the prime of his career and could’ve helped the cause if not for another “no-call” against New Orleans.
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Moreover, the team still has elite offensive weapons in Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas and Jared Cook. If they can all step up, the Saints can potentially make do. However, not having Drew Brees makes the task exponentially more difficult.