Saints vs. Rams: Drew Brees will Prove He's Still Among Elite QBs

Drew Brees is widely regarded as one of the premiere quarterbacks in the NFL, but is this the same guy that helped a city rise from the ashes in 2009?

In 2009, Brees led the New Orleans Saints to a magical Super Bowl season while setting NFL records such as highest completion percentage in the regular season and post seasons. But through seven games of the 2011 season, Brees has eight interceptions.

Is this a result of Brees losing a step or is it the result of the Saints calling on Brees a lot more this season due to their running game struggling early? Well, due to the fact that he threw five touchdowns and only four incompletions Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts, I’m going to say it’s the latter.

Granted, it was a Peyton Manning-less Colts, but last time I checked Manning doesn’t play on the defensive side of the ball, too. Before that game, Brees was averaging 44 passes a game. If that were to continue the rest of the year, that would be a new NFL record for most passing attempts in a season.

That’s not a balanced attack to say the least. To be completely honest, I get sick and tired of people under-appreciating the greatness that Brees possesses. In my mind, there’s only three quarterbacks that you can argue as being better at what they do and that’s Manning, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. And it’s not like they’re that much better than Brees either.

Take a look at Brees’ numbers so far this season. He leads the NFL in completions with 212 and yards with 2,477, is second in the league in touchdown passes with 18 and completion percentage with 70.9 and there’s not a better third down passer in the league.

Brees owns an NFL best 133.7 quarterback rating on third down with a 73.1 completion percentage, 677 yards and seven touchdowns with only one interception. Can you say clutch? Brees has all of these great numbers, and yet there’s still a misconception that he’s losing a step or is getting passed over as an elite passer.

I guess I just don’t get it, and that frustrates me. Brees is as fearless of a passer that you’ll find in the league, and that’s the reason why he’s struggled with interceptions so far this season. He has complete and utter faith in his wide receivers, and that’s what makes him so great.

Say what you will about Rodgers and Brady, but it’s a crime to mention those guys without mentioning No. 9. The perception around the league may sell the abilities of Brees short, but what will they say when Brees turns it up for the second half of the season and produces even more mind-blowing numbers?

I mean, this is the same guy who’s thrown a touchdown pass in 34 straight games and is chasing Johnny Unitas' record of 47 straight games of having thrown a touchdown pass.

As a Saints fan, I would love to have Rodgers, Brady or Manning running my team’s offense, but my guy Brees is just as good. Everything in the Saints’ offense runs through Brees, and quite frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.