After spending three weeks on IR with a collapsed lung and a total of 11 cracked ribs, New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees is eligible to retake the field. Fans hoped the wait would be over come week 14, as Brees did remark, “I’ve got the best medical team in the world…will be back in no time!” after the injury. However, coach Sean Payton has made the latest comment on Brees’ status, and it doesn’t sound optimistic. Per an interview with TheAthletic.com, Sean Payton stated:
“I honestly wouldn’t be able to give you a time frame. He’s like a handful of the other guys that are down there working their tails off to get back healthy, 100 percent, and we’ll kind of see when that is.”
Sean Payton, The Athletic
How bad is this news for the Saints? It’s not good. But in Brees’ absence, the team has still excelled. Many fans scoffed at the decision to start gadget tight end Taysom Hill at QB over former Buc Jameis Winston, who just came off a 30 TD, 5,000 yard season. (Sure, he may have thrown a couple interceptions, I’ve heard.)
Sean Payton and OC Pete Carmichael Jr. though, have skillfully molded the offense around Hill’s strengths. With the help of Alvin Kamara and Hill’s legs, the Saints are 3-0 with Brees on IR. New Orleans has won their last eight games that Brees has missed, as a matter of fact.
Tayson Hill has rushed for 176 yards and four touchdowns, many of which came from designed QB runs. He’s been reliable through the air too, connecting on 71-percent of his passes for 543 yards.
Completing over 70-percent of passes is one of Drew Brees’ specialties; through Hill we get to see how Payton can take some credit for smart, consistent passing play design.
The Road Ahead
Just how long can New Orleans coast without their star QB? Having clinched a playoff berth at 10-2, they certainly have some insurance coming into December and January. They’ll be visiting the Eagles next week, a matchup that would be just as favorable to Taysom Hill as it would be to every other quarterback in the league.
An underrated aspect of the 2020 Saints is their defense; they’re allowing the lowest average number of yards per game, 288. Leading the NFC with one of their best defenses in recent memory and a backup QB that’s delivering everything that’s asked of him, there’s not much reason for the team to rush Drew Brees back after the gnarly injury he sustained.
This scenario is reminiscent of a recent Super Bowl champion’s regular season dilemma, the 2015 Broncos. After aging veteran QB Peyton Manning went down halfway through the season, an elite defense and a solid backup in Brock Osweiler let Manning take his time healing while they brought him to a top postseason seed. Manning took it from there, and he retired on top.
The Saints could follow the exact same blueprint if they wanted to, letting Hill finish through week 17 and giving the reins to Brees as he leads them to the Super Bowl one last time.
Saints fans and Taysom Hill fantasy owners will be keeping a close eye on Brees’ progress, and Belly Up Sports will bring any further news post haste. The Saints themselves, however, may be better off than they expected.
For more NFL news and analysis go to Belly Up Sports or follow @bellyupsports. For more articles and idle thoughts about sports, check out my Twitter @zacksphatstacks.
