Tyrann Mathieu and Drew Brees probably wouldn’t agree on his favorite INT. Mathieu’s takeaway in his 2013 homecoming stands the test of time:
It’s no secret that Tyrann Mathieu is a special talent. The New Orleans Saints safety returned home to close out his illustrious NFL career, and while Mathieu’s 2024 season hast had more low moments than he’s comfortable with, the highlights stand up with the best plays throughout his career.
He’s still making history. Mathieu is tied with his old college teammate Patrick Peterson for the most interceptions among all active NFL players (36). So which one was his favorite?
“I hate to say it but it’d have to be my rookie season, playing against Drew Brees in the Superdome,” Mathieu grinned. “And we got beat bad that day but I had a good game. And I got to walk l away with one of the most prized possessions of anybody’s life, and that’s a Drew Brees football. So I always remember that one.”
Mathieu played the Saints just three games into his pro career back in 2013, and while his Arizona Cardinals fell 31-7, he did finish the day with 10 tackles (9 solo), on top of that interception. That was a season-high for his rookie year, and clearly a memorable game in his NFL story.
Drew Brees joined ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown set and shared his experience in engaging hungry playmakers — like Michael Thomas:
Legendary former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees joined ESPN’s pregame set for Monday Night Countdown before kickoff between the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams, and a key point of discussion was the trouble offenses loaded with weapons like Miami experienced in spreading the ball around.
Tyreek Hill. Jaylen Waddle. De’Von Achane. Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Wright. Those are just some of the playmakers clamoring for touches. And Brees knows a thing or two about keeping his superstars happy. He and Michael Thomas made a lot of history together with the Saints, and he shared some insight into managing that relationship with a player who has drawn so much attention — both from opposing defenses and spectators on social media.
“Look you’re always thinking matchups. And you’re always thinking we’ve got a lot of mouths to feed, how are we going to get all these guys opportunities, especially early in the game,” Brees said on the pregame show. He pointed to how opening scripts would set up the defense to tip their hand and show who they’re focused on taking away, at which point he and the offense could counter.
It’s just an approach that took a lot of patience. Brees continued: “And a lot of times I’d come to the sideline after Drive 1, Drive 2, and I’d look at Mike Thomas and be like ‘Hey Mike T, stay patient. Alright? They’re going to be doubling you here for a while. Alright? Young bucks, alright, you guys are going to get the ball, you’re going to get the opportunities when we’re start to make them pay here, Mike T you’re going to get your opportunities.'”
Managing that relationship was something Derek Carr struggled with after taking the reins from Brees, which led to a messy divorce between Thomas and the Saints that has repeatedly spilled out onto social media. Thomas has joined dissatisfied fans in calling for Carr’s job, and when one of Brees’ co-hosts brought that up, he gamely laughed it off.
It’s a shame things have taken such a turn for Thomas and the Saints. But if teams like the Dolphins are going to get where Brees and New Orleans have gone (Miami hasn’t won a playoff game since before Brees was drafted by the San Diego Chargers way back in 2001), they’ll need to do more to follow in his footsteps. That’s true for Carr and the modern-day Saints, too.
Drew Brees will be a part of ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown for the upcoming matchup between the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Rams:
Drew Brees will be a part of ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown for the upcoming matchup between the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Rams, as was originally reported by Andrew Marchand via SubStack.
“ESPN wanted Brees before he ended up on NBC,” Marchand wrote. “Right now, Brees to ESPN full-time is not a thing, but, if he does well, I could see maybe developing into something.”
This could — or could not — indicate a return to broadcasting for Brees. It has been a long time since we have seen him in this capacity with his last major appearance occurring when he called the Wild Card game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.
He did that game for NBC with Mike Tirico up in the booth. The former Saints quarterback didn’t exactly perform up to standard and was met with plenty of public criticism for his performance, which hardly compared to what he was able to do on the football field.
That’s not exactly an anomaly, though, considering other highly noted players turned broadcasters like the legendary Tom Brady initially struggled when making the transition.
Whether or not Brees gets a handle here and pursues this career in full capacity will be something to watch.
The Dolphins and the Rams are set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday evening in SoFi Stadium.
Drew Brees recently shared his thoughts on Spencer Rattler, who he compared to another rookie quarterback. Brees sees some similarities with Bo Nix:
The Saints haven’t had nearly the success at quarterback to be desired since the retirement of legendary signal-caller Drew Brees, and only ahead of the loss to the Panthers did New Orleans get its starter back.
Before veteran Derek Carr was able to return to the field after missing weeks of action due to injury, the team leaned into rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler.
Brees recently weighed in on Rattler, also comparing him in some ways to Denver quarterback Bo Nix.
“I think there’s a lot of similarities between Spencer Rattler and Bo Nix. They’re both really athletic guys. The Saints were under center a lot more. I think that’s how they set up their run game and their play action. Spencer Rattler was on the move so much, throws the ball and runs very well – very similar to Bo. I think where both of those guys will need to make strides – just as any young player – is in the drawback passing game.”
Rattler finished out his most recent appearance, the 26-8 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in which he was benched, 12 for 24 passing for 156 yards. While he has had his bright moments, the former Oklahoma and South Carolina quarterback has had a rough go of it in his first year in the NFL.
It will be interesting to watch what the Saints do at backup quarterback moving forward, especially in the event that Carr is to go down again this season, but there’s no question that Rattler was put in a tough situation when he was unexpectedly thrown into the fire like this.
Regardless, the Saints’ main focus right now is on the big picture, and that starts with snapping a seven-game losing streak. New Orleans will attempt to take their first hack at that when the Atlanta Falcons head to to New Orleans next Sunday.
This hasn’t happened in 20 years. The last time the Chargers beat the Saints, Drew Brees was their quarterback:
This hasn’t happened in 20 years. The last time the Los Angeles Chargers beat the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees was their quarterback. But that feat repeated itself on Sunday when Justin Herbert quarterbacked the Chargers to a 26-8 win. The Saints fell to 2-6 on the season after benching rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler in hopes that Jake Haener could provide a spark. New Orleans still lost 26-8.
So what happened last time on Nov. 6, 2004? Brees outdueled Aaron Brooks in a 43-17 romp, throwing four touchdown passes (three of them to star tight end Antonio Gates). Deuce McAllister led the Saints with 63 rushing yards and kept the team in the game with an early touchdown run of his own, but he couldn’t do it all himself.
Of course things took a surprising turn in the years to follow. Brees suffered a career-threatening shoulder injury and was let go into free agency, where the Saints signed him. A few years after that McAllister led the team out of the tunnel in their bid to win Super Bowl XLIV. The rest is history. The Saints won four in a row against the Chargers including an overtime victory in 2020.
And it’s all behind us, now. What matters most is that the Saints can’t get out of their own way and end this losing streak. They don’t have a quarterback like Brees on the roster anymore, though the Chargers have something special in Justin Herbert. If New Orleans can’t get back in the win column soon, these memories will be all they have.
Drew Brees reflected on his time with the Saints ahead of his induction into the team Hall of Fame, and he says he’s a lifer: ‘I still feel like I’m a New Orleans Saint’
“Every time I step back in the Dome, I feel like I am part of the team.
Drew Brees will be inducted in the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame Thursday night. It’s a celebratory moment for the greatest player in Saints history. Brees is the best quarterback in franchise history and one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL.
He may have started his career as a member of the Chargers, but Brees says he’s a Saints lifer. He still says “we” when talking about the team casually, and spelled out his intentions: “I still feel like I’m a New Orleans Saint.” He’s synonymous with the Saints after spearheading their greatest era alongside Sean Payton.
For Brees, “So many emotions come back every time (he) steps foot in the Dome.” Brees not only rose to prominence with the team, but also became a part of the city. The tie between the Saints and their city runs deep. After 15 years at the helm, Brees is intertwined in that fabric too.
Brees added, “I think we have the reputation for being one of the greatest fanbases in the country, being one of the greatest game day atmospheres in the country.” That reputation isn’t built without Brees. The fanbase and game day atmosphere reached a broader range and was amplified by the sustained success of the Brees-Payton era.
What did Drew Brees see when watching Spencer Rattler make his NFL debut? Exactly what Brees expected to see from the New Orleans Saints rookie, “a guy who plays with a ton of confidence, can make all the throws.”
Rattler was impressive. His mobility and arm talent were on full display against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He performed well in the first half despite being without Chris Olave after the third play. That’ll be the case again against the Denver Broncos.
It wasn’t all perfect for Rattler, though. The rookie threw two interceptions in the second half. Brees partially chalks that up to taking abnormal risks while playing catch up. That applies to Rattler’s second pick.
In general, Brees understands mistakes are part of the learning process for young players. “You have to make some of those mistakes and work through those like every young player does.”
In his NFL debut, Rattler achieved what fans should have wanted to see. He showed potential for the future. This week is about building on last week’s foundation.
Don’t spit into the wind. Don’t tug on Superman’s cape. And don’t heckle Drew Brees after a New Orleans Saints game. That’s what one Philadelphia Eagles fan learned the hard way after Sunday’s matchup at the Caesars Superdome.
“Drew Brees, Go Birds,” the Eagles fan called out, having spotted Brees in a crowd leaving the stadium.
To which Brees turned back and responded: “I’ve got a pretty good record against you guys.”
Brees went 4-3 against the Eagles in regular season games, but he was 4-2 against them as quarterback of the Saints (one of those losses came when he was still with the Chargers), by a combined margin of 191-143. On top of that, Brees and the Saints ended three different Eagles Super Bowl bids in 2006 (winning 27-24 in the wild-card round), 2013 (26-24, the first Saints road playoff win in franchise history), and 2018 (20-14). So if you combine regular season starts with postgame matchups when Brees was quarterbacking the Saints, he’s 7-2 against the Eagles.
And that caused this Eagles fan to falter. “Oh really?” they managed, surprised by Brees’ rebuttal, but that’s where the video ends. We’re guessing they didn’t have much more to say after that.
Drew Brees previewed this week’s Saints-Cowboys game with ex-NFL coach Jon Gruden. He doesn’t envy Derek Carr having to prepare for Mike Zimmer’s defense:
Gruden still has a lot of connections and fans around the league. His old quarterback Derek Carr is one of them. Another Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, is another. Brees joined Gruden on his YouTube channel to discuss a wide range of topics including youth football, fatherhood, and this week’s matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
Brees visited the Saints at their training camp in Southern California, and he’s eager to see more of their offense with Klint Kubiak calling plays into Carr’s headset: “I love what that offense brings, both in the run game and I think the mentality, the way it shapes up the play action the passing game as well. I think there’s a renewed enthusiasm there. I think Derek’s about to have some of his best years. He’s got some explosive weapons around him.”
Interestingly, Brees pointed to what the Saints are doing now in comparison to what he and Sean Payton did back in 2006. Just like Payton learned much from Gruden as a coaching mentor in adapting the West Coast offense for his own designs, Kubiak is making Kyle Shanahan’s system his own in New Orleans. “It came from the same source, right?” Brees added.
As to this matchup in Dallas? Brees is hoping Carr can build on his strong performance: “That’ll be a heck of a matchup. I’ll be glued to the TV for that one.”
One wrinkle to this year’s game Gruden pointed out? Mike Zimmer’s return to Dallas. He’s once again the Cowboys defensive coordinator after a couple of seasons out of the league, running the defense where he first rose to prominence as Payton’s coworker so many years ago. And Brees doesn’t envy Carr and Kubiak having to outwit a defensive coach he has a ton of respect for.
“I’ll say this, we played against Zim a bunch. And there was never a week I expended more mental energy preparing for a defense than a Zimmer defense,” Brees said. “Because just like you said, the minute they walk those two linebackers up in the A gaps, even if they’re just bluffing them, it gets you thinking so much about, ‘Where can I get the ball out? What coverage are they potentially rolling to?'”
That sounds exhausting just from the description. What’s really intriguing about the Kubiak-Zimmer chess match is that Kubiak last worked as an offensive coordinator calling plays under Zimmer on the Minnesota Vikings. But the offense he’s running now is more heavily derived from Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers system than what Kubiak used in Minnesota, so it’s not like either coach has an inside track on what the other is planning. It’s all going to come to a head on Sunday. Like Brees (and Gruden), we’ll be watching.
This may not be the biggest bombshell in the news you’ll read today, but Drew Brees has a lot of thoughts on the New Orleans Saints. The 13-time Pro Bowler and legendary Saints quarterback sat down with Jim Rome this week to take stock on his old team and share his take on what’s ahead of them.
With kickoff against the Carolina Panthers closing in, it’s worth checking in with No. 9 to see what he’s expecting from Derek Carr in the revamped Saints offense.
“You know, I’m excited for him,” Brees grinned. “I think there’s definitely growth, you know, just when it comes to the chemistry with those guys who are in the locker room with him and on the field with him. But it also starts the Klint Kubiak era in New Orleans. I love that San Francisco offense and obviously Klint came from San Francisco. I think it provides the opportunity for all of our playmakers to really be in some dynamic situations. I had a chance to go watch them in training camp and see it this offseason as well. I know Derek is really excited to be with Klint in that offense, being in that offense, and getting another crack at it here. I think they’re poised to have a really good season.”
Brees pointed to instability around the division as reason for confidence that, yes, the Saints could go on a run. Kirk Cousins joining the Atlanta Falcons will be challenging. But the Panthers have a lot to prove with the league’s weakest roster and Bryce Young coming off a rough rookie year. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were soundly beaten by the Saints late last season only to go on a playoff run of their own anyway.
We’ll find out soon whether Brees’ excitement and confidence is warranted. The Saints haven’t returned to the glory days he ushered in, but they can still find success with him watching from home like many other fans.
