Drew Brees’ Confidence Is Nice, But Enough for Saints Super Bowl?
By Joe Wedra
Much of Drew Brees’ success at the helm of the New Orleans Saints has come from his confident demeanor that has so often lead to success in numbers.
Fans of New Orleans know the time is ticking for Brees’ tenure. That’s why they can take the quarterback’s latest comments regarding Super Bowl 50 with hope.
When asked by ESPN’s Ed Werder just how confident he was, the Saints quarterback seemed to answer without hesitation.
"I’m very convinced. It’s what drives me and keeps me going. I love this game for so many reasons. The opportunity to have played it for going on 15 years is rare, it’s unique. I want to continue to play for absolutely as long as I can, as long as I’m having fun, playing at a high level and maybe I’ll stay healthy, why not play this game? It’s a blessing."
Improvements on offense … somewhat
To praise what the Saints did during the offseason to bolster the offense would be wise. Not only did they add former Bills RB C.J. Spiller into the mix, they successfully brought in added help in front of their skill position players on the offensive line.
Jimmy Graham was dealt, but the Saints got the opportunity to insert Max Unger at the center spot immediately.
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With that, the team snatched Stanford OT Andrus Peat off the board late in the first round to solidify the outside of the line – another part of the recipe that helps initial improvements.
However, does Brees truly have enough help on the outside to put up the numbers necessary to make a Super Bowl run?
With all due credit to Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston, they can’t possibly be asked to handle the majority of the load in the passing game. Instead of helping Brees in even the slightest way, the Saints failed to bring in any viable target who can be asked to muster up five to seven catches a game – that’s an issue.
Nick Toon, Benjamin Watson, Josh Morgan… where do the passes go?
Brees can be pegged as the best in the NFL, but it’s next to impossible construct a Super Bowl run with unproven weapons in the arsenal.
Questions continue on the other side
The New Orleans secondary improved greatly with the offseason add-ons, but the front-seven still leaves much to be desired.
New faces such as Hau’oli Kikaha and Kevin Williams will be tested early, but proven accomplishments across the board simply don’t present themselves when looking at the roster.
The unit had problems before, and it’s hard to assume they’ll go away with the current plan in place.
It’s not all doom and gloom, however. A few weeks in and we’ll be able to see the significance of bolstering the middle of the defense with Dannell Ellerbe and Stephone Anthony. Quietly, Rob Ryan’s unit may have gotten a whole lot better by adding two athletic leaders up the middle.
Overall, the 2015 season will be a test. One of Ryan particularly, to see if his side of the ball can aid Brees in his quest for another ring.
Ultimately, it’s going to be a Brees show taking the stage. The best in the league can make superstars out of unknowns. For the veteran QB, the 2015 season is a time to show off that trait.