New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - NOLA.com Drew Brees key ingredient in New Orleans Saints' recipe for success

Mark Schlereth won three Super Bowl rings in his 12-year NFL career, including back-to-back titles with the Denver Broncos in 1997 and 1998. He's among the select company of NFL players who knows what it takes to successfully defend a Super Bowl title.

Brett Duke/The Times-Picayune
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been the undisputed leader of the offense, which has rated as the NFL's best in three of the four seasons since his arrival in 2006.
So when Sean Payton invited him to training camp to speak to the New Orleans Saints about the challenges of repeating as champions, he spoke about the intangibles: character, commitment, discipline and selflessness.

But above all, Schlereth knows the most important ingredient to a sustained Super Bowl run is an elite quarterback.
Schlereth's Broncos had John Elway. And the Saints have Drew Brees.
The No. 1 reason the Saints have a chance to repeat as Super Bowl champs is No. 9.
An elite quarterback is the outlier in the NFL. It was true when Schlereth played in the 1980s and '90s, and it's true today.
"Any time you have a guy that's elite at that position, he can make up for a multitude of sins, " Schlereth said. "If you have that guy you're going to be good, and you're going to be good for a very long time. (Brees) is going to give this organization an opportunity to be an elite team for years to come."
As Schlereth spoke to a pack of reporters, Brees was behind him, working out alone on the field in the Saints' indoor training facility. It was more than an hour after a Monday workout. In addition to the two-hour practice, Brees had already conducted his daily post-practice passing regimen with the receivers. After the other quarterbacks and wideouts had left the field, he remained behind to run sprints and conduct a simulated game.

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