It’s a fair point, and one I understand, but see differently..., and ‘Pass opening up the run’? I doubt that. 31 other NFL teams knew that all they had to do was squat inside 20 yards bc as even the future first ballot Hall of Fame QB recently stated when going through his progressions:

1) “I can’t make that throw”

2) “I can’t make that throw”

3) “I can’t make that throw”

4) “I KNOW I can’t make that throw”

As our greatest QB aged, he no longer was able to make the throws needed, either bc of year long injuries or simply aging. The last few years, the pass most definitely did not open up the run. The running game was good for three reasons.

1) Alvin Kamara

2) Latavius Murray

3) An effective run blocking Offensive Line.

Brees getting the ball out quickly almost always meant a dump out in the flat to Kamara, or an out route inside ten yards..., and the entire league knew it. Sometimes it amazes me at the amount of success the Saints have had, in spite of Mr. Brees recently. Not meaning to disparage him, truly I’m not, but he was done. We saw it clearly the last year. But it’s my belief it’s been snowballing for several years now.

I don’t buy it. Brees would still be a top 10 QB if in the league. His Y/A the last 2 seasons did not go drastically down as he had lower numbers earlier in his career. He had crap production from his WRs the last two years outside of Thomas; and Cook was an untrustworthy TO machine who cost them a playoff loss with a fumble and a tipped pass that turned into a Int. His dump-offs to Kamara were the result of him being the better receiving option over under-producing and injured receivers. If “31 other NFL teams knew that all they had to do was squat inside 20 yards“ the team would not have been 17-6 under him the last two years, would not have won their opening round playoff games the last two years and won the division (beating Tampa twice last year) multiple times consecutively. They would not have been a top 5 scoring team last year. Maybe he couldn’t make those throws because there was no window to throw into due to poor WR separation.

Tampa had a damn good D down the stretch run. They forced 2 playoff Ints from Mahomes and 1 from Rodgers (he only threw 5 ALL SEASON). Were those INTs the result of Mahomes and Rodgers weak arms too? Of course not. Brees may have lost some velocity, but no way was he the noodle armed washed-up player you are portraying.

And with the field not as stretched, completion percentage, down and distance conversion, as well as yards after contact have all taken a hit...

Brees toolbox at the time included recovery from broken ribs. Doesn’t change that he would still be a top 10 QB and clearly starting over Winston or Hill and throwing for 20+ TDs and about 4000 yards if he was on the team. I guess machine was the wrong word to use about Cook but he disappeared from big games regularly. There’s obviously a reason he’s bounced around so much in the league.

My points are these. Brees was better last year than many other Super Bowl winning QBs have been, especially before the broken ribs. Teams certainly weren’t beating the Saints by squatting down on them...their blow out win against Tampa and other games from last year prove that. When healthy players were on the field they were more than effective. Brees was not solely (IMO even primarily) to blame for the playoff loss. Those are just my opinions of course. Brees has always been the type of player who takes responsibility, self criticizes, and avoids throwing fellow players under the bus. It doesn’t surprise me at all that he makes these statements about himself in an interview. It doesn’t mean he could not step in and still play.