stickman

I went with the first option because in addition to running routes correctly and CATCHING THE DAMN BALL, the TEs and WRs also need to block when they are not targeted and on running plays.

It's true that a guy like Brees could make an average group of WRs look good and inspire them to play their best, but if they don't do their job, he doesn't have a chance to do his.

AsylumGuido

Conversely, a bad QB can make the best WR's look bad. It definitely works both ways. That's why I worded the question as more likely.

AsylumGuido

Here's a great article that somewhat addresses this topic concerning the Saints.

Jeff Duncan: A look at why the Saints offense has gone from juggernaut to jugger-not

From the article:

"Harris, at No. 20, is the only Saints player ranked in the Top 20 in Next Gen Stat’s separation statistical rankings, a metric, which uses geo-locator chips embedded into players’ shoulder pads to measure the distance in yards between the receiver and the nearest defender at the time of a catch or incompletion. Tight end Adam Trautman (No. 26) and Callaway No. 118 are the only other qualifying receivers on the roster."

"The receivers, though, are not the lone culprits here. In fact, Kamara and Trautman lead the Saints with five and four drops, respectively, according to Pro Football Reference (PFR). Smith, with two drops, is the only Saints receiver with more than one official drop, according to PFR and Stats, Inc.

There’s a difference though in a dropped pass and a contested drop. And this is where Thomas’ absence has most greatly impacted the offense. In 2018 and 2019, his last two full seasons, Thomas ranked among the Top 10 receivers in the league in contested catch rate, according to Pro Football Focus, despite ranking 80th in separation rate.

“It is just a matter of catching the ball, trying to help the quarterback out, trying to help out the offense,” said Stills, who had a pair of contested dropped passes against the Falcons two weeks ago. “And so we make those catches, we're not sitting here talking about guys getting open.”

Saints receivers, though, have struggled in this area. Trautman is the only Saints pass catcher to rank in the top 50 in contested catch rate, per Pro Football Focus."

"The ability to make contested catches is valued more than ever in the Saints offense now that Brees, the most accurate passer in NFL history, is gone. With Brees, the Saints led the league in catchable passes in each of his final four seasons, according to PFR’s passing accuracy analytics. Likewise, the Saints had the second fewest bad throws during the same span with Brees pulling the trigger.

With Brees gone, Saints passers have gone the other way. They have the highest percentage of bad throws, defined as poor throws excluding spikes and throwaways, and the second lowest percentage of catchable passes, per PFR."

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill