blacksaint

Posted by Tom Mantzouranis

Alright, I'm just gonna come out and say it: I've got a man-crush on Drew Brees. Part of it is his innate ability to read defenses. Part of it is his pinpoint accuracy, his deceptively strong arm. Part of it is because I like who he goes home to every night. But most of it comes from his leadership abilities. You want your quarterback to have more than just the on-field requirements. You want a guy who commands the respect of his team, who controls the huddle, and inspires faith in his teammates. Also, you want somebody who doesn't murder dogs. That's key.

But that kind of respect isn't just given in the NFL, it's earned. And, as you can see from the above picture from Saints training camp, Brees is still out-working his teammates. He isn't waltzing into camp and resting on his laurels. He's the ONLY guy on the team doing sprints in full pads and a helmet. A quarterback can't ask the most of his teammates if he's not willing to give the most himself. At some point in the fourth quarter this year, the Saints might be down, and Brees might need somebody to make a play. If that's the case, don't expect things like this to be forgotten.

saint4life
(504)

BlueDevil1978

Nice post. If there has been a severe lack of contribution in regard to performance, leadership, respect, and game-changing playing-making from any one position over the last 15 years, it would have to be quarterback (although you could debate an equivalent lack at the linebacker positions, but don't get me going there).

AB just didn't get it. In the da-no-coach Ditka years, it was a revolving door of lack of talent. Chris Evert had big numbers, but it was not game-changing play-making, and flipping a coffee table over on-air was his biggest contribution to leadership. You'ld have to go back to the firey Cajun Cannon to get anything near this level. And guess what: they had linebackers then, too.

Yeah, I APPRECIATE Drew Brees!

/"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Billy Ed Hatfield (Walton & Johnson) /

sac-a-lait

Brees is the key to the offense, but a lot of credit is due to Payton who has surrounded Brees with players who WANT to play,and are intelligent enough to play. They are reminding me more and more of New Englands team, where they actually have a team, not a bunch of prima donna's doing there own thing in a half assed, confused manner (Aaron " I don't have a clue to what's happening" Brooks). They lost last year to good defenses, but were not outcoached but a few times. At last, they are fun to watch and the game isn't over by the end of the first half, with Brees in there, the game is never over till the last whistle blows.

Tobias-Reiper

he he... that reminded me of one time not so long ago that I "engaged in a lively debate" with someone on anotrher board who was proclaiming Charlie Clemmons a better LB than Brian Urlacher, and I was labeled a "negative poster"....

LongTimeFan

I wouldn't trade Brees for anyone in the NFL, IMHO he's the best in the league.

BlueDevil1978

Hey, watch it Tobias-Reiper -- that kind of negativity against Clemmons might get you kicked off . . .