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Whatever problems the New Orleans Saints' front-line offense might be experiencing -- and there didn't appear to be many Friday night while it provided its regular-season dress rehearsal in a 36-21 win over San Diego -- scratch off Drew Brees as being one of them.

You're shocked, no?

Actually, the only way Brees can stun us now is if he doesn't play well during extensive action, even when the final score means absolutely nothing and the offensive scheme is about as bland as an undressed po-boy.
Brees, as expected, was sharp against the Chargers inside the Superdome, to the tune of completing 18 of 27 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns. And his overall numbers actually were down from his first-half show, when he threw incomplete just four times in 20 attempts, for all but 15 of his yards and both touchdowns.
Sure, Brees, the notoriously picky Super Bowl MVP, might find reason to punish himself and run a few extra gassers today or next week.
His first touchdown pass, a 46-yarder to Devery Henderson, was an underthrown jump ball that Henderson managed to snag in the end zone after San Diego corner Antoine Cason tipped it in the air.
And another deep pass to Henderson down the middle of the field -- although catchable -- was a little behind the speedster, and it slithered through his hands.
And the Saints converted just two of five third-down attempts in the first two quarters.

But, undoubtedly, he could've found a couple of volunteers inside the Superdome who proudly, and giddily, would pay his penance for him. And correctly, they'd remind Brees that he had at least two drops, with Reggie Bush chipping in the other.
And they'd note that in a little less than two-and-a-half quarters of work, Brees handled his former team with relative ease. In the first half, he directed 90- and 80-yard touchdown drives (his second TD pass was to Robert Meachem), and a 69-yard drive that led to Garrett Hartley's 40-yard field goal that provided New Orleans' 17-14 advantage at halftime.
Given that the Saints had possession just 12:18 of the first 30 minutes, it was impressive efficiency. But then, it was routine Brees, and nothing particularly outside the realm for the offense he leads, which regularly has bunched points with Brees at the helm.
The Saints sliced San Diego's defense even though they had two empty possessions in the half.
After Pierre Thomas ran for 2 yards on New Orleans' first play from scrimmage and Brees completed consecutive passes for 11 and 5 yards to Marques Colston and Bush, Brees threw incomplete for Meachem and was sacked, and fumbled, for an 8-yard loss on third-and-5 from his 29-yard line.
But from there, the resistance was broken.
On New Orleans' second possession, Brees completed all four pass attempts for 71 yards, including the touchdown to Henderson. When the Saints had the ball for the third time, he completed three of four for 49 yards and the score to Meachem.
And after a three-and-out on the next possession, the Saints took over possession at their 9-yard line with 1:50 left in the half and proceeded to move 69 yards, to the Chargers' 22, for Hartley's 40-yarder. On that drive, Brees completed all seven attempts for 89 yards -- including a keeping-his-head-in-the-middle-of-chaos, option-looking flip to Bush that the running back turned into a 38-yard gain on first down from the Saints' 32.
By the time Brees turned over the offense to Patrick Ramsey and took with him to the sideline the rest of the starters, he'd logged his heaviest workload of the exhibition season and proved that he didn't need any more fine-tuning for the regular season.