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What is Brooks' margin for error?

Saturday December 13, 2003
John DeShazier

Now that Jim Haslett has said he'll pull Aaron Brooks if he plays poorly, the question becomes how long a rope the coach will give his talented but mistake-prone quarterback.

An interception? Two?

One fumbled snap, or a ball that slips out of the cocked right hand, or one that's dislodged by a blind-side hit?

Or will it take just a couple of fruitless offensive drives, punctuated by off-the-mark throws?

Only Haslett knows. But with the New York Giants rolling in for a nationally televised Sunday night game, the rest of us are about to find out.

Perhaps it will take just one good game to bring future absolution for Brooks, whose play is being critiqued as never before in a career that has been filled with scrutiny.

Or maybe a strong performance buys Brooks nothing more than another week, when the evaluation process begins anew, with the coach still prepared to make a change in upcoming games if he feels it's necessary.

The feeling here is this cannot be an extended process. If a change is to be made, better sooner than later, to see if backup Todd Bouman has the goods, if Brooks somehow can settle down by watching, or if the Saints need to scrap everything and start over at quarterback.

This is without question the most critical juncture in the Haslett-Brooks union, one where they either can forge ahead happily ever after, end up filing for divorce or both be sent packing -- a choice that might be greeted gleefully by some fans and critics who already have had their fill.

But this much also is certain: Brooks isn't all that ails the Saints, and to believe otherwise is to look for the most convenient target. A team that bumbles its way to a disappointing 6-7 record in what was expected to be a breakthrough year is more than a one-act play. The truth is there are more Saints who have played worse this year than last, when the team caved like a rickety mine shaft en route to losing its last four regular-season games and its spot in the playoffs.

But changing the quarterback, who usually competes with the coach as the No. 1 scapegoat when a season begins to stink, provides the most bang for the buck.

It's the most visible position on the team, the easiest way to shock the system, often the best way to send the message that no player is guaranteed anything if the ship isn't sailing smoothly.

And Brooks, for all his talent and playmaking ability, hasn't produced to a level that would keep him immune. Based purely on passing numbers, Brooks looks great: .588 completion percentage, 16 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a couple of well-engineered comebacks. What's hurting Brooks is his 10 lost fumbles, some so bizarre they seem beyond explanation. Ten fumbles is a high number for two seasons. For 13 games, it's alarming.

Is Brooks the best quarterback on the roster? No doubt. Is he the Saints' best option? No, not if he commits an average of, roughly, 1.5 turnovers per game and teammates' chins and confidence appear to droop when the errors occur, as if each is the precursor to doom.

Now the quarterback essentially has been publicly challenged by his coach, told that the mistakes can't be tolerated any longer, that the controls will be handed over to Bouman if the edges remain as rough as they've been lately.

And Haslett will be either richly rewarded and vindicated for his patience, or will learn that he's been too patient with a talented athlete who is a tease.

We'll learn the answer to the questions soon, and not soon enough.

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John DeShazier can be reached at jdeshazier@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3410.