Drew Brees outduels Tom Brady, young corners shine and other Saints-Patriots practice observations
 

The death of Drew Brees has been greatly exaggerated.

Three days after a four-interception practice, the Saints veteran quarterback responded with an impressive performance during intra-squad workouts against the New England Patriots on Tuesday at the Gillette Stadium practice complex.

Brees matched Tom Brady throw for throw throughout the day and masterfully executed a successful two-minute drive during situational team drills. Brees was clearly the most efficient quarterback on the field.

Afterward, Saints veterans Zach Strief and Luke McCown both told me unsolicited that Brees was having one of the best camps of his career.

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He looked as good as ever during the two-minute drill, calmly completing passes and marching the Saints in the red zone, then capping the drive with a touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks, who beat Patriots star corner Malcolm Butler in single coverage.

It was one of the clear highlights for the Saints.

Brady, meanwhile, was intercepted by Saints rookie Sheldon Rankins on the second snap of team drills and failed to earn a first down against the Saints' first-team defense in his turn in the two-minute offense.

--It's obviously impossible to make a full evaluation after one practice but Michael Thomas looks like a bona fide playmaker. The rookie from Ohio State already has earned the complete trust of every quarterback on the roster and has become a go-to receiver in key situations. That's heady stuff and a positive sign for a rookie two weeks into his first NFL training camp.

--Rookie Sheldon Rankins flashed the athleticism that attracted the Saints to him during the NFL Draft. On the second snap of team drills, the burly defensive tackle intercepted Brady on a screen pass at the line of scrimmage and then rambled down the sideline for an apparent score. The hand-eye coordination required to make the pick was impressive.

--Patriots coach Bill Belichick is sending a clear message to everyone that there will be no quarterback controversy here regardless of how well Jimmy Garoppolo performs as starter during the first four games of the season. Brady is listed No. 1 on the depth chart and received the bulk of the reps with the first-team offense. Garappolo will start in Weeks 1-4 but the clear No. 1 is Brady. Case closed.

--It's been well documented how well young cornerbacks P.J. Williams, Ken Crawley and De'Vante Harris are playing and the trio flashed again on Tuesday. Harris made a nice diving interception of Garoppolo when he outfought Aaron Dobson for the ball on a crossing route. Crawley had a couple of nice pass break-ups and showed a nose for the ball. What's more, all three play with the swagger necessary for the position.

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Re: Drew Brees outduels Tom Brady, young corners shine and other Saints-Patriots practice observations
 

Back in April after the draft, I posted highlights of De'vante Harris saying that I liked his play and he could be a gem. Despite his size, he plays with tenacity and has a nose for the football, as does Ken Crawley.

I hope they both make the roster!

Re: Drew Brees outduels Tom Brady, young corners shine and other Saints-Patriots practice observations
 

Waaaaay too early

That said, Dennis Allen has had a noticeable impact and I love the intensity

Re: Drew Brees outduels Tom Brady, young corners shine and other Saints-Patriots practice observations
 

The killer instinct is back on the D.

I need the preseason to start... Would be nice to actually have some film to look at.

Re: Drew Brees outduels Tom Brady, young corners shine and other Saints-Patriots practice observations
 

Good read. It really sounds like the organizations respect one another.

Re: Drew Brees outduels Tom Brady, young corners shine and other Saints-Patriots practice observations
 

The death of Drew Brees has been greatly exaggerated.

Re: Drew Brees outduels Tom Brady, young corners shine and other Saints-Patriots practice observations
 

How many years has he been on tbe decline for now?

They keep saying Wilson,Winston snd Luck are moving past him. Even at 75% Brees is better than them.


How many 5000
8 times a QB has thrown over 5000 yards and 4 of them are Brees. And he'd have done it last year had he played 16 games

Re: Drew Brees outduels Tom Brady, young corners shine and other Saints-Patriots practice observations
 

Unsolicited? They know what they were doing. You gotta save face when you have a QB Brees age who has a bad day to keep rumors from flying