Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints?

AsylumGuido · 10-29-2020, 01:00 PM

Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints?

It hasn’t been so far.

Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints is having one of the most interesting quarterback seasons in recent memory. Criticized harshly for a weak arm, the 41-year-old almost never throws the ball deep anymore, instead tossing short passes to running back Alvin Kamara and various receivers not named Michael Thomas. (The All-Pro has been injured since Week 1.)

Because they pose minimal danger over the top to keep defenses honest, you might think that Brees and the Saints would be struggling. And yet, New Orleans has started the season with at least four wins in its first six games for a fourth consecutive year, and Brees is seventh in the NFL in Total QBR.1 Brees has been trending in this direction for a while, but he is now pushing the absolute limits of how much a quarterback can accomplish without having the arm to back it up.

Going back to 2006, the earliest season for which ESPN has data on air yards, only one QB threw a shorter average pass than Brees’s 5.80 mark this year: Alex Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014, whose average pass traveled just 5.58 yards through the air. And no QB in the entire sample had a season in which he threw a smaller share of passes 20 or more yards downfield than Brees’s 3.3 percent rate so far in 2020. (Even for Smith in 2014, 5.4 percent of his passes traveled at least 20 yards.)

Read the rest here ... it's an interesting read.

Rugby Saint II · 10-29-2020, 01:50 PM

Sean Payton will design the plays to make Drew perform at his best. We have players who get YAC and we have a great O-line that gets upfield to throw blocks to free up the runner. Payton is a genius and Drew is now still better than a game manager. Our offense won the Lombardi with trickery and solid play.

The problem isn't Drew. The problem is when Drew is on the bench then that means our secondary is out there playing hide and seek with their offense.

st thomas · 10-29-2020, 02:39 PM

Probably just hurts as hell to throw deep with his past shoulder injury. Old wounds will always come back to bite u as u age Brees is no different .scar tissue is a major issue with pain.

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AsylumGuido · 10-29-2020, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by st thomas

Probably just hurts as hell to throw deep with his past shoulder injury. Old wounds will always come back to bite u as u age Brees is no different .scar tissue is a major issue with pain.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I never heard nor read that he has experienced any pain from that shoulder since the successful surgery. It is a fairly minor procedure to clean up scar tissue these days if it indeed an issue. I tend to doubt it is.

st thomas · 10-29-2020, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by AsylumGuido

I never heard nor read that he has experienced any pain from that shoulder since the successful surgery. It is a fairly minor procedure to clean up scar tissue these days if it indeed an issue. I tend to doubt it is.

This is my opinion and not a reason. The guy really never had a gun anyway. But could throw deep to keep defenses (honest) per say. He’s toast on the deep ball imo. Look I’m a drew believer, we have our best shot with him, but when he’s gone this offense will open up even more. And AG what happened in the playoffs when MT little button hooks and crossing routes were nonexistent, not MTs fault it was part oline and Drew’s that can’t outrun a three legged tortoise . It would have been a different outcome if drew could sprint right or left with pressure up the middle ala russel Wilson . Just saying my friend.

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AsylumGuido · 10-30-2020, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by st thomas

This is my opinion and not a reason. The guy really never had a gun anyway. But could throw deep to keep defenses (honest) per say. He’s toast on the deep ball imo. Look I’m a drew believer, we have our best shot with him, but when he’s gone this offense will open up even more. And AG what happened in the playoffs when MT little button hooks and crossing routes were nonexistent, not MTs fault it was part oline and Drew’s that can’t outrun a three legged tortoise . It would have been a different outcome if drew could sprint right or left with pressure up the middle ala russel Wilson . Just saying my friend.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What makes you think the offense will open up even more? I expect a step back and possibly years to have a chance at the firepower we have had and still have today. Currently there are 21 NFL teams lagging behind the Saints in total offense per game. QB's of Brees' abilities do not grow on trees.

WW_Who_Dat · 10-30-2020, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by AsylumGuido

What makes you think the offense will open up even more? I expect a step back and possibly years to have a chance at the firepower we have had and still have today. Currently there are 21 NFL teams lagging behind the Saints in total offense per game. QB's of Brees' abilities do not grow on trees.

Do you believe for one second that if Taysom or Winston were in fact a better option than Brees that this Owner Head Coach Offensive Coordinator or players on the offense would not be demanding a change.

I suspect we will find out all to soon what “Life After Brees” will look like, not necessarily bad but you just don’t replace plug and play this level of QB.

TheOak · 11-02-2020, 04:38 AM

Originally Posted by AsylumGuido

I never heard nor read that he has experienced any pain from that shoulder since the successful surgery. It is a fairly minor procedure to clean up scar tissue these days if it indeed an issue. I tend to doubt it is.

You wouldn't, injuries are listed but aches and pains are never covered.

Scar tissue isn't the only issue that can make shoulders troublesome. I have tendonitis in both rotator cuffs and the slightest inflammation causes impingement and will prevent you from getting much sleep until it subsides, especially if you are not a back sleeper. Its a dull constant ache that has nothing to clean out or repair, if you lift your arm too high the dull pain can be sharp.

I found two things greatly effected my tendonitis, pressure changes due to weather and flying because of the pressure changes involved there. In my 5 years of traveling back and forth to Africa, I generally ate 12-16 ibuprofen a day.

AsylumGuido · 11-02-2020, 07:04 AM

Originally Posted by TheOak

You wouldn't, injuries are listed but aches and pains are never covered.

Scar tissue isn't the only issue that can make shoulders troublesome. I have tendonitis in both rotator cuffs and the slightest inflammation causes impingement and will prevent you from getting much sleep until it subsides, especially if you are not a back sleeper. Its a dull constant ache that has nothing to clean out or repair, if you lift your arm too high the dull pain can be sharp.

I found two things greatly effected my tendonitis, pressure changes due to weather and flying because of the pressure changes involved there. In my 5 years of traveling back and forth to Africa, I generally ate 12-16 ibuprofen a day.

Oh, I know aches and pains. I had basically the same injury as Brees and the surgeon, team surgeon for Louisiana Tech at the time) said if I was younger and was dependent upon it for my living (he mentioned pitcher or QB) he would have done surgery. I also had basically the equivalent surgery done on my knee 25 years ago and have had no issues with it ever since. Everyone heals differently. It is very realistic that Brees has no lingering pain from the shoulder. Look how quickly he recovered from the thumb surgery. He clearly has the metabolism required for recovery.

TheOak · 11-02-2020, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by AsylumGuido

Oh, I know aches and pains. I had basically the same injury as Brees and the surgeon, team surgeon for Louisiana Tech at the time) said if I was younger and was dependent upon it for my living (he mentioned pitcher or QB) he would have done surgery. I also had basically the equivalent surgery done on my knee 25 years ago and have had no issues with it ever since. Everyone heals differently. It is very realistic that Brees has no lingering pain from the shoulder. Look how quickly he recovered from the thumb surgery. He clearly has the metabolism required for recovery.

You are focused on the injury and it doesn't always take injury to cause pain, discomfort, or a reduction in performance.

I have absolutely abused my body most of my life, baseball (10 years of catcher), football, military.. Knees and hips are fine. My Mother played zero sports and has had a knee and hip replaced.

Age is a b1tch.

10-29-2020, 01:00 PM	#1
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,472	Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints? Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints? It hasn’t been so far. Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints is having one of the most interesting quarterback seasons in recent memory. Criticized harshly for a weak arm, the 41-year-old almost never throws the ball deep anymore, instead tossing short passes to running back Alvin Kamara and various receivers not named Michael Thomas. (The All-Pro has been injured since Week 1.) Because they pose minimal danger over the top to keep defenses honest, you might think that Brees and the Saints would be struggling. And yet, New Orleans has started the season with at least four wins in its first six games for a fourth consecutive year, and Brees is seventh in the NFL in Total QBR.1 Brees has been trending in this direction for a while, but he is now pushing the absolute limits of how much a quarterback can accomplish without having the arm to back it up. Going back to 2006, the earliest season for which ESPN has data on air yards, only one QB threw a shorter average pass than Brees’s 5.80 mark this year: Alex Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014, whose average pass traveled just 5.58 yards through the air. And no QB in the entire sample had a season in which he threw a smaller share of passes 20 or more yards downfield than Brees’s 3.3 percent rate so far in 2020. (Even for Smith in 2014, 5.4 percent of his passes traveled at least 20 yards.) Read the rest here ... it's an interesting read.
	“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill

10-29-2020, 01:50 PM	#2
Rugby Saint II Bounty Money $$$ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 5800 Airline Dr. Metairie, LA. Posts: 24,117	Re: Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints? Sean Payton will design the plays to make Drew perform at his best. We have players who get YAC and we have a great O-line that gets upfield to throw blocks to free up the runner. Payton is a genius and Drew is now still better than a game manager. Our offense won the Lombardi with trickery and solid play. The problem isn't Drew. The problem is when Drew is on the bench then that means our secondary is out there playing hide and seek with their offense. gosaints1 and Audiotom like this.

10-29-2020, 02:39 PM	#3
st thomas Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: lafayette Posts: 7,753	Re: Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints? Probably just hurts as hell to throw deep with his past shoulder injury. Old wounds will always come back to bite u as u age Brees is no different .scar tissue is a major issue with pain. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Rugby Saint II likes this.

10-29-2020, 02:57 PM	#4
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,472	Re: Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints? Originally Posted by st thomas Probably just hurts as hell to throw deep with his past shoulder injury. Old wounds will always come back to bite u as u age Brees is no different .scar tissue is a major issue with pain. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I never heard nor read that he has experienced any pain from that shoulder since the successful surgery. It is a fairly minor procedure to clean up scar tissue these days if it indeed an issue. I tend to doubt it is. QBREES9 likes this.

10-29-2020, 04:53 PM	#5
st thomas Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: lafayette Posts: 7,753	Re: Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints? Originally Posted by AsylumGuido I never heard nor read that he has experienced any pain from that shoulder since the successful surgery. It is a fairly minor procedure to clean up scar tissue these days if it indeed an issue. I tend to doubt it is. This is my opinion and not a reason. The guy really never had a gun anyway. But could throw deep to keep defenses (honest) per say. He’s toast on the deep ball imo. Look I’m a drew believer, we have our best shot with him, but when he’s gone this offense will open up even more. And AG what happened in the playoffs when MT little button hooks and crossing routes were nonexistent, not MTs fault it was part oline and Drew’s that can’t outrun a three legged tortoise . It would have been a different outcome if drew could sprint right or left with pressure up the middle ala russel Wilson . Just saying my friend. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
	thats the fact jack!!!!!

10-30-2020, 01:31 PM	#6
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,472	Re: Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints? Originally Posted by st thomas This is my opinion and not a reason. The guy really never had a gun anyway. But could throw deep to keep defenses (honest) per say. He’s toast on the deep ball imo. Look I’m a drew believer, we have our best shot with him, but when he’s gone this offense will open up even more. And AG what happened in the playoffs when MT little button hooks and crossing routes were nonexistent, not MTs fault it was part oline and Drew’s that can’t outrun a three legged tortoise . It would have been a different outcome if drew could sprint right or left with pressure up the middle ala russel Wilson . Just saying my friend. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk What makes you think the offense will open up even more? I expect a step back and possibly years to have a chance at the firepower we have had and still have today. Currently there are 21 NFL teams lagging behind the Saints in total offense per game. QB's of Brees' abilities do not grow on trees. WW_Who_Dat likes this.

10-30-2020, 04:57 PM	#7
WW_Who_Dat 1000 Posts + Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lafayette, La and Valencia CA Posts: 1,275 Blog Entries: 1	Re: Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints? Originally Posted by AsylumGuido What makes you think the offense will open up even more? I expect a step back and possibly years to have a chance at the firepower we have had and still have today. Currently there are 21 NFL teams lagging behind the Saints in total offense per game. QB's of Brees' abilities do not grow on trees. Do you believe for one second that if Taysom or Winston were in fact a better option than Brees that this Owner Head Coach Offensive Coordinator or players on the offense would not be demanding a change. I suspect we will find out all to soon what “Life After Brees” will look like, not necessarily bad but you just don’t replace plug and play this level of QB.

11-02-2020, 04:38 AM	#8
TheOak 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Cypress Tx. Posts: 19,039	Re: Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints? Originally Posted by AsylumGuido I never heard nor read that he has experienced any pain from that shoulder since the successful surgery. It is a fairly minor procedure to clean up scar tissue these days if it indeed an issue. I tend to doubt it is. You wouldn't, injuries are listed but aches and pains are never covered. Scar tissue isn't the only issue that can make shoulders troublesome. I have tendonitis in both rotator cuffs and the slightest inflammation causes impingement and will prevent you from getting much sleep until it subsides, especially if you are not a back sleeper. Its a dull constant ache that has nothing to clean out or repair, if you lift your arm too high the dull pain can be sharp. I found two things greatly effected my tendonitis, pressure changes due to weather and flying because of the pressure changes involved there. In my 5 years of traveling back and forth to Africa, I generally ate 12-16 ibuprofen a day. st thomas and gosaints1 like this.
	It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see. ~ Henry David Thoreau

11-02-2020, 07:04 AM	#9
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,472	Re: Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints? Originally Posted by TheOak You wouldn't, injuries are listed but aches and pains are never covered. Scar tissue isn't the only issue that can make shoulders troublesome. I have tendonitis in both rotator cuffs and the slightest inflammation causes impingement and will prevent you from getting much sleep until it subsides, especially if you are not a back sleeper. Its a dull constant ache that has nothing to clean out or repair, if you lift your arm too high the dull pain can be sharp. I found two things greatly effected my tendonitis, pressure changes due to weather and flying because of the pressure changes involved there. In my 5 years of traveling back and forth to Africa, I generally ate 12-16 ibuprofen a day. Oh, I know aches and pains. I had basically the same injury as Brees and the surgeon, team surgeon for Louisiana Tech at the time) said if I was younger and was dependent upon it for my living (he mentioned pitcher or QB) he would have done surgery. I also had basically the equivalent surgery done on my knee 25 years ago and have had no issues with it ever since. Everyone heals differently. It is very realistic that Brees has no lingering pain from the shoulder. Look how quickly he recovered from the thumb surgery. He clearly has the metabolism required for recovery.
	“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill

11-02-2020, 08:56 AM	#10
TheOak 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Cypress Tx. Posts: 19,039	Re: Drew Brees Almost Never Throws Deep Anymore. Is That A Problem For The Saints? Originally Posted by AsylumGuido Oh, I know aches and pains. I had basically the same injury as Brees and the surgeon, team surgeon for Louisiana Tech at the time) said if I was younger and was dependent upon it for my living (he mentioned pitcher or QB) he would have done surgery. I also had basically the equivalent surgery done on my knee 25 years ago and have had no issues with it ever since. Everyone heals differently. It is very realistic that Brees has no lingering pain from the shoulder. Look how quickly he recovered from the thumb surgery. He clearly has the metabolism required for recovery. You are focused on the injury and it doesn't always take injury to cause pain, discomfort, or a reduction in performance. I have absolutely abused my body most of my life, baseball (10 years of catcher), football, military.. Knees and hips are fine. My Mother played zero sports and has had a knee and hip replaced. Age is a b1tch. st thomas and gosaints1 like this.