Drew Brees

This is a followup article to the awards article I wrote back in January. 

It's hard to say a 13-3 season with a playoff win is a disappointment, yet I think Saints players, coaches and fans would all agree the 2011 version of the New Orleans Saints expected so much more than a divisional round playoff loss. 

Of course that loss ultimately has to be pinned on the defense and its inability to hold down a lead two times in a span of five minutes of game time. Some of it could also be accredited to an offense which turned the ball over five times, but that same offense scored twice in the final five minutes to take a lead. 

So it seems fair to say that most Saints fans will remember 2011 as the year that could have been, perhaps even should have been. But let's not allow the Saints' failures in one game to blind our memory of all the incredible accomplishments of this Saints squad. 

As Drew Brees has talked about numerous times, it's not the losing that hurts the most, it's the group and the journey that each player is going to miss, and thus the aspect which hurts the most. 

It hurts because this team had a spectacular 2011 campaign. Here are 10 ways that was true. 

Begin Slideshow

Click to read the original Saints article by Bleacher Report - New Orleans Saints

0.0/50votes

Voting statistics:

Rate	Percentage	Votes
5	0%	0
4	0%	0
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0

Tags: Bleacher Report, football, New Orleans Saints

When you break one of the most storied records in the history of professional football, you better be named Offensive Player of the Year.

And that’s exactly what happened with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees on Saturday, when he was named Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. 

Not to be confused with Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year is an award based on stats, and Brees was a fantasy player’s dream in 2011.  

He broke Dan Marino’s single-season passing yards mark with 5,476. Well maybe broke isn’t a strong enough word. Considering he put up 392 yards more and passed the mark with over a full game to go…he obliterated one of the most storied records in the league.

He also broke the completion percentage record by connecting on 71.2 percent of his throws.  The old record was 70.6 set by none other than Brees. While his 46 TDs didn’t break Tom Brady’s record of 50, it was 12 better than his previous career-high.

Oh, did I also mention he didn’t lose a single fumble this year?

Fourteen interceptions is the only blemish on this spotless resume and it’s the only reason Aaron Rodgers was still in the conversation for the award. His 2011 season was great as well (4,643 yards, 45 TDs and six INTs, four fumbles lost), but it’s just not as good as Brees'.

Comparing the receiving corps of the two shows us that the Packers had a much more stacked unit (Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jermichael Finley) than the Saints (Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson, Jimmy Graham).

While the MVP debate is going to rage on with the Packers 15-1 regular season going up against the Saints 13-3, there is no question that when you are going by statistics, Brees had the best 2011 season, and quite frankly one of the best of all time. 

Read more New Orleans Saints news on BleacherReport.com

Click to read the original Saints article by Bleacher Report - New Orleans Saints

0.0/50votes

Voting statistics:

Rate	Percentage	Votes
5	0%	0
4	0%	0
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0

Tags: Bleacher Report, Breaking News, football, New Orleans Saints

As we prepare to put the 2011 NFL season in the books, let's turn our attention to 2012 free agency.

Free agency is always an exciting time when teams are shuffling players in an attempt to become or remain competitive for the coming season. There are different ways of going about that, whether it be rebuilding through the draft, re-signing as many of your own players as possible or shelling out the dough for highly-regarded free agents from elsewhere.

Whether it be in-house or not, here are five teams whose strategies will likely involve spending a lot of money this offseason.

Begin Slideshow

Click to read the original Saints article by Bleacher Report - New Orleans Saints

0.0/50votes

Voting statistics:

Rate	Percentage	Votes
5	0%	0
4	0%	0
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0

Tags: Bleacher Report, football, New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees' record-breaking season deserves special recognition in the form of the 2012 NFL MVP award.

The New Orleans Saints quarterback threw for 5,476 yards this season, passing the record set by Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino in 1984. But Brees didn't just break Marino's record, which stood for over 25 years—he demolished it.

Brees threw for 300 or more yards in 13 of 16 regular-season games, and also threw for at least 400 yards in a game twice. As if that wasn't impressive enough, Brees had 46 touchdown passes with just 14 interceptions.

Brees' special season deserves football's most prestigious individual honor, the MVP award.

Despite Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers having a fantastic season and throwing 45 touchdown passes with a mere six interceptions, Brees was simply at a level above the rest for the entire season.

Among the many categories Brees bested Rodgers in, two that stand out the most are completions of 20 yards or more and overall passing yards.

Only once did Brees not throw for 300 yards or more in consecutive games, which proves he was playing at an extraordinary high level on a consistent basis.

Brees also does not have the same supporting cast that players like Tom Brady, Eli Manning and Rodgers have at their disposal on offense.

He also threw 27 touchdown passes with only four interceptions during the second half of the season, in which the Saints went a perfect 8-0 to end the season strongly. Brees literally put the Saints on his back and carried them to within a few points of reaching the NFC Championship game.

Brees' historic season has to be recognized with the NFL MVP because he is the player most deserving of the award, and it isn't even close.

Follow @NicholasGoss35

Read more New Orleans Saints news on BleacherReport.com

Click to read the original Saints article by Bleacher Report - New Orleans Saints

0.0/50votes

Voting statistics:

Rate	Percentage	Votes
5	0%	0
4	0%	0
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0

Tags: Bleacher Report, New Orleans Saints

In 2011, Drew Brees had his finest season as professional quarterback. He set the all-time single-season record for passing yardage with 5,476 yards. He also threw for 46 touchdowns and had a 110.6 QB rating. 

In case you aren't a football historian, let me tell you, those numbers are historic. With 46 touchdown passes, Brees had one of the top-five seasons of all-time. The 110.6 rating is as almost as good as any quarterback has ever recorded all-time. 

Let's not forget that Brees led his team to a 13-3 record and another NFC South championship.

But I believe that we still haven't seen the best of Drew Brees yet. In fact, I believe 2012 will be an even finer year for him and the Saints. 

Begin Slideshow

Click to read the original Saints article by Bleacher Report - New Orleans Saints

0.0/50votes

Voting statistics:

Rate	Percentage	Votes
5	0%	0
4	0%	0
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0

Tags: Bleacher Report, football, New Orleans Saints

Take a few sniffs around the Internet, and you'll get the sense that the NFL MVP race is between two players: Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.

I'm not about to argue the point. Both Rodgers and Brees were brilliant in 2011, leading their respective teams to outstanding seasons. The Green Bay Packers don't go 15-1 without Rodgers and the New Orleans Saints don't go 13-3 without Brees.

Honestly, this could be a case where co-MVPs are absolutely necessary. We've seen it before (2003), and I wouldn't be at all outraged if we saw it again.

I'll say this, though: There's no competition when it comes to Offensive Player of the Year. That honor must go to Brees.

We have never seen a season like the one Brees just had. All he did was complete 71.2 percent of his passes while throwing for 5,476 yards, 46 touchdown passes and just 14 interceptions. His quarterback rating was 110.6.

Brees' completion percentage of 71.2 is a new NFL record, breaking the record of 70.6 that was set by him in 2009.

Brees' 5,476 yards are a new NFL record, shattering Dan Marino's high of 5,084 yards set in 1984.

Brees' 46 touchdowns are not a new NFL record, sadly. He fell four short of Tom Brady's record of 50. However, Brees' 46 touchdown passes did lead the league this season, and they are a new career-high for Brees. His previous career-high was 34, a mark that Brees accomplished twice. He beat it by 12.

Brees' QB rating of 110.6 was another career-high, just barely edging the mark of 109.6 that he set in 2009.

In short, it was a pretty amazing season. Odds are we'll never see another one like it, by Brees or anyone else.

That alone would be a good enough argument for why Brees deserves Offensive Player of the Year honors, but it helps that there's really no competition for him.

Rodgers, Brady and Matthew Stafford all had excellent seasons, but it would be a borderline tragedy if the OPotY went to a quarterback other than Brees. That just wouldn't make sense.

You could make a case for Rob Gronkowski, who set new NFL records for receiving yards (1,327) and touchdowns (17) by a tight end, but those numbers don't quite stack up against the numbers Brees put up. Calvin Johnson is another guy who had a great season (1,681 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns), but his numbers don't hold a candle to Brees' either.

Aside from those two, nobody's even close.

It's an open and shut case, really, Just like it was when Brees won the Offensive Player of the Year back in 2008. He was the only choice then, and he's the only choice now.

Read more New Orleans Saints news on BleacherReport.com

Click to read the original Saints article by Bleacher Report - New Orleans Saints

0.0/50votes

Voting statistics:

Rate	Percentage	Votes
5	0%	0
4	0%	0
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0

Tags: Bleacher Report, football, New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are going to get a deal done with star quarterback Drew Brees.

They just simply can't afford to let him go to a different team when he means so much to New Orleans.

In fact, Brees has told NBC Sports he would be stunned if he didn't re-sign with the Saints.

So, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that Brees will be back in black and gold in 2012.

The problem is that the Saints might not have enough money to bring back all their other key offensive free agents.

Left tackle Carl Nicks and wide receivers Marques Colston and Robert Meachem are all free agents as well.

Colston will require a lot of money to stay and Meachem is also due for a pay raise. Both are integral parts of the Saints offense, so it'll be interesting to see if New Orleans can afford to pay them both.

Most likely, Meachem would be the one to leave. He's a complementary receiver on the Saints, but he has enough talent to be the No. 1 guy on several teams.

If he decides he likes playing with Brees and doesn't want to leave, he's the most likely of the free agents to accept a pay cut to stay in New Orleans.

Colston has already made it clear he won't take a cut to stay with the Saints, according to NBC Sports.

Nicks is another interesting case. He's going to be an unrestricted free agent and would like to test the market.

He's one of the top guards in the NFL, so he should command a lot of money in free agency. The Saints pass and run blocking will be worse without him, but it doesn't look like they'll be able to afford to keep him.

Right now, Brees has complete mastery over the Saints offense. But, taking out even one of these three guys would throw off everything.

Suddenly Brees would have a lesser guard blocking for him and would have an unfamiliar receiver that he'd have to work into the mix.

That would cause him to throw more interceptions than he normally does, which would spell disaster for New Orleans.

In a division with the Atlanta Falcons being consistently competitive and the Carolina Panthers quickly on the rise, the Saints can't afford to take even a minor step back.

Unfortunately, that's what will probably happen this offseason, as there is very little chance that the team will be able to keep Nicks, Colston and Meachem.

The NFC South will probably become a much tighter race in 2012 and beyond.

Read more New Orleans Saints news on BleacherReport.com

Click to read the original Saints article by Bleacher Report - New Orleans Saints

0.0/50votes

Voting statistics:

Rate	Percentage	Votes
5	0%	0
4	0%	0
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0

Tags: Bleacher Report, New Orleans Saints

What does Drew Brees mean to the New Orleans Saints franchise?

This offseason, Saints fans may just find out, as his current contract with New Orleans is now complete.

Considering that Brees' previous deal had him as only the 15th highest paid man under center last season, his price tag is about to sky rocket. Men who are as elite as Brees and capable of leading offenses as well as he does do not barely get paid in the top 50 percent of the league.

This summer could be very interesting for the Saints and how they go about the chess game that will surely be re-signing Brees.

It seems incredibly likely the Saints will do whatever it takes to retain their best player, but what would have to happen to break up the happy marriage?

Here are five scenarios that may, though highly unlikely, end Brees' time in the Big Easy.

Begin Slideshow

Click to read the original Saints article by Bleacher Report - New Orleans Saints

0.0/50votes

Voting statistics:

Rate	Percentage	Votes
5	0%	0
4	0%	0
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0

Tags: Bleacher Report, football, New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints announced earlier today that they have named former St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo as their defensive coordinator for next season. The end of the football season is not even over and the Saints have already made a big move that I think is going to take them from the 13-3 team that lost in the divisional round of the NFC Playoffs to a team that can win the Super Bowl.

The New Orleans Saints had arguably the best offense in the NFL this year. Led by Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees, running back Darren Sproles, a wide range of good wide receivers (Colston, Moore, Meachum) and tight end Jimmy Graham, the Saints ended up being one of the best teams in all offensive categories.

The Saints led the league in yards per game with 467.1 and were second in the league with 34.2 points per game. They also led the league in passing yards per game with 334.2 (with Drew Brees passing Dan Marino for the most passing yards ever by a quarterback in a year) and were sixth in the league in rushing with 132.9 yards per game.

On defense, however, it was a much different story. The Saints were one of the worst defenses in the league in nearly every category this year.

The Saints defense was 13th in the league in passing yards allowed per game with 259.8 and 24th in total yards with 368.4. They were a more respectable 13th in points given up per game with 21.2 and 12th in rushing yards per game with 108.6, but teams don't really have to rush on you a whole lot if you give up as many passing yards as the Saints do.

In the regular season, the Saints horrid defense did not show up as much of a problem because their offense gave them enough points per game to outscore their opponents. However, when they entered the playoffs and had to face teams with good defenses (like the San Francisco 49ers who eliminated them last week), their ability to outscore their opponent went away, and exposed how bad their defense really was.

Bringing in a man like Steve Spagnuolo will bolster the Saints defense and put them in a better position to win the Super Bowl. With Spagnuolo at the helm, he will work with the Saints to draft the defensive help that they need on the line and in the secondary, as well as work with the current defense (which is really the only thing that kept them from being able to make it to the Super Bowl this year).

Spagnuolo is a defensive genius. Although he did not have great success as the Rams head coach, he also didn't have a lot of great players to work with. On the Saints he has a much more talented defense, and if you give Spagnuolo the talent and the players, he will put together a fantastic defense.

Everyone remembers the New York Giants crushing the New England Patriots' perfect season to win the Super Bowl. That Giants team won for two reasons: because of their spectacular ground game, and their defense.

The defensive coordinator of the Giants during their Super Bowl season was none other than Steve Spagnuolo. He was the man behind the defense that carried the Giants to upset after upset in the playoffs which eventually led to a championship.

Steve Spagnuolo was a smart pickup by the Saints. A proven defensive coordinator is just what the Saints needed to fix one of the only problems on their team. With him as defensive coordinator and their already impressive offense, the New Orleans Saints will be an even tougher team to beat next season.

Read more New Orleans Saints news on BleacherReport.com

Click to read the original Saints article by Bleacher Report - New Orleans Saints

0.0/50votes

Voting statistics:

Rate	Percentage	Votes
5	0%	0
4	0%	0
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0

Tags: Bleacher Report, Breaking News, football, New Orleans Saints

According to a report confirmed by NFL Network insider Jason LaCanfora, FoxSports.com's Jay Glazer is reporting that former Giants defensive coordinator and Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo has agreed to take over for the departing Gregg Williams in New Orleans.  Details of the contract have not yet been finalized.

Spagnuolo, the architect of the Giants' fire-zone blitz that led New York to victory in Super Bowl XLII, will head up a defensive unit ranked third-worst against the pass and 24th against the run.

Read more New Orleans Saints news on BleacherReport.com

Click to read the original Saints article by Bleacher Report - New Orleans Saints

0.0/50votes

Voting statistics:

Rate	Percentage	Votes
5	0%	0
4	0%	0
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0

Tags: Bleacher Report, Breaking News, football, New Orleans Saints