Saints Have Football Fans Scratching Their Heads

The Saints have had a tumultuous offseason, no doubt. Because of Bounty-Gate, head coach Sean Payton and top defensive player linebacker Jonathan Vilma have both been suspended for the entire 2012 season. Assistant coach Joe Vitt, General Manager Mickey Loomis and defensive end Will Smith have all received suspensions of various durations. Former DC Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely while former defensive players Anthony Hargrove (now with Packers) and Scott Fujita (now with Browns) have also received suspensions. Obviously the Saints 2012 season has received a serious blow and remains disrupted from the subsequent fallout in the media, among football fans, among players and within their own organization. So out of all this turmoil, one of the most perplexing actions, or rather non-actions, by the Saints organization is their failure to re-sign quarterback Drew Brees to a long-term deal. At a time when restoring stability to the team should be priority #1, having a contract dispute with the team’s top player only adds to the dysfunction and fractures confidence in the locker room. Surely players will wonder, if they can do this to the leader of the team, how will they treat me? This does not look good for the organization — most are thinking just get it done. Period.

For those who follow football, it is almost laughable to have to justify giving Brees a decent, long-term deal.  But here goes:

Record-breaking stats from 2011 season

• Most passing yards, season: 5,476
• Most consecutive 300+ yards passing games: 7
• Most consecutive 350+ yards passing games: 4
• Most consecutive 400+ yards passing games: 2 (tied)
• Most games, 250+ yards passing, season: 16
• Most games, 350+ yards passing, season: 8
• Most games, 300+ yards passing, season: 13
• Most games, 30 or more pass attempts, season: 16 (tied)
• Most pass completions, season: 468
• Most consecutive games 20 completions: 36 (2009-present)
• Most games 20 completions, season: 16 (tied his own 2010 record)
• Most games 30 completions, career: 29 (2005-present)
• Most games 30 completions, season: 9
• Most games 30 completions and no interceptions, career: 14 (2006–present)
• Most games with 30 completions and no interceptions, season: 5 (tied)
• Highest completion percentage, season: 71.2 (468 for 657)
• Most games with more than 80% pass completion rate, career (minimum 20 passes per game): 12 (2004-present)
• Most games with more than 80% pass completion rate, season (minimum 20 passes per game): 3
• Most consecutive seasons 4000+ yards: 6 (2006-2011)
• Most career seasons 5000+ yards: 2
• Most games, 350+ yards passing, career: 29
• Most Games 5+ TD Passes, Career 7, (2004-Present)
• Most Games 1+ TD Passes, Season 16 (tied)
• Most Seasons, 45+ Touchdown Passes, 1 (tied)
• Most consecutive passes, None intercepted, post-season: 226 (January 21, 2007 – January 14, 2012)
• Most games with 400 yards passing and no interceptions, career 4 (tied)
• Most games with 5 touchdown passes and no interceptions, career 5 (2004-present)
• Most games with 30 completions and no interceptions, career 14 (2006-2011)
• Passing Yards in a single month 1,687 (October 2011)

Besides this mountain of achievements from last year, Brees is a 6-time Pro Bowler, was named 2008 Offensive Player of the year and led the Saints to a Super Bowl win in the 2008-09 season and was named the Super Bowl XLIV MVP.  The Saints response to all this: Okay, you’re good, here’s a franchise tag and a one-year deal. Brees said Wednesday on WWL radio in New Orleans he is ‘extremely frustrated’ that he and the Saints have not reached agreement on a long-term deal. We hear you, Drew.

Note: stats via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_New_Orleans_Saints_season#Individual_Records_Set_or_Tied