2019 Saints Season in Review: Drew Brees

Things certainly started off on the right foot for the New Orleans Saints in 2019, as they hosted the Houston Texans in the first of two Monday Night Football double-headers. The Saints had overcame a 14-3 halftime deficit to take a 27-21 lead with less than a minute to go in the game, but then Deshaun Watson helped the Texans go 75 yards in two plays to take the lead with 38 seconds to play in what looked like a season opening spoiler in the Superdome. Drew Brees got the ball back, and was able to help pilot and setup the would be Wil Lutz game-winning 58-yard field goal as time expired.

For the Saints and their fans, it was just another one of those moments that you'll forever remember just how special No. 9 was. That set the tone for the season, or so we thought. The unthinkable happened for the Saints in Week 2 of 2019, as their superstar went down with an injury against the Los Angeles Rams in what ended up being a 27-9 thrashing in the overhyped NFC Championship rematch. Brees would be lost for the next five games, which sent things into a frenzy.

Fortunately, Teddy Bridgewater weathered the storm for the Saints and then some. Posting a perfect 5-0 record and knocking off the likes of the Seahawks on the road, Cowboys on prime time, Buccaneers at home, and then consecutive road opponents in the Jaguars and Bears, things couldn't have been better for New Orleans when Brees ultimately returned as the starter in Week 8.

He showed little to no rust in his return, tossing three touchdowns and 373 yards on 43 attempts in a 31-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Going into the bye week, the Saints were sitting high and mighty atop the NFC South at 7-1, and were ready to feast on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9. That's where New Orleans hit a brick wall, suffering a 26-9 defeat at home in a game that saw no touchdowns and six sacks from Brees and the high-powered offense.

Brees and the Saints were able to rebound, rattling off three straight NFC South wins, which including exacting revenge on the Falcons on Thanksgiving. Entering Week 14's NFC showdown with the San Francisco 49ers, Brees had been pretty good overall since returning. He then hit insane jaw-dropping levels during the stretch of the final four games of the season. Brees was on fire, throwing for 1,188 yards with 15 touchdowns and no picks. His lowest game rating was 118.2 in that span, which was just absurd.

The biggest highlight of Brees' 2019 campaign came against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football in Week 15, where he missed just one pass on 30 attempts. Of course, that's also where Brees made more NFL History by becoming the league's all-time passing touchdown leader twice. The first was wiped off, but Brees eventually got the record.

Drew Brees - At a Glance

Approximate Value: 11
Pro Football Focus Grade: 90.6
Pro Football Focus Rank: 2nd out of 37
Passing Grade: 89.2 (281/378 - 74.3 completion percentage)
Passing Yards: 2,979 (26th)
Passing Touchdowns: 27 (T-5th)
Interceptions: 4
Rating: 116.3
Times Sacked: 12

The season didn't finish out like the Saints wanted it to, as a first-round Wild Card exit at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings wasn't what anyone predicted for a 13-3 squad. Brees was average in that game, at best, but wasn't the sole reason the Saints lost. Despite not having a full season on his hands, Brees was still voted in to his 13th Pro Bowl, where he eventually got the start thanks to Russell Wilson.

Since 2006, the Saints have always been in it because of what Drew Brees has brought to the table. However, we're now facing a reality where we might have seen the last of him, but hopefully not. Obviously, the speculation will run the gamut until Brees ultimately makes his final decision on whether he wants to play or not in 2020. That won't come until the back half of February.

Given what Brees faced in 2019, he still had a stellar season at the age of 40. Here's to hoping we get one more year to see him try to ride off into the sunset.