Where is Deuce Windham?

BelowZero said
You yourself are being narrow-sighted, though, so I honestly can't see why you're calling someone short sighted. I get it, to many Brees is the savior of the Saints and NO, and he'll always have the legacy. Problem is with that is that it makes people forgetful, or perhaps better said, makes people put on rose-colored lenses. The 2006-2016 teams were very different to what we have now. In the last 4 seasons, any game-manager could've taken the Saints to the playoffs with the teams that they put on the field. Anyone with a slight touch more arm strength (so defenses can't sit on short passes) is walking this team into one or more Super Bowl(s). I mean, do you ever notice how the blame of those playoff losses always gets forced onto someone else? That's called denial. Short of the Vikings WC game (and even then he did), Brees has played an active role in every playoff loss this team has suffered.

2017 DIv: 25/40, 294 yds, 3TD, 2INT. Held scoreless in the first half. Who gets blamed for a game that shouldn't've been close to begin with? Marcus Williams.
2018 NFCCG: 26/40, 249 yds, 2TD, 1INT. Had plenty of chances to score, defense held down a dominant offense 23 points, and even got the ball in OT. A game-losing interception. Who gets blamed? The Refs.
2020 Div: 19/34, 134 yds, 1TD, 3INT. Once again, defense shuts down Brady and that offense. Brees continues to spiral into 3 picks, and somehow Jared Cook gets the flack for his second fumble of the season. This game was lost by Brees, not Cook.

Now, how can you look at those stats (plus film) and not say Brees was the deciding factor in all of those games? Call it short-sighted, flavor of the week, or whatever pejorative you'd like to use for someone who doesn't agree. But if Brees walks after yet another playoff failure in 2019, Brady is a Saint and the Saints are likely holding their second Lombardi and possibly a third (while also likely keeping guys like T-Rex, Jackrabbit, and most importantly, Sanders, which is looking like a huge loss now). Is that short-sighted? Nope. It's called being a realist.

Plus film? Buddy, you don't watch film if you think any game manager with a slightly stronger arm is leading this team to consecutive seasons of 11, 13, 13, 12 wins all being division titles. It's not Drew's fault the front office waited until past his prime to start learning how to draft and put a competitive team behind him. 2012-2016 was just wasted with pitiful team building.

But to actually believe that just a game manager with a slightly stronger arm could have done what he did those years? No man. He was putting up career numbers, constantly breaking his own accuracy and passer rating numbers in the process. He was straight up carving defenses up, putting the ball where he wanted. We were still pass heavy but with the short approach, but it worked. We knew playoff games were going to be dog fights. As ugly as it was, he still put us in a position to win in 2017 if not for a miraculous play. 2018? Really, you're digging that deeper? We had the game won. No if ands or buts. Bringing up his interception in overtime? Same one where he got hit in the face? Nah man. Saints won that game. 2019 is what it is, that truly was the end. 2020 sucked, and I'm not forgiving how he played but I do not know how you can defend Cook. We were driving to go up 14. It's a different ballgame if we score there.

You do not understand the game of football of you honestly believe that any game manager with just a stronger arm could have led us to that level of success in that span.

Sorry we didn't get Tom Brady, bro. I know that must reallllllly crush you. Also not sure if you're watching football, but Jackrabbit is absolutely horrible this year and every corner on our roster is better than him.