Saints Can Drew Brees still throw it deep? (3 Viewers)

[rsmith2783]

You are correct, especially when Ginn was out! I thing that the defense dictated alot of that.

Which baffles me why we didn't get another guy incase Ginn is out again. Ginn isn't young either.

 

[Saintaholik]

If the timing and route running is spot-on, you'll rarely have to throw more than 50 yds. in the air.

Drew can do that all day.

Exactly, that's something a lot of fans and heck, even the media dont understand.

You dont to have the strongest arm in the world to stretch the field. It's all about timing, chemistry, and accuracy.

That's the reason you will see drew miss more throws deep at the beginning of the season. Hes still trying to click with his receivers again. If you all remember last year, Drew and Teddy Ginn werent on the same page at the beginning of the season. Which lead to some pretty horrible deep throw attempts. It wasnt bc drew couldn't hit him. It was because they werent on the same page, and because drew cant sling it in the air 55-60 yards anymore it leads to a less margin for error.

I watched drew drop back and throw the ball 45-50 yards in the air last year. He still has more then enough arm to get the job done. It's more about the timing and chemistry with his receivers then it is about his deep arm accuracy.

It doesnt take a genius to figure that out all it takes is a couple min on film to figure that out.

But.....

That's not the popular headline for a 40 year old 6 foot QB. That's not what's going to get the reads, and TV time. That's not going to bring home the Bacon.

So your going to have even more doubters and Colin Cowherds of the world pushing out that garbage content this year. All that is, is straight laziness.

 

[Meachemdat]

Watch the Skins game from last season. Drew is fine. Just needs a WR not named Thomas or Ginn to get open. Also helps having a TE that can get open and catch finally.

Early in the season our TE’s were making plays, then they got injured along with our oline and our offense took a step back.

 

[St.Fury]

So true. One of the best passes Drew ever threw was that 98 yarder to Brandin Cooks in 2016. When Drew released the ball he was about 5 yards deep in the end zone. Cooks caught the ball at the 30 yard line so the ball was only thrown around 35 yards. The placement was so perfect that Cooks was able to make the catch in stride and then nobody was going to catch him. It was a perfectly executed play.

He can still do that for sure. But he's no longer routinely throwing the ball 50-60 yards down the field and hitting guys in stride. You can't expect a 40 year old QB to do the same things he was doing in his early to mid 30s.

Yeah. Drew’s arm doesn’t quite have the pop it used to. But that decline is rather small considering he never had a big arm. That said, hes made up for that with timing and accuracy. That beats having to outrun the coverage almost any day. That’s why Drew is still functioning at a high level. That’s exactly why I believe Drew can play well into his 40’s if he desires to do so. I’m still thinking he retires after this season, though. I’d definitely like to be wrong on that one.

 

[ARSaint]

Yeah. Drew’s arm doesn’t quite have the pop it used to. But that decline is rather small considering he never had a big arm. That said, hes made up for that with timing and accuracy. That beats having to outrun the coverage almost any day. That’s why Drew is still functioning at a high level. That’s exactly why I believe Drew can play well into his 40’s if he desires to do so. I’m still thinking he retires after this season, though. I’d definitely like to be wrong on that one.

Gents, go back and look at my post on pg. 3. That pass was 56 yards in the air when you account for the fact that it was to the sideline. Drew Brees can still throw that far. In comparison, I watched some of Aaron Rodgers throws and he has a ton over 60 and he does not have to be in a clean pocket. But Brees is still capable of throwing the ball 70 yards! see NFC Championship game throw to Ginn toward the end of regulation.

 

[Swimmer]

Drew never had the deep ball arm. Thats just not his game.

Agree. However, he could throw a 50 to 55-yard strike on a quick delivery low flight to perfection. Like another poster astutely pointed out the insane bomb to Cooks, Brees would release his long passes early making them more disruptive to DBs. I rewatched 10 games this year and only saw one of those 50 yards strikes. The other long passes floated and wobbled at the end.

Let's not fool ourselves. When Brees had that 50-yard quick strike bomb to Meach and Devery, that put terror in defenses and D-coordinators. Brees took the soul out of defenses with those strikes because SP often had a decent to solid running attack and always a superb possession control receiver and a great disruptive passing games to backs - think Bush and PT. For defenses, that was literally "pick your poison death." We can still win a SB or 2 with Brees. That's all we can ever want, but to ignore the terror of a younger Brees with a quick strike, take the top off a defense, passing game, our offense was insanely great.

 

[saint_drago]

Agree. However, he could throw a 50 to 55-yard strike on a quick delivery low flight to perfection. Like another poster astutely pointed out the insane bomb to Cooks, Brees would release his long passes early making them more disruptive to DBs. I rewatched 10 games this year and only saw one of those 50 yards strikes. The other long passes floated and wobbled at the end.

Let's not fool ourselves. When Brees had that 50-yard quick strike bomb to Meach and Devery, that put terror in defenses and D-coordinators. Brees took the soul out of defenses with those strikes because SP often had a decent to solid running attack and always a superb possession control receiver and a great disruptive passing games to backs - think Bush and PT. For defenses, that was literally "pick your poison death." We can still win a SB or 2 with Brees. That's all we can ever want, but to ignore the terror of a younger Brees with a quick strike, take the top off a defense, passing game, our offense was insanely great.

People will counter by saying that Drew's arm isn't what it used to be but he never had the biggest arm to begin with. So we're going the long way to agree. Most of us can see that Drew's deep ball at 40 isn't what it was at 34. Now whether or not that is due to arm strength, timing, lack of deep threat options, etc., I don't know.

All I know is that Drew used to launch a ball after the play action fake and I EXPECTED to see him hit a WR down field. Now when he launches one I'm hoping it doesn't get picked.

 

[Swimmer]

All I know is that Drew used to launch a ball after the play action fake and I EXPECTED to see him hit a WR down field. Now when he launches one I'm hoping it doesn't get picked.

I know exactly what you are talking about Drago, play action then launch. From 2009 -2011, when Brees would do the play action then step back to launch a long pass, nearly all of us at Shoal Creek in Austin would stand-up in expectation of a TD as soon as he launched the pass. He was so lethal from that play.

 

[saint_drago]

I know exactly what you are talking about Drago, play action then launch. From 2009 -2011, when Brees would do the play action then step back to launch a long pass, nearly all of us at Shoal Creek in Austin would stand-up in expectation of a TD as soon as he launched the pass. He was so lethal from that play.

I'd always shout, "He's got a man!" and it seems like more often than not he'd complete that pass. It was poetry in motion.

 

[Swimmer]

I watched the Saints-Eagles playoff game last nite. Again, there is no question in my mind that Brees can lead us to one or more SBs if he plays beyond this year.

That said, the answer is definitely "Yes" to loss of arm strength. The Saints were at the 42 yard line of the Eagles. Brees drops back, has a perfectly clean pocket, winds up, steps into the pocket and heaves it. Taysom Hill is 10-yards clear of the DB. The ball flutters on the down flight with no speed and lands at the 5-yard line, only 42 yards in the air, 5-yards or more behind a wide open Hill. It was so slow, the DB had time to make up the distance and bat the ball down. It should have been a clear TD.

This had nothing to do with the O-line or receivers. I saw Brees make one perfect 55-yard strike in the air in the the 1st half of the season. It was clear that his arm wore down as the year progressed. But he still throws the most beautiful 20 yard outs in the NFL.

 

[Clintonrebel]

Yes he can. Has he lost some strength? Maybe a bit. What you saw the latter part of last season was Brees in survival mode. He knew he was in danger every time he dropped back. I think rushing the pass was the main culprit.

I guess we shall find out soon enough with the stacked OL we will have in September.

 

[Clintonrebel]

PS....might as well open on MNF with a few bomberooskies back to back to loosen things up and give DC's something to think about.

 

[parlorcitysaint]

If you'd asked many here at the time, he couldn't throw it deep when he came here.

 

[Bayouvette]

And that was 4-5 years ago, yes?



Totally disagree, he had a much stronger arm than most think when he was in his prime. When he was throwing to Devery and Meachum he threw many 40-50 yard passes on a rope....he clearly cannot do that now....

everyone is going to decline as they get older. I'm saying that even in his prime he was never a great deep ball QB.

 

[Swimmer]

everyone is going to decline as they get older. I'm saying that even in his prime he was never a great deep ball QB.

My Ex-wife used to say that about me. Guess that's why she is "Ex!" lol. But life is All Good