Despite the result, Saints’ 21-9 Wild Card win vs Bears was concerning

Drew Brees

This season, Drew Brees’ numbers were down across the board.

The soon-to-be 42-year-old averaged his fewest yards/attempt since 2010 and threw for the fewest yards/game during his time in New Orleans. Additionally, his bad throw rate and on-target rate also regressed, which illustrates a decline in his accuracy.

Brees’ lack of arm strength is a constant topic of discussion, yet it remains extremely valid. This season, his 6.0 average depth of target was the lowest among starting quarterbacks, which is why he averaged fewer air yards per completion than yards-after-catch.

In other words, more than half of his passing yards are coming from performance after the catch, meaning that he is incredibly reliant on his supporting cast.

Unfortunately, this is not Brees’ only issue; he is putting the ball in harm’s way often. In this game, he had a dropped interception, while he had three interceptions in his final three regular seasons after returning. This doesn’t include multiple dropped interceptions against the Chiefs.

Per Player Profiler, Brees ranks 36th in air yards/attempt, 13th in true passer rating, and 11th in true completion rate. That won’t get the job done, particularly with a matchup against Tom Brady looming.