NEWSLETTER
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees suffered a thumb injury in his team’s Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, which is going to keep him out for a bit.
Here is the latest from ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
Saints' QB Drew Brees is expected to undergo thumb surgery as early as today that would be expected to sideline him approximately 6 weeks, per leagues sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 16, 2019
Schefter tweets that Brees will have surgery to repair the thumb injury, which will keep him out for about six weeks. Not only is this a significant injury that has an obvious impact for the Saints, it also has Bears-related ramifications. Hang with me here.
Brees’ injury is expected to keep him out of the lineup for approximately six weeks. The Bears play host to the Saints in five weeks. So based on that timeline, the Bears *could* miss Brees when they go head-to-head. Without Brees in the lineup, the way a Bears-Saints showdown is viewed changes significantly. Brees makes that offense’s engine go, and while Teddy Bridgewater has some prospect pedigree and a load of talent, he is not on Brees’ level.
Bridgewater completed 17 of 30 passes for 165 yards, was held out of the end zone, and posted a 72.2 passer rating in relief of Brees against the Rams on Sunday. But he was not the only one who struggled in that offense. Star running back Alvin Kamara was limited to 3.5 yards per carry and a total of 45 yards on 13 rushes. Stud receiver Michael Thomas snagged 10 catches for 89 yards, but how he will connect with Bridgewater remains to be seen. And if New Orleans’ offense isn’t sustaining drives, a talented defense will be ripe to be gashed because they could find themselves gassed.
Missing a future Hall of Fame quarterback for an extended period of time is a huge blow for a projected Super Bowl contender. Further, his absence could shape the NFC’s playoff picture, especially since three of the six games Brees is projected to miss will come against Seattle, Dallas, and Chicago — three teams that made the postseason last year. With that in mind, we will keep an eye on Brees’ injury, Bridgewater’s status, and if Taysom Hill gets some snaps under center.
