Not such a Brees for the 2010 Saints

I just don't know what to say about the Saints. It was just last week that I was so hopeful for them, but now, they have me eating my words. Injuries have hit the Saints hard, and it would be easy to write off their struggles to injuries, like what I did last week; but now, I think it may be something more.

The Saints opponents through week 7 have a combined 18-27 record. That has a very similar win percentage to a 6-10 record. This means the Saints struggles this season, have really been against mediocre to below average teams. The worst part- their 3 losses have come from 1 team with a losing record, one team with a .500 record in the NFC West, a terrible division, and 1 division rival. That isn't the Saints we came to know and love last season.

Watching the Saints vs. Browns game on Sunday didn't look like watching a great team with some injuries slowing them down. It looked like an OK team, being beaten up by a team that has been downright lousy the last couple years. Other than the Bucs game, the Saints have looked like a “just OK” team all season, they had just as many injuries in the Bucs game as they did in the Browns game, so what made all the difference? Why are the Saints, who have essentially the same team as last year, failing to beat some of their easier opponents? What is going to happen when they have to face some real opponents?

It is so easy and convenient to blame the Saints problems on their injuries, but the truth is, the backups who have been filling in for the injured players have actually been playing pretty well. Chris Ivory came in and made a name for himself when Bush and Pierre went down. Patrick Robinson has been holding his own in the absence of Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer, and Malcolm Jenkins is quickly learning how to play his new position with Darren Sharper being injured. Injuries have hurt the team, but the backups have made it bearable, the real reason the Saints are struggling: Brees is off, very, very off.

> Find New Orleans Saints jerseys & hats online through Pro Football Fans for all your team gear!

In 2009 Brees threw 11 interceptions, in the first 7 games of 2010 he has thrown 10. Right now, he is on track for a 32 touchdown, 22 interception season. His other stats look OK, but his TD:INT ratio is the worst it's been since 2003, Brees' worst season. QB protection isn't an issue. His 3.7% sack percentage is right on line with his career average. If everything else seems to be the same with Brees, why are the interceptions an issue this season?

He is throwing the ball 41 times per game, which is about 6-7 times more per game than Brees' career average. In 2007 Brees passed for over 5,000 yards, he threw the ball 39.6 times per game to reach that 5,000 yard mark, but he also threw 17 interceptions. In Brees highly efficient 2009 season, Brees was only asked to throw the ball 32 times per game. Brees threw for nearly 4,400 yards and only threw 11 picks.

Looking at these numbers, it is hard to deny that it looks like Brees is being asked to do to much. It can be broken down even further.In the Saints 3 losses, Brees has been asked to throw the ball 44.3 times per game, the Saints biggest loss came when he threw the ball 56 times. In the Saints wins, he has only been asked to throw the ball 38 times, and the Saints biggest win, came on a 32 pass performance by Brees. Brees does more with less, and less with more.

The Saints lack of commitment to a run game is really hurting them. It hard to get a run game going without Pierre or Reggie; Ivory has shown he can handle the workload, but he fumbles often. Ivory fumbles about every 20 times he gets the ball, which hurts the team, but Brees throws an interception about every 28 times he attempts a pass. I think the only way to get this team on track is to balance the offense. Have Brees throw the ball about 35 times per game, and run the ball about the same number of times.

By Tyler Douglass
ProFootball-fans.com New Orleans Saints Correspondent