Drew Brees knows a good quarterback when he sees one.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback - he'll be inducted this year - is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. He starred for 15 seasons for the New Orleans Saints and led them to a Super Bowl along with breaking multiple passing records along the way.
Fast forward to today and the Saints appear to have found their first true franchise quarterback since Brees' retirement following the 2020 season.
Tyler Shough: "I've been really impressed with him"
Tyler Shough impressed as a rookie, throwing 10 touchdowns against six interceptions for a 91.3 passer rating to go along with 186 rushing yards and three touchdowns in nine starts.
"I've been really impressed with him," Brees told Covers in an exclusive interview. "I talked to him around the draft last year, at training camp, during the season and right before he took over. To watch that team come together - in a lot of ways it was a new offense with Kellen Moore, it was a new defense with Brandon Staley - but man, they really hit their stride at the end of the year, and in large part, the quarterback was playing well. Tyler, he's a big, strong athlete, mature beyond his years, plays with great poise. Strong arm. He can run the ball well, creates some versatility as an offense.”
Brees continued to compliment the 26-year-old heavily, noting his leadership abilities early in his NFL career.
"I think he's got some natural leadership ability,” Brees commented when asked about Tyler Shough’s intangibles, “The guys seem to gravitate to him. And now in his second year in the offense, you add a weapon like Jordyn Tyson to go along with (Chris) Olave and some of the other guys that they have — Juwan Johnson, Alvin Kamara's coming back, and you go out and sign Travis Etienne.
“You’ve got some weapons and guys to spread the ball to that are real playmakers. But it's all about the guy pulling the trigger making great decisions and putting everybody in positions to succeed."
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Brees: Josh Allen the Blueprint for NFL Quarterbacks
When asked to make a player comparison for the 6-foot-5 Shough, Brees immediately thinks of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, especially when it pertains to body type.
"He's a Josh Allen body type as far as big, strong, good athlete," Brees said.
Brees said Allen has set the "blueprint" for this generation of quarterbacks: a dynamic passer and runner who has developed into a potent threat inside the pocket.
"When you saw Josh early in his career, he'd run around a lot,” Brees said. “It was just kind of wheeling and dealing. Josh is one of the most complete quarterbacks out there now, as far as his ability to get the ball out of his hands in the short-intermediate passing game. Certainly one of the best deep ball throwers, certainly one of the best scramblers, and just designed QB runs.
“I think Josh Allen's created a bit of the blueprint for this generation of quarterbacks. He and Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, the guys that are super mobile but can throw the ball effectively as well."
Brees: Playoff Success ‘Next Big Step’ For Chargers
When asked for his opinion on his original team, the Los Angeles Chargers, Brees said they have to learn how to win playoff games.
The Chargers have lost in the first round in each of the past two postseasons under the leadership of Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert.
The Chargers lost 16-3 against the New England Patriots in last year's playoffs with the offense completely shut down. Meanwhile, Herbert threw four interceptions in a 32-12 loss against the Houston Texans two postseasons prior.
"They've had some good regular seasons, and then it's just going and and putting it together in the playoffs,” Explained Brees when looking for the next big step for the Chargers organisation, “They're going to win a lot of games based on defense and run game. But then you get to the playoffs, and it's ‘Man, everybody's good.’ So how do you get over the hump and continue to gain confidence and momentum? They just have to get in the playoffs and find ways to win those games."
Brees is confident in the defensive personnel after it finished ninth in points allowed last season.
"They had a great year last year," said Brees of the Chargers. "I had a chance to broadcast their game against Dallas, and it was flawless. Defensively with Jesse Minter, who went and took the head job in Baltimore. They've got a really stout defense all the way around. Kind of no weaknesses, just play really, really solid, and one of the defensive players in the league in Derwin James."
Brees: Herbert Must Step Up In Critical Spots
Brees was asked if the Chargers need to rely more on Herbert's arm rather than the run game and defense.
“That style of offense under Harbaugh, wherever he's been, it's been defense and run game,” Brees noted, referencing Jim Harbaugh’s success in San Francisco with the 49ers and Michigan in the college game. “That was Marty Schottenheimer. That's the hallmark of a lot of really good teams because that type of system can travel. That can travel anywhere into domes, into bad weather, across the world. That's the formula for winning.
“But at some point, the QB is going to have to make some plays. He's going to have to convert some third downs that you didn't expect him to convert, or just do some things to continue to possess the ball that give you a chance to go down and win the game.”
Brees raised an incredibly important point about Justin Herbert: he has shown a lot of flashes of greatness, and now it’s about putting it all together.
"The game that I saw them play last year against the Cowboys - and granted, the Cowboys' defense was struggling - it was precision passing, it was placing the ball into the bread basket down the field, making big plays on go balls and deep posts, and also the intermediate passing game and the short passing game with screens and option routes and different things. They have all the makings of being a really good pass offense. It's just pulling it together at the right time."
