Brees says he expects to

Drew Brees says he plans to play Sunday against Arizona unless his form in practice this week does not meet his expectations.

Brees, who spoke after practice on Wednesday, says he is comfortable throwing an NFL ball now that he is more than five weeks out of surgery on his right thumb. But Brees says he needs to see how accurate and effective he is throwing during competitive team drills this week before he knows for certain that his return is best for the team.

Brees says that technically his thumb won't be fully healed until he's three months out of surgery but that a surgically inserted internal brace provides enough support for him to grip the ball firmly now.

With backup QB Teddy Bridgewater filling in, the Saints have won all five games

Brees has missed since his injury during New Orleans' Week 2 loss to the Rams in Los Angeles.

MAHOMES COULD BE BACK SOON

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes planned to throw in practice, raising the possibility the reigning league MVP could return sooner than expected from a dislocated kneecap.

Mahomes hurt the knee on a quarterback sneak Thursday night in Denver. The initial thought was that he could miss up to six weeks, but Xrays and an MRI exam returned the best possible result, and coach Andy Reid said that he has not been ruled out for Sunday night against Green Bay.

That said, the Chiefs are preparing as if backup Matt Moore will be the starter, and they have elevated rookie Kyle Shurmur from the practice squad to serve as the potential backup.

In other injury news, defensive end Frank Clark was held out of practice with a neck injury and linebacker Darron Lee with an illness. But left tackle Eric Fisher was back from his groin injury and wide receiver Sammy Watkins was able to test his ailing hamstring.

PATS’ GORDON ON IR

The Patriots have placed receiver Josh Gordon on injured reserve with knee and ankle injuries.

The move was posted on the NFL's transaction wire late Wednesday afternoon.

Gordon suffered the injuries during New England's win over the Giants in Week 6 and sat out Monday night's win over the Jets. He did not participate when the Patriots returned to the practice field on Wednesday.

Gordon's absence will