High stakes for Brees and Saints vs. Bears
NEW ORLEANS – Saints linebacker Demario Davis’ largely productive NFL career also has had its share of disappointing, teachable moments.
Losing seasons with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns helped Davis cherish recent postseason opportunities with New Orleans. And in the playoffs, Davis has experienced excruciating losses in each of the past three seasons – with the decisive score coming on each game’s final play.
So as the four-time NFC South champion Saints (12-4) embark on yet another playoff run, starting Sunday against the recently resurgent Chicago Bears (8-8) in the Superdome, Davis is imploring teammates to narrow their focus and stay in the present.
“The only thing that we’re promised is this moment. That is the only clock that you could be looking at,” Davis said. “It isn’t like, as a team, you’ve got so many opportunities to be here. The only moment we have is right now and it’s all about what we do with it right now.”
For the Saints, the stakes are high because their quarterback is 41-yearold Drew Brees, who has become synonymous with New Orleans during the past 15 seasons. Brees brought the football-obsessed community it’s lone major pro sports championship 11 seasons ago, and became the NFL’s alltime leader in yards passing. Brees will turn 42 on Jan. 15 and hasn’t committed to playing beyond this season, so each game could be his last.
Asked if he’d decided whether this season would be his last, Brees said only: “I’ve made a decision about being the best I can be this week so we can go win this game so we can keep playing.”
Brees is in his ninth postseason with New Orleans and 11th in his career.
Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky, now in his fourth NFL season, is in the playoffs for just the second time after what was a turbulent 2020 for him.
Trubisky was benched earlier this season and has started just nine games. But the Bears went 6-3 in those games, with three victories in four games to close the regular season and sneak into the playoffs.
“We got nothing to lose. We know everybody is overlooking us,” Trubisky said. “We’ve got to come in playing smart and play disciplined football, but that doesn’t mean coming in being uptight. I think, go in and play free.”
Tried ant true strengths: While Brees has been the star of some prolific passing offenses that simply outscored opponents under coach Sean Payton, the veteran quarterback takes comfort in the fact the Saints have thrived this season in the running game and on defense.
The Saints’ 2,265 yards rushing are the most since the Payton era began 2006. The defense ranks fourth and tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with 18.
“The best teams can run the football and play great defense,” Brees said. “Those are kind of the two core things that you look at with any team that has staying power, that has the ability to play anywhere, anytime and overcome anything and sustain.”
The takeaway: The Bears will likely need a dynamic performance from a defense that ranked among the top 10 for much of the season if they’re going to knock out the high-powered Saints. The problem is that group isn’t producing momentum-changing plays as much as it would like.