Getty Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints greets Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons are back this week and fresh off a bye to take on the New Orleans Saints come Sunday.
As for the Saints, well, they’re set to be without their starting quarterback Drew Brees.
In their win against the 49ers on Sunday, Brees took a brutal hit from Niner’s defensive end Kentavius Street, with eight minutes left on the clock in the second quarter. It was obvious Brees was shaken up a bit as he temporarily left the game.
Brees Played With Broken Rib
A personal-foul penalty was assessed to Street, which NFL fans on Twitter argued over. Brees ended up returning to close out the half, throwing two touchdowns before the team entered their break.
The short break wasn’t enough time for the quarterback’s injury to heal and Saints head coach Sean Payton said that Brees told him he would be unable to play out the rest of the game.
Brees was actually already injured before Sunday’s match. In fact, sources told NFL insider Ian Rapoport he entered the game with “at least” one broken rib. The hit by San Francisco’s DE definitely did no justice.
#Saints QB Drew Brees actually came into the game with at least one cracked rib, source said. He was shown on the field before the game in a flak jacket, and that’s why.
Results From Brees’ MRI
After the game, Sean Payton said Brees would undergo an MRI and X-rays to reveal the final extent of his injury.
It turned out that QB1 has some significant injuries that will cause him to miss at least a few weeks, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder.
Werder reported that Brees has several rib fractures on bother sides of his chest and a collapsed lung on the right side from injuries he sustained over two different games.
Source: Results of medical evaluations performed today on #Saints quarterback Drew Brees revealed that he has multiple rib fractures on both sides of his chest and a collapsed lung on the right side. Injuries suffered over two weeks. It is uncertain how much time he might miss.
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While it’s uncertain how much time the Saints could be down their starting QB, multiple sources are saying it could be “weeks.”
Brees’ Backup QB Enters The Game
With Brees absence in the final half of the game, backup Jameis Winston entered the starting unit. He completed six out of 10 passes for 63-yards.
While Winston is known for being a turnover king, including having 30 interceptions during last seasons’ campaign suiting up for the Bucs, he avoided them against the 49ers. The result ended with a Saints’ sixth consecutive victory.
With 41-year-old Brees expected to be unavailable in Week 11 against the Falcons, Winston will most likely be the man for the job again.
Third-string quarterback Taysom Hill might also get a chance to redeem himself after fumbling the football twice and failing to record a single pass.
Falcons Preparing For Anything
The two NFC South rivals square off in Week 11 in New Orleans then turn around and play each other again in Week 13 at Mercedes Benz.
While nobody is certain how much time Brees will be out and with no starter named yet, Raheem Morris says the Falcons will be preparing for both backups. You know the saying, “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.”
Raheem Morris says it’s “no full guarantee” that the Saints will only rely on Jameis Winston if Brees is out. He mentions Taysom Hill, saying the Falcons need to prepare for both.
The Falcons are pretty familiar with Winston and have seen enough of Hill for any big surprises to come at them, so that’s good news.
It will be interesting to see who is favored on Sunday because the standings have Saints respectively atop the NFC South with a 7-2 overall record and 6-1 against NFC teams. The Saints are 3-0 in the division and have embarrassed the Bucs and Tom Brady this season with a sweep. They’re a solid team and can still compete without Brees front and center.
Sure, Winston is no Drew Brees, but he has the potential to be good so this game still isn’t going to be a cakewalk for Atlanta.
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