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The Detroit Lions defense has its hands full again this weekend with the high-octane New Orleans Saints’ offense, and as always, a big reason for their success has been the play of Drew Brees.
Though the team shares Detroit’s 1-2 record and Brees may not be as statistically dominating as he has been in the past, there’s still a greatness about the quarterback which allows him to operate as he always has through the years according to Matt Patricia.
Speaking to the media Thursday, Patricia was asked about Brees and said he still sees the same elements at play now which have made him one of the best quarterbacks in league history. As a result, he’s not ready to proclaim him washed up or past his prime whatsoever at this point.
In his career against the Lions, Brees has been a dominant force, going 4-3 with 18 touchdowns and 2,246 yards passing. Brees is also 1-0 against Detroit in the postseason, so he’s been a classic tormentor for Lions fans, but one they can respect given the length and depth of his outstanding career.
Will this be Brees’ last battle with the Lions? It’s possible, as time waits for nobody in the NFL. Even if that’s the case, the challenge remains a stiff one this weekend as it relates to slowing down one of the league’s best to ever do it.
Detroit will have to step up to the plate on defense in order to better Brees again.
Lions Line vs. Saints Reveals Underdog Status
In spite of the similar records for both teams, interestingly, nobody is buying the Lions when it comes to the odds this week. Following Detroit’s upset win on the road in Arizona and New Orleans falling apart against Green Bay, the Lions remain 5.5 point underdogs to start the week.
Detroit hasn’t been favored in a game this season outside of the home opener, which they led at one point 23-6 before the lead slipped away. All in all, it’s not a huge surprise to see the team lagging in terms of getting support from the point spreads. Most feel they likely cannot trust the Lions now what with the way they’ve coughed up plenty of leads this season.
As a result, the Lions start out as marked underdogs against the Saints for their impending battle. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that the team still has Brees on the sidelines.
Lions-Saints History
Detroit has struggled with the Saints historically, but interestingly enough, one of their biggest wins came when they were a huge underdog taking on New Orleans at home. In 2014, the Lions beat the Saints at Ford Field thanks to a big day from the defense. From 2014-2017, the Lions had a run of 3 straight wins going against New Orleans, a pair of which came in the Superdome. In 2017, however, they were humbled in a 52-38 loss on the road, which represents the most recent result in this series.
This season, the teams share identical records and identical up and down trajectories, but the Saints remain favored heading into battle. Perhaps Brees is a big reason why.
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