Saints, Brees finally hit high gear, take apart Bucs

NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees snapped out of his recent rut, New Orleans' defense transformed into a turnover-producing machine, and the Saints proved how good they could be this season, even if it's probably too late to matter.

Brees passed for 307 yards and four touchdowns, and the Saints recorded their first shutout in 17 years in a 41-0 rout of Tampa Bay on Sunday, extending the Buccaneers' losing streak to four games and ending their playoff hopes.

"Even though maybe that Super Bowl trophy can't be ours this year, we still have a lot to play for," Brees said. "We have a very prideful group of guys, but also we have a group of guys that understand the big picture, and that is that we're going to be together for a long time and we can start building the foundation of something now that will carry over for years to come."

Brees avoided an interception for the first time in three games and connected on his scoring passes with tight end David Thomas, running back Darren Sproles and receivers Lance Moore and Joe Morgan. Mark Ingram added an 11-yard touchdown run.

Josh Freeman endured one of his worst outings of the season for Tampa Bay (6-8), throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble. Jabari Greer made two interceptions, Rafael Bush and Isa Abdul-Quddus the others. Cameron Jordan forced Freeman's fumble on a sack and recovered it.

"It's my job to make sure everybody is educated as to what the play is. I've got to do a better job," Freeman said. "Some of those turnovers were really odd. Chalk it up to miscommunication."

New Orleans (6-8) also bottled up standout rookie running back Doug Martin, holding him to 16 yards on nine carries as the Buccaneers lost for the fourth straight time and suffered by far their most lopsided drubbing this season.

"We got our butts whipped, and that's it," Bucs guard Donald Penn said. "You can't sugarcoat it. We didn't perform today, and it's really tough and frustrating because we have so much talent."

The Saints will still be alive for a playoff berth when they kick off at Dallas next Sunday, but will have to finish in a multi-team tie at 8-8, which would require several other teams to lose their last two games. While the Bucs could finish 8-8, their conference record would be 5-7, dooming them to lose all possible tiebreakers.

"I didn't get this team ready to go today for whatever that reason is," Bucs coach Greg Schiano said. "They fought their guts out. It's just that I didn't do a good job of getting ready and we didn't play well."

Although many fans emptied out of the Superdome by the fourth quarter, those remaining howled as the Saints stopped Tampa Bay at the New Orleans 10, preserving the club's first shutout since a 12-0 win in the 1995 season finale against the Jets in New York.

The shutout meant a lot to a unit that came in ranked last in the league, in large part because of high yardage totals allowed early in the season while adjusting to the scheme of new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

"We've come a long way. Our defense the first four or five games was on pace to be one of the worst defenses ever," Saints linebacker Jonathan Casillas said. "It's just good to finally get a game to where we can be like, `All right, defense. This is us. This is what we're really all about."'

Brees had been intercepted nine times during New Orleans' recent three-game skid. That he would rebound well against Tampa Bay made sense; the Bucs came in giving up a league-worst 311.6 yards per game. Brees eclipsed 200 yards by halftime but eased off after his 34-yard touchdown to Morgan in the second half.

Ingram finished with 90 yards rushing and the Saints had their third-best total on the ground this season with 149 yards against a Tampa Bay rushing defense that came in first in the league, allowing 78.2 yards per game.

"We all, earlier in the week, I know offensively just kind of decided that, you know what? We haven't really put one together that we really want to hang our hat on," Brees said. "We just wanted to put our best out there."

Brees finished with more than 300 yards passing and four TDs for the 17th time in his career, more than any quarterback in NFL history. Dan Marino had done so 16 times.

Trailing 10-0, the Bucs' squandered a chance to close the gap when Freeman missed badly on two straight passes, the first to an open Mike Williams in the end zone. The next was his second interception of the first half. Bush grabbed the errant pass at the 9 and returned it 40 yards, and that led to Brees' second TD toss, a 2-yarder to Sproles.

Brees put one more scoring drive together in the half after Sproles returned a punt 37 yards to the Tampa Bay 38 with 1:04 left. Moore's 8-yard TD grab made it 24-0 at halftime.

Notes The Saints had a halftime presentation for former left tackle Willie Roaf, who last summer became only the second Saints player inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Roaf was given the customary Hall of Fame ring as he stood behind his bronze bust, which will be returned to Canton. The only other Saints Hall of Famer is linebacker Rickey Jackson, inducted in 2010. Saints LT William Robinson made his first-career start with Zach Strief sidelined by a right ankle injury. The Saints last home shutout was Dec. 16, 1991, against the Los Angeles Raiders, 27-0.

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Peek at the Week: Manning-Brady, Keystone State showdown, Brees chasing Unitas

Denver at New England, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

The line: Patriots by 6?

The story: Another year, another Manning-Brady showdown. Appreciate it while you can, folks. These are two of the best in the game, and watching them reminds me of, oh, say, when John Elway and Dan Marino took on each other. Your job is to simply sit back and enjoy what you're watching.

Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks ever. So is Tom Brady. Manning has been to two Super Bowls. Brady has been to five. Manning won four MVP trophies. Brady has two. Manning is fourth in career regular-season wins. Brady is fifth. Manning is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. So is Brady.

Every year, it seems, the two meet either during the season or the playoffs, with Brady holding an 8-4 edge. But look what happens when he faces Denver: He's 3-6, including the playoffs, with last year's playoff win his first defeat of the Broncos at Gillette Stadium.

Moreover, Denver is the only NFL team with a winning record vs. Brady, and no more than four points separated Brady and Manning in any of their past four meetings. So what happens now that Manning quarterbacks the Broncos?

That's why we're here.

Denver is in the midst of a torturous schedule that features six 2011 playoff teams in eight games. Manning has looked good (Pittsburgh, Oakland), and not so good (Atlanta), and maybe that's the new normal with this guy. My guess is that he starts a track meet here, with the Patriots' secondary the target. It was a problem last year, and it's still a problem, and if you don't believe me run the videotape of the first half of last weekend's defeat of Buffalo.

The Bills exploited gaping holes. The problem for them was that Brady exploited more in the back end of their defense. Both teams can run, with the Patriots producing two 100-yard backs last week, but both teams will do what they do best -- which is throw.

It's hard not to side with Brady. He has won twice as many as he has lost vs. Peyton, and he's 0-1 at home this year. Tell me the last time he dropped back-to-back home games, and I'll tell you that's another reason I like Brady here. The Patriots are looking for a signature win to launch them to another AFC East title. Maybe this is the game.

The back story: In their past three wins over the Broncos, the Patriots have averaged 42.3 points, going over 40 in each contest.

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. ET | Preview

The line: Steelers by 3?

The story: This is the Ed Rendell Bowl, or something like that, and Pittsburgh has the advantage for a number of reasons. First, the Steelers are home. Second, they're coming off a bye. Third, the Eagles are not. In fact, they're coming off an emotional and physical defeat of the New York Giants. Fourth, the Steelers could have Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and Rashard Mendenhall back. And fifth ... and most important ... when is the last time you remember the Steelers being 1-3?

Try 2006. What's more, it has been 38 games since they lost two straight.

So the edge goes to Pittsburgh, but I would be careful not to undersell Philadelphia. The Eagles are winning games this year they didn't last season, in the fourth quarter -- where their defense has held opponents in check, and their offense has scored three come-from-behind victories.

I just returned from Dallas, where tight end Jason Witten told reporters that teams that turn the ball over as the Cowboys did Monday can't win. Normally, that's true. Except the Eagles have. They had 12 turnovers in their first three games and were 2-1. Then they practiced ball security last week, not losing the ball once, and nudged out the defending Super Bowl champions.

The Eagles are supposed to be an offensive machine, but check the numbers, people: Only Cleveland and Dallas have scored less. Quarterback Michael Vick has been erratic and too often serves as a pinata for opponents. But he looked more like himself last weekend, and so did the Eagles -- maybe because they remembered they had LeSean McCoy in the backfield.

Anyway, I would look for more McCoy and less Vick, especially with the Steelers (ranked 14th) no longer invincible against the run. And the Steelers' defense doesn't force turnovers. In fact, it has fewer (3) than all but two teams.

That's the way it has been in Pittsburgh, where the team seems tilted more toward offense, with Ben Roethlisberger the ring leader of a multitalented unit that can beat you with deep threats and tight end Heath Miller. The key for Pittsburgh, as it usually is, is keeping Roethlisberger upright. He gets hit way too much, and he might have trouble avoiding a pass rush that last year tied for the league lead in sacks.

Having Mendenhall back might perk up a rushing attack that is stuck in neutral, averaging a league-worst 2.6 yards per carry. But the pressure here is not on Mendenhall; it's on a defense that needs to shape up, stop McCoy and produce takeaways for the Steelers to move forward.

The back story: Under coach Mike Tomlin, the Steelers are 9-1 at home vs. the NFC and 4-1 in games immediately following a bye.

Atlanta at Washington, 1 p.m. ET | Preview

The line: Falcons by 3?

The story: Four games into the season and the Falcons' Matt Ryan is the front-runner for MVP while Washington's Robert Griffin III is the leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year. So what? Well, so we can figure on a spate of points when these two finish Sunday.

Ryan is the league's top-rated passer, Griffin is fourth, neither is guilty of many turnovers. Ryan has only two interceptions, RG3 has one and both teams are tied for the league best with two giveaways.

Griffin, of course, is the more dangerous runner, and I mean frighteningly dangerous. Rewind the videotape to the Redskins' final drive last weekend and the weekend before, and the first thing you notice is the guys flying around on defense ... because that's all they're doing. They can't seem to stop Griffin.

He makes the Redskins interesting. He may not make them successful -- not in the short run -- because there are so many shortcomings on defense, particularly in the secondary, where they have allowed an NFL-high 11 touchdown passes. Ryan has Roddy White, Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez as receivers, and quick question: Which of these guys is Washington going to stop?

But that's why RG3 is here. He had to rally his team against Cincinnati, and he nearly succeeded, and he probably has to rally it again here. But so what? He's at his best when improvising, is difficult to tackle, is an accurate passer and can throw the ball a mile -- which means Atlanta better be on alert.

I could see the Redskins pulling the upset here if it weren't for that pass defense. I just don't know how the Redskins defend a quarterback as accurate as Ryan and wide receivers as dangerous as White, Jones and Gonzalez. RG3 could make this close, but, last time I checked, football was still a team game ... and the Falcons have the superior team.

The back story: Under Mike Smith, the Falcons are 37-9 when they score first. They're also 37-1 in games where they lead after three quarters.

San Diego at New Orleans, 8:20 p.m. ET

The line: Saints by 3?

The story: The Saints are 0-4. The Chargers are 3-1. Yet the Saints are favored by more than a field goal, and it's not because they're home -- they are 0-2 there this year. Nope, it's because of Drew Brees, who can ... and will ... eclipse Johnny Unitas' NFL record of 47 straight games with a touchdown pass.

Brees finally looked like himself last weekend, as did the slumbering New Orleans offense. OK, so Jeff Triplette's crew served as the 12th man, making so many bad calls it seemed replacement refs never left. But Brees was terrific, and had Darren Sproles cradled that third-down pass in the fourth quarter, New Orleans might be working on a one-game win streak.

But it isn't, because the defense stinks. It's slow and can't force takeaways. Plus, it doesn't have an elite pass rusher. In the past, Brees and the offense masked the warts on the Saints' defense, but not this year ... at least, not until last weekend.

To say these guys are due is an understatement. There is talent galore on offense, and, yeah, the Saints miss deep threat Robert Meachem who, it just so happens, is catching passes for San Diego. Sooner or later they must wake up, and this just might be the game.

Though San Diego has lost only once, it's hard to get a read on the Chargers. The opponents they've beaten are a combined 3-9, with none having more than one victory. So make this a litmus test for a defense that last week forced six turnovers in Kansas City and ranks 12th overall. Brees will get his yards and his touchdowns, but when do the Saints break through? Oddsmakers say here and now, and given the circumstances, it's hard to argue with them.

The back story: Since 2006, the year Brees arrived from San Diego, the Saints have been the league's top-ranked offense, averaging 401.2 yards per game, and in the past five years they were ranked first in offense four times.

Houston at N.Y. Jets, 8:30 p.m. ET

The line: Texans by 8?

The story: Once upon a time, the Jets were supposed to be all about Mark Sanchez vs. Tim Tebow, with the former Denver quarterback pushing Sanchez for the starter's job. Only that's not the story. In fact, it never was. The story is that the Jets don't have the playmakers it takes to make Sanchez ... Tebow ... Broadway Joe ... you name it ... successful, and that's apparent now more than ever with the loss of wide receiver Santonio Holmes.

Andre Johnson is a prime-time star, averaging 98.2 yards on Monday night. (Getty Images) Holmes is the team's most reliable playmaker ... maybe only playmaker ... on offense. He's gone. Cornerback Darrelle Revis is the team's best playmaker on defense. He's gone, too. So the Jets subtract their best player, period, and their most dangerous player on offense, and what do you think happens?

Uh-huh, trouble.

Rex Ryan's hope is that the Jets can somehow summon something from their defense to beat opponents, but that didn't exactly work vs. San Francisco ... and the 49ers aren't one of the game's best offenses. Houston is, with only New England producing more points so far. Good luck trying to stop Arian Foster, Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub.

Of course, the Texans are loaded on defense, too, where they rank first overall and second vs. the pass, and I think you can see where this is going. It looks like a mismatch waiting to happen.

Naturally, it's up to the Jets to make sure it's not. At some point Houston will lose, and maybe this is the night. But common sense tells you it won't be because ... well, because the Jets just don't have the talent and because Schaub hasn't lost once in his past eight starts. I mean, Houston went to Denver and held off Peyton Manning, so what do you think the chances are that it overcomes Sanchez when his best wide receiver is his tight end?

The back story: Andre Johnson is bothered by a groin injury that limited him in Thursday's practice ... and that's good news for the Jets. Johnson is a Monday night monster, averaging 98.2 yards per game in four appearances, not only scoring each time but producing two 100-yard performances. His five TDs in Monday night games rank first among all receivers since 2008, the year of Johnson's first prime-time appearance.

Texans at Jets

The story: One team hasn't lost, while the other lost two of its best players and just got waxed by San Francisco. OK, so the 49ers can make you look bad. But the Jets were shut out in their own stadium, and now they're back for an encore without Revis and Holmes. I don't know, this sure looks like Blowout City to me. I know Ryan's defense should be ticked off after what Carlos Rogers said, but at some point, it's not about emotion; it's about players. And Houston has more good ones ... a lot more ... than the Jets.

Buffalo at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

The line: 49ers by 10?

The story: I'll be honest: Normally, you would find the upset of the week here, but my upset happened Thursday night and I don't have enough conviction about Kansas City to pick the Chiefs over Baltimore. So without any trust in any of the remaining games I'm taking the slam-dunk of the week ... and you tell me what happens when a club loses a starting guard, gives up 52 points, then makes a cross-country trip to play one of the best defenses anywhere.

That's why the line is what it is.

I think the impact of what happened last week is going to cripple the Bills, which means they would have a tough time vs. anyone. But San Francisco isn't just anyone. It's one of the best teams in the NFL, and it is home where it is a tough out. Yeah, the Bills can run. But how good do you think they'll be vs. the league's second-ranked rush defense? I can't see this being much of a game for more than a half ... if that.

The back story: The Bills haven't won in an NFC stadium since beating Carolina in Charlotte on Oct. 25, 2009.

1. Indianapolis LB Robert Mathis: He aims for his seventh straight game with a sack. Mathis has four in his past three starts vs. NFC opponents.

2. Philadelphia DE Jason Babin: He has seven sacks in his past four games vs. the AFC.

3. N.Y. Giants QB Eli Manning: Including the Super Bowl, he has beaten the AFC seven consecutive times.

4. San Francisco WR Randy Moss: In 10 career games vs. Buffalo he has 12 touchdown catches -- including four in one game. Then again, he did most of that damage with Tom Brady as his quarterback.

5. Houston DE J.J. Watt: He's looking for a sack in his seventh straight game, including the playoffs.

1. Philadelphia CB Brandon Boykin vs. Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown: Brown's the guy who told (Washington and Greene counties) that the rookie was "the candy bar" of the Eagles secondary, meaning he's the guy Pittsburgh can exploit. Boykin brushed off the comment, saying he appreciated "the attention," and let the game begin.

2. Denver QB Peyton Manning vs. New England QB Tom Brady: What's not to like when you have these two playing each other? The past four times they have met no more than four points separated their teams in any game.

3. N.Y. Giants vs. the Super Bowl jinx: The Giants play winless Cleveland, so that's a slam-dunk, right? Not so fast. While the Browns have won only 18 games since the start of the 2008 season, three have been vs. defending Super Bowl champions -- including the 2008 Giants.

4. Cincinnati RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis vs. fumblitis: He didn't let one slip in 589 touches; now he has dropped the ball three times in the past 28. "Obviously," Green-Ellis said this week, "there are ball-security issues I have to tighten up. It has been terrible the last couple of weeks." Not exactly. The Bengals didn't lose.

5. Kansas City LB Tamba Hali vs. Baltimore RB Ray Rice: According to Hali, Rice talks more trash than any running back he has encountered in his pro career. "Usually, running backs are quiet and get their jobs done," he said, "but [Rice] is one of those guys ... he's a mouthful." Apparently, Hali was referring to an incident that took place in the Ravens' 2010 playoff rout of the Chiefs when, as Rice acknowledged, one of the Chiefs "was playing very dirty. Talking is usually not part of my game."

1. The Ravens lead the league with 26 plays of 20 or more yards, including a league-high 24 by pass.

2. Since the current playoff system was adopted (1990), 23 teams with losing records through the first four weeks qualified for the playoffs -- including four that made the conference championship games and one (the 2001 New England Patriots) that won a Super Bowl. In five of the past 11 years, a team that started 2-2 or worse advanced to the Super Bowl, with three of them winning it.

3. The Houston Texans have not given up a lead this year while leading opponents for a combined 194:27 out of 240 minutes. The team has trailed for only 18:52.

4. During his 47-game TD streak, Unitas threw 102 scoring passes -- with Raymond Berry (38) at the head of the pack. Seven players caught TD passes from Unitas, including Jerry Richardson with two. You might know of Richardson. He's the owner of the Carolina Panthers.

5. Since the 2003 season, the New England Patriots are 32-6 in October, winning 23 of their past 26 starts during the month. They're 18-1 at home during that time and 14-5 on the road, with their only home loss a 41-17 defeat by San Diego in 2005.

5: Career kickoff returns for touchdowns for Percy Harvin
7: Baltimore touchdowns when the Ravens start a drive inside their 20, best in the league
8: Ravens TD drives of 80 or more yards, also best in the NFL
9-3-1: Andy Reid's record vs. the AFC North
10-2: Green Bay's record in its last 12 road games, including the playoffs
14-3: Michael Vick's record in his past 17 starts vs. the AFC
25-0: Jay Cutler's record when he has a passer rating of 100 or better

• Cincinnati: Few showers, high of 54
• Indianapolis: Partly cloudy, high of 51 (retractable roof)
• Kansas City, Mo.: Sunny, high of 59
• Minneapolis: Dome
• East Rutherford, N.J.: Rain, high of 53
• Pittsburgh: Showers, high of 49
• Landover, Md.: Showers, high of 58
• Charlotte, N.C.: Few showers, high of 65
• Jacksonville, Fla.: Isolated thunderstorms, high of 85
• Foxborough, Mass.: Showers, high of 57
• San Francisco: Sunny, high of 62
• New Orleans: Dome

• I'll be in Pittsburgh to offer pregame glue samples to the Eagles.
• Mike Freeman will be in New England to collect early Hall of Fame ballots for Manning and Brady.
• Pete Prisco will be in New Orleans to drive the welcome wagon for Sean Payton.

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Pre-vacation cleanup: 10 items on to-do list, starting with McCoy, Brees, FA bargains

Colt McCoy could be a great pickup for six teams in particular. (Getty Images)

The final minicamps are over and everyone in the NFL is just about ready to go on vacation. With all the rookies signed, even the contract negotiators (which I once was) will get a real vacation. But before everyone races out of the parking lot and heads to the lake, here's a few things left to do:

1. Teams like the Packers, Chiefs, Saints, Bucs, Rams, and Ravens should make a call to the Browns and find out just how serious they are about trading Colt McCoy.

2. The Saints need to push the Drew Brees deal to $20 million per year, get him signed and let him get his offseason throwing program with his receivers going. Opening day isn't that far away.

3. Pro personnel directors need to look closely at the remaining quality free agents and grab one or two to fill in the back end of their rosters. Plaxico Burress, Vernon Carey, Patrick Crayton, Visanthe Shiancoe, James Hall, Jim Leonhard, Gary Brackett and Cedric Benson among others can still play and probably start for some teams.

4. Either the Bears or the Ravens need to sign their franchise running back now. Whether it's Matt Forte or Ray Rice, the team that waits will spend more to get their guy under a long term deal later this summer. Remember what Chris Johnson got when he held out?

5. The Lions need to get a long term deal done with Jim Schwartz before he heads out for some R&R.

6. The Broncos, Chiefs and Raiders may want to celebrate the retirement of LaDainian Tomlinson by sending him a thoughtful thank you note. LT had a 34-22 record against his former division opponents and his numbers were ridiculous: 1,142 rushes, 5,099 yards, 56 rushing touchdowns, 193 receptions, 1,331 yards and seven receiving touchdowns. LT averaged 115 yards of total offense a game against the AFC West.

7. Time for Bountygate to go away even if that means reducing some of the player suspensions. Cut the four player penalties in half and put the issue behind us so the focus is on the upcoming season.

8. All the first-round picks unsigned just need to get their deals done. The era of the holdout is over.

9. Some team or teams should make a consulting deal with former Eagle executive Joe Banner. Hand him all of your contracts (which he probably already knows verbatim) and when vacation is over he will have a nice set of guidelines for the future of your club.

10. The Steelers should spell out to Mike Wallace just how much money he can lose under the restricted tag and two franchise tags over the next three years versus doing a five-year deal now with significant guaranteed money in it. He will see $23.43 million over three years ($7.81 average) under the three tags IF he stays healthy. Keep in mind the franchise tag went down $2 million from 2011. A five-year deal now averaging just over $8 million should put $18 million guaranteed in his pocket now and close to $28 million over the first three years. He may be better than DeSean Jackson, who got $51 million over five years, but Jackson came into the NFL in 2008 and had a franchise tag on him this year. Wallace came in 2009 and is only a restricted free agent and simply doesn't have the same leverage. Both players were born in 1986, and Jackson now knows his contract expires as he turns 30. If Wallace plays on three tags he will be looking for a long term deal when he's going to be 28 and any serious injuries between now and then will hurt his market value.

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Filmmaker implies Fujita, Brees said he should release Williams audio tape

Posted: 11:59 AM ET June 01, 2012

By Josh Katzowitz | NFL Blogger

Sean Pamphilon writes that he didn't go rogue in releasing the Gregg Williams tape. (Getty Images)
When Sean Pamphilon released the audio tape of former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams telling his team to kill Frank Gore's head and target Michael Crabtree's knee it caused a bit of a storm.

Some couldn't believe Williams' words (Wade Phillips said it made him sick) and some couldn't believe Pamphilon had the audacity to release it. With so much emotion swirling around the Saints' bounty program the audio continued what has been al almost surreal storyline.

But Steve Gleason, who's suffering from ALS and was working with Pamphilon on a documentary, felt betrayed by Pamphilon's release. That's because according to Gleason Pamphilon didn't have permission to air it.

Pamphilon responded to that by saying the release of the tape was of the ultmost importance because, “parents of children playing football MUST pay attention to the influence of men who will sacrifice their kids for W's.”

Now Pamphilon has responded once again. He wrote on his personal website that he had consulted with Gleason and Scott Fujita before releasing the audio. While Gleason didn't want to risk hurting his relationship to the Saints franchise, Fujita implied that releasing the tape was the right thing to do.

Pamphilon said he ultimately decided not to release it out of respect for Gleason but that he also felt Fujita understood this was a landmark moment.

“It was apparent to me that all during this time Scott Fujita felt this audio would address a public health concern,” Pamphilon wrote. “He knew it was quite significant, but he was clearly torn because of the Gleason's personal concerns and quite understandably, he had considerable love and affection for his former teammate, who was now living with ALS. I empathized with him because neither Steve, nor myself was truly willing to stand down from our positions. It was as if Scott was hopelessly stuck between the irresistible force and immovable object. And Steve and I were destined to collide with full force.”

After Pamphilon decided to drop the idea of releasing it Fujita told the NFLPA about the tape. Pamphilon claims he felt vulnerable about the entire issue.

More from Pamphilon:

After the NFLPA decided to approach the NFL, I text Scott and begin to express in a much more strident tone that now I am feeling quite vulnerable and do not feel it is fair to my family, that I am not making this material public, especially with these powerful corporations knowing I have it. Scott implies I am being paranoid and re-asserts his position that Steve, Michel [Gleason] and I need to make this decision for ourselves. Steve clearly texts he still does not grant his approval to the release of the audio. Throughout this entire time, Steve Gleason never considered the fact that contractually -- as per our production agreement -- I did not need his approval.

In fact, I was only asking for his blessing because I didn't want to sever my friendship and film project with him. Also I had grown very attached to the extended group of family and friends who I became incredibly close with over the previous year.

But Fujita and Drew Brees reached out to Pamphilon, and although Pamphilon claims he decided not to publish the tape, he wrote that Fujita brought it up again. And with the backing of Fujita, Brees and the NFLPA, Pamphilon wrote he decided to release it. In fact, the NFLPA apparently thought that if Pamphilon was going to release it, the sooner, the better.

[More from CBSSports.com Rapid Reporter Larry Holder: Story changed once Brees didn't control audio release; Pamphilon reveals Brees, Fuijta involvement]

There are plenty more details in Pamphilon's writings and much of it doesn't reflect well on Brees and Fujita (though Kyle Turley comes off like a stand-up guy). I imagine we'll see Fujita and/or Brees respond in public accordingly. But like the bounty program in general, it's hard to know just who -- or what -- to believe.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Josh Katzowitz on Twitter here: @joshkatzowitz.

Tags: Drew Brees, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Scott Fujita, Bounties, Bountygate, Sean Pamphilon, New Orleans Saints, NFL

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Saints coach Joe Vitt 'confident' Drew Brees will be at training camp

Posted: 06:00 PM ET May 31, 2012

By Will Brinson | Senior NFL Blogger

Vitt's 'confident' that Brees and the Saints will work something out in time for training camp. (Getty Images)
The Saints appear to be through the majority of the offseason turmoil (and boy has there been a lot), but one, gigantic elephant is kicking it in New Orleans: Drew Brees remains unsigned.

Brees was given the franchise tag by the Saints in the offseason but has yet to sign it. And there isn't much out there to provide inspiration for a quick return. But interim coach Joe Vitt says he's "confident" that Brees will be with the Saints for training camp.

"I feel confident he's going to be here,” Vitt said, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. “He'll be here."

Vitt was asked why he's so confident in Brees making it to camp and drew some laughter with his response.

"What else is he going to do?" Vitt asked, per our Saints Rapid Reporter Larry Holder. "He can't sing or dance."

Ha-ha! Not so funny is the clock ticking down on the July 16 deadline for the Saints to sign Brees to a long-term deal. If nothing's done by then, Brees will have to play on the one-year franchise deal. Vitt believes any sort of longer deal will happen at the "23rd hour."

"Pretty sure," Vitt said, via Rapoport. "Yeah, I know that. Listen, I don't think anybody thought this was going to be easy. We talked about the lockout last year, 'Well, they're going to come back then, they're going to come back here.' I think everybody knew it was going to come back to the 23rd hour and it would get done. There's a lot of revolving pieces Mickey (Loomis) has to get in with the cap and so on and so forth.

"This is going to get done, and it's going to get done when Drew and Mickey know what's best for our football team and we can move forward."

There's a number of factors that make Brees' case interesting, but most notable is the previous franchise tag he received from the Chargers in 2005. Not only did Brees end up suffering an injury on that one-year deal that put his career in jeopardy, but now the NFLPA is reportedly attemping to get Brees current franchise tag classified as a second tagging, which would increase his one-year salary.

Brees would then receive 120 percent of last season's salary, rather than the current tag amount he's slated to receive. Once that issue is resolved, it'll possibly make it smoother for negotiations to continue, if only because the two sides will have a clearer starting point.

In the meantime, Saints fans have to wait with baited breath, despite the confidence Vitt displayed on Thursday.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, subscribe to our RSS Feed and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Will Brinson on Twitter here: @willbrinson.

Tags: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints, NFL

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While peers are accused of being greedy, Brees, MJD can do no wrong

Tuesday May 29, 2012 - 10:50 AM

Drew Brees' popularity in New Orleans insulates him from criticism. (US Presswire)

When it comes to fans, and their venom directed at supposedly greedy players wanting new contracts, one certain group of players seems to be immune to it:

The "face-of the-franchise player" -- or FOTFP for short.

In two cities right now, two of the smaller-market teams are dealing with contract issues with their marquee player, the player you immediately associate with that team when its name is mentioned.

Say New Orleans Saints, and you think Drew Brees and his amazing passing game.

Say Jacksonville Jaguars, and you think Maurice Jones-Drew and his league-leading rushing game.

Both are sitting out their team's offseason work as they look to get new contracts.

Brees is a free agent who was given the franchise tag by the Saints, but would rather have a long-term deal. He hasn't signed the franchise contract yet and has said he won't, which is why he's not taking part in team activities.

Jones-Drew has two years left on a contract the Jaguars signed him to in 2009. While he hasn't actually come out and said he wants a new deal, sources in the organization have said he's been asking for one for a while. His absence from team activities is contract-related -- make no mistake about it.

Both players are often lauded for their work, their drive, their dedication to the game and, more importantly, their production.

They are stars, vital pieces of their team's offenses.

They are also favorite sons in their respective cities.

But let's cut the bull: They, like all the NFL players, are about themselves.

I get it. I would be too.

These are the earning years. Go for the cash-dash.

But don't act like you aren't. Don't act like you are different from the rest of the NFL players trying to cash in big, some who have earned total disdain from the fans because of their desire to get new deals.

I often find it funny that some players who want new deals are called "punks" in some circles, while the FOTFP often get free passes. Remember all the names DeSean Jackson was called last season? Let's take a closer look at the Brees and Jones-Drew situations.

Brees has been tendered a one-year franchise tag that would pay him $16.371 million if he signed it. Of course, he'd rather have a long-term deal with $60 million or so in guaranteed money. Who wouldn't?

The Saints are reportedly using that franchise number to negotiate a long-term deal for Brees, offering one that averages about $19 million a season. Brees is seeking something above $20 million a year and the two sides are said to be about $2 million per season apart.

Brees said last week he is frustrated by the talks and there is talk he won't sign the franchise tag if he doesn't get a new deal.

That's garbage. Brees loves football too much to sit out, and the Saints know it.

Yes, they need him more now than ever to help soothe the mess that Bountygate has become. With Sean Payton suspended for the season, Brees is the offense.

So this has essentially become a big game of chicken. Who swerves first?

Since signing with the Saints in 2006, Brees has often talked about his love of the city of New Orleans, and he truly has become involved in helping to restore the city after Hurricane Katrina. They love him there, and not just for football. It's his home. There are some in the city who have taken to calling him "Brees-us." There are no reports of seeing him walk on the Mississippi River just yet, though.

Then there are those fans who say if Brees cared so much, why did he turn down the Saints deal when he could have given them a better chance to re-sign All-Pro guard Carl Nicks?

That's not his job. I always say when a player does that he's cheating himself. You get what you can and make the organization worry about fitting in the other pieces.

Brees is doing the same. Just stop hiding behind the "I-care-about-the-city" crap. Brees is also a favorite of many in the national media, and his agent, Tom Condon, is as well. That's why Brees gets a pass from some. I like Brees as a player. No, I love him as a player.

What's not to like? He is as cerebral a passer as there is in the game. He knows what a defense is doing often before they do. It's amazing to watch. It's why he broke Dan Marino's single-season mark for passing yards last season. His arm is seemingly stronger than before he had shoulder surgery in 2005, making him even tougher to defend.

There are those in the media who wax poetic about what Brees has meant to the city of New Orleans, putting him on a pedestal higher than the top of the Superdome. Good for him that he cares. But that matters none here. This is about football. And as far as football goes, the Saints have made a fair offer and he's dug in for more.

That's called negotiating. It's also called not being different from the rest of the Saints roster or anybody else in the NFL.

As for Jones-Drew, he has two years and $9.5 million remaining on the five-year, $31.35 million contract he signed in April of 2009. When he signed that deal, he had one year left on his rookie deal and that contract made him one of the top-three paid backs in the league.

Jones-Drew will be 29 when his current deal expires. He is smart enough to know that backs nearing 30 usually don't get big deals, which is why he wants one now. That's understandable.

It's also the reason why the Jaguars won't give him one. Let him play out this deal, and then see what happens. This isn't a back league anymore, and teams are more and more reluctant to pay backs.

Jones-Drew led the NFL in rushing last year for a team that was last in passing. That speaks volumes about his talent. But in watching tape of his runs, I think he left yards on the field. He turned many 3-yard gains into 7-yard gains, but also turned potential 20-yard gains into 7-yard gains.

Jaguars sources say he isn't nearly as explosive as he used to be, and I would agree.

Jones-Drew has always stayed away from OTA work since his rookie season, but this is a new staff for him, the first time for that in his career, and it's a new offense. That makes it different.

Yet as FOTFP he is seemingly getting a pass from the fans for not being around Jacksonville, even if the work isn't mandatory.

The good thing is that with Jones-Drew gone, the team can start morphing from being so run-heavy to a team that is built around the passing game.

Any team that is run-heavy is doing things the wrong way. Blaine Gabbert needs to become the Jaguars FOTFP.

If he does, down the road he, too, will get a free pass when it comes to contract issues.

FOTFPs truly are in a league of their own.

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No Payton, no Brees? Hard to say it's no sweat for Saints these days

Thursday May 24, 2012 - 6:24 PM
By Larry Holder | CBSSports.com

Pete Carmichael is watching Chase Daniel (10) instead of Drew Brees running his offense. (US Presswire)

METAIRIE, La. -- It was the third day of the Saints organized team activities on Thursday.

Sean Payton wasn't here.

Neither was Drew Brees.

Instead, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael conversed with now first-team quarterback Chase Daniel with a play-call sheet and runs through the next offensive formation to run on the outdoor practice fields at the Saints facility in suburban New Orleans.

Not Payton. Not Brees.

Meanwhile, Payton's most newsworthy item occurred way earlier in the day. He attended a local prayer breakfast on Thursday morning for former wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson, who's now Tulane's head coach. Payton spoke to those in attendance saying, "Initially, I made a note here. I'm supposed to say, 'Curtis, we miss you.' "

There was a pause and a bellowing laugh from Johnson and the crowd.

"I mean I miss him, but I'm supposed to be telling him I miss him on Airline Drive [the location of the Saints practice facility]. The receivers ask about you. I can't say any of that," Payton said with a smile and to another chorus of laughter.

And what's the most newsworthy item of the day for Brees other than his lack of contract and absence from the Saints? Arnold Palmer.

Yes, that Arnold Palmer. I received an email on Wednesday that Brees is headlining a faux naming contest by Country Time Lemonade to rename the company's half-lemonade, half-iced tea mix. In other words, Brees is campaigning to rename the drink widely known as the "Arnold Palmer" and change it to a "Drew Brees."

"Summer is about getting ready for football and hanging with friends and family," Brees said in the press release. "Beyond that, everybody loves the feeling of the cool breeze from the ocean. How could you call it anything but the 'Brees?' "

This is the bizarre world that is the New Orleans Saints right now and for the known and unknown future as two of the organization's most important pieces ever are nowhere to be found on the practice field.

Of course, Payton's absence was expected. Expected is one thing. How to handle it once practices commenced was completely different. Acting head coach Joe Vitt said Thursday that he's still trying to sort out how to handle the transition.

New Saints defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo poked fun at Vitt last week when Vitt was asked if he found himself thinking about what Payton would do if he were forced into one of the most bizarre scenarios any team has faced in recent NFL history.

"Every day," Vitt said without hesitation.

Then Spags chimed in without a hitch in his noticeable New England accent as if the two coaches had been coaching together for decades, "We catch him talking to himself a lot."

Vitt nodded in acknowledgement.

You almost wouldn't fault Vitt for walking around the Saints facility mumbling to himself like a lost soul in a padded room. Losing Payton for an entire season thanks to Payton's involvement and/or not stopping and/or lying to the NFL about the bounty scandal may drive someone batty. Losing your Super Bowl-winning leader on the sidelines and in the meeting rooms could be reason enough to drive any NFL assistant coaching lifer like Vitt trying to fill the void into a tailspin. Vitt has been here before, though. He filled in for an extended period for an ill Mike Martz in 2005 while with the Rams and briefly took over for Payton last season after Payton sustained a broken leg on the sideline in Tampa Bay.

So Vitt should settle down, right? You must have forgotten: This is the New Orleans Saints. There's no time to settle down because there has been storyline after storyline resonating from New Orleans and all offseason.

Not having Brees with the rest of his teammates throughout the entire offseason so far is the problem that has a solution and yet appears like there's no end in sight. Brees would be the calming effect a bounty scandal weary team and fan base could hang onto. Instead, Brees and general manager Mickey Loomis are stuck in park with contract negotiations.

Payton and Carmichael had admittedly been tied at the hip since the two arrived in New Orleans in 2006. Carmichael proved he can assume the play-calling and game planning duties last season as Carmichael had more freedom and more say so in the offense than ever. Carmichael can, for the most part, fill Payton's shoes.

Brees' absence matters more to the players than Payton's ban on the field and off it.

No matter how close Brees and Daniel are, and as much as Daniel may try to keep Brees in the loop after practices, no one can fill Brees' shoes. No one in the quarterback meeting room. No one in the organization. No one in the league.

Daniel said he understands his role right now with the Saints is to be a leader in the absence of Brees. But Daniel holds quite loftier goals than that.

"I don't want to step on anybody's feet or Drew's, but Drew knows, 'Hey, I'm coming after you each and every practice and each and every day,'" Daniel told CBSSports.com last week. "We're two of the most competitive people against each other. It will be a little bit weird and sort of an eerie feeling without him being on the field with us, but I've been here long enough and the guys trust me. ... [My role] is to try to get myself ready [for the season] as much as possible, however long this carries on and even when this ends and Drew is back. And when Drew gets back for OTAs, I'm still going to be competing with him for a starting job. That's what I've always taken into camp."

Delusion has at least faded for Daniel after his third OTA session.

"I'd say I'm No. 1B right now," Daniel said after Thursday's session. "Drew, I obviously know what my role is on this team. And right now it's to prepare like the starter and to take the No. 1 snaps. This is Drew's team. I'm just here to fill in and get ready and prepare like the starter, you know, like I have from 2009, when I started here."

Several teammates have said throughout the offseason that Brees is in such a rare situation where he holds almost the ultimate leverage in contract negotiations and that he has to take advantage of that. Considering that Brees is the only player on Payton's original roster in 2006 who played the entire life of his contract to this point without receiving an extension: Marques Colston (two new contracts -- 2008, 2012), Roman Harper (2011), Will Smith (2008), Jahri Evans (2010), Lance Moore (2011), Devery Henderson (2009) and Zach Strief (2011). And Payton has received two contract extensions through that time span.

"Drew Brees is a once in a lifetime kind of player. ... This time last year, Drew was paying for me to be in New Orleans (during player workouts at Tulane), be in a hotel, be with the team. ... To come this year and have him not be here is obviously tremendously difficult." fullback Jed Collins said.

Moore added: "The guy deserves whatever he wants."

You can insert just about any Saints players' name into the quotes above. It's a major bummer without Brees, but it's business.

Then there's the storyline that isn't.

The new Spagnuolo defense would have easily been the most pressing drama for the Saints this offseason had it not been for bounties and Brees contract troubles.

"It's funny," Spagnuolo told CBSSports.com on Thursday. "I'm so enthralled on what we're doing on defense that I haven't thought about it that much, but that's not to say I don't think about it. ... When I think of all of the reasons I chose to come here, those two [Payton and Brees] are the highest. And there not here right now, but things happen. Once I signed on, I was part of an organization and part of a team and you deal with the ebb and flow and you handle the adversity. I'm very hopeful that Drew will be back here. I know at some point Sean will be back here."

Then I pointed out that no Payton and Brees is more than simply ebb and flow.

"I know," Spagnuolo said laughing. "Which one is ebb and which one is flow. But that's OK. It's part of the league. It's been a different kind of offseason, but it's been exciting all the way through.

"Never a dull moment."

Dull is what the Saints could use at this point.

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Stopping Drew Brees: Fight surprises with surprises

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Ten-Point Stance: When Brees passes Marino's mark, it deserves an asterisk

Dan Marino didn't play in an era with stats 'artificially enhanced by rules changes.' (US Presswire)

Let's travel back in time for a moment. The year is 1984 and some are calling Dan Marino the best quarterback of all time.

That season, Marino put on a passing display that many said then would never be duplicated. He threw for an NFL record 5,084 yards, a mark that stands to this day, nearly three decades later. What's important to remember most about what Marino did was how Marino did it.

His throws were unbelievably accurate and he did this during a ferocious era of NFL defense. The 1980s were one of the more violent in football when athleticism on the defensive side of the ball, in many ways, was better than the offense. Players like Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White and Ronnie Lott, among many others -- head hunters and rib breakers -- were allowed great latitude to do massive damage to wide receivers and quarterbacks. Receivers weren't protected and quarterbacks were brutalized. Though Marino's quick release helped to protect him from many major hits (though far from all of them) his receivers were hammered.

Fast forward to now, and New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees who is only 305 yards away from breaking Marino's mark. Not only will be break it, Brees is likely to shatter it, and like Marino before him, what's most important to remember about what Brees is doing is how he's doing it.

Like Marino, Brees is using pinpoint accuracy to shred defenses. Unlike Marino, Brees is doing it with liberal rules that leave defenses playing with one hand tied behind their back.

In effect, Brees' record will be severely watered down. So much so, that it almost deserves an asterisk.

It's not only Brees. Many of the incredible numbers put up by quarterbacks today are artificially enhanced by rules changes -- particularly changes made in the past several years as the football culture has shifted from an extremely violent one to a just a violent one.

Defensive holding is commonplace now and pass interference calls are astronomically high. It's incredible to watch. It seems as often as not, a long pass downfield ends up in a penalty on the defensive player. This alters how a defender plays a wide receiver. Inevitably, fearing a penalty, a larger cushion is given.

Roughing the passer, blows to the head and the increasing calls for hits on defenseless receivers has given quarterbacks like Brees wide open passing lanes and wide-open receivers. For Marino, it was the Pleistocene age. For Brees, it's the ease of an iPad.

Most important, the new emphasis on player safety has helped eliminate big hits in the center of the field. Players like Lott and Andre Waters intimidated wide receivers who ran across the middle with jaw-cracking hits. Those hits would get a player suspended today. In Marino's day, they were commonplace.

Receivers now go across the middle knowing chances of getting cracked in the head are slim. You see these offenses. Receivers run untouched and wide open. The deep middle is where a defense is most vulnerable and, like any great player, Brees has taken full advantage. The rules have removed lions from the wild allowing the antelope population to prosper.

There's a reason that among the top 10 highest-rated passers of all time only two (Steve Young tied at second) and Joe Montana (tied for ninth) didn't play in the 2000s. It gets more stunning when extrapolated even further. Matt Schaub, Chad Pennington, Daunte Culpepper, Matt Ryan, Jeff Garcia (all played a majority of their career in the 2000s) have better career quarterback ratings than Marino.

Trent Green, Joe Flacco, David Garrard, Donovan McNabb, Rich Gannon, Shaun Hill, Jay Cutler and Marc Bulger (again all played bulk of career in 2000s) have better ratings than Warren Moon, Dan Fouts and John Elway who played the bulk or a significant portion of their careers in the 1980s.

When the head hunters and big hitters are severely restricted from patrolling the middle, the offense naturally explodes.

Marino's mark came during an era when he had to throw through much tighter windows with wide receivers getting decapitated.

This is not to say that Brees isn't a brilliant talent on his way to the Hall of Fame. He is. Brees. Carpet. Red. Roll it out. It's just that his record is a shell of Marino's.

And yes, it deserves an asterisk.

2. This will sound insane but I think this is Bill Belichick's best coaching job ever. Better than the Super Bowl years. Better than when Tom Brady was lost for the season and the Patriots still won 11 games. Best he's ever done.

This might also be Brady's best season. His accuracy has turned players like Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez -- players with great athletic ability and size -- from good players into spectacular ones. He's got the Patriots on the verge of the top seed in the AFC with virtually no running game and no defense.

3. League execs say it's common knowledge that the job Bill Cowher is hoping to get is the Giants. If the Giants fail to make the playoffs with another late season swoon, Cowher could get his wish.

4. I'm told by a several league sources that Kansas City interim coach Romeo Crennel is almost a lock to get the job full-time. One source said it's 80 to 90 percent certain and what Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli could do is bring in a hot offensive coordinator to go with Crennel.

Meanwhile, in Miami, interim coach Todd Bowles doesn't have a chance in hell at keeping that position. Which is a shame.

5a. Champ of the week: Tim Tebow. I still don't think he can play quarterback. His style of play isn't sustainable, but against New England I watched him take some hellacious shots. Not one or two but many. The Patriots were absolutely teeing off and he didn't back down. Watching Tebow was almost ... inspirational.

5b. Chump of the week: Santonio Holmes. Got a celebration penalty while the Jets were getting blown apart by the Eagles. He's a team captain. No, seriously, he is.

5c. Tweet of the week: This week, Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker joined Twitter. One of his first tweets: "Don't tell Bill I'm on here! Thanks! Hahaha!" Too late, dude.

6. Raheem Morris is facing the classic problem of a losing coach. I'm told players are having doubts he can save the season and those doubts have duck-walked into every corner of that locker room. This is when a coach is truly tested. I fear, however, for Morris it is too late to salvage his situation.

7. Best cameo appearance of NFL players in a movie since Necessary Roughness?

8. I think DeMaurice Smith has enough votes on the executive committee to get his $1 million bonus. But the fact anyone was ever opposed to paying it remains mystifying. I mean, absolutely dumbfounding.

9. Former Colts coach Tony Dungy could have any NFL head coach opening he wants. Any he wants and any in college. Every team with an opening has contacted him. College teams have contacted him as well. He talked about NFL teams contacting him while a guest on the Pardon the Interruption show but he was being slightly coy (or more likely with Dungy, humble). After checking with several general managers about Dungy saying he's been approached by several teams, I was told he was near or at the top of almost every list.

Dungy's response to these teams? Thanks but no thanks. I don't think Dungy will ever get into coaching again.

But I do think he'd become a general manager.

10. San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh says Alex Smith is his long-term quarterback. Big. Mistake.

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Rodgers, Brees MVP frontrunners, but don't dismiss Brady

Aaron Rodgers will win this season's MVP award, and he should. I can't imagine where Green Bay would be without him. But there's someone as deserving who won't get the attention, the votes or the hardware, and not because he's done something wrong but because he almost always does something right.

And that's New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Brady is such a superb quarterback that he's become a victim of his own success. Basically, we don't appreciate him for what he is because he's been that way for years. So he wins a zillion games, throws for a slew of yards and touchdowns, leads New England to another division title, and we yawn. He's done it so often that we're inured to it, forgetting how good he really is.

And he's so good now that despite playing with the league's worst defense ... despite playing with its most porous secondary ... despite having no outside threat to launch a vertical passing game ... despite having no franchise running back ... despite losing his starting center ... he still has the Patriots on track to be the AFC's top seed for the upcoming playoffs.

That's not just an accomplishment; it's a coup.

"I think Tom Brady is appreciated," said former head coach Brian Billick, now an analyst with Fox and the NFL Network. "But there's no denying that Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees are having phenomenal years, and you'd have to say they're having better years. But from the standpoint of supporting casts? Green Bay is probably first, New Orleans second and New England a distant third."

That's an understatement. Yet instead of marveling at how Brady does so much with so little, we spend our time debating who's having the better season -- Rodgers or the Saints' Drew Brees -- and, believe me, I understand. Rodgers can't lose, hasn't had a passer rating lower than 106.2 and is performing so adroitly he could become the league's second unanimous MVP in two years.

Brees, meanwhile, keeps piling up touchdowns, is on target to break Dan Marino's yardage record and is closing in on John Unitas' mark for consecutive games with a TD pass. If Rodgers is numero uno at quarterback, Brees is 1-A, pushed to the second chair only by Rodgers' near-flawless play.

But what about Brady? Well, he just keeps doing what he's always done, which is winning, only now he's doing it with the league's 32nd-ranked defense. Nevertheless, that's not enough to gain him the attention he deserves.

But I'd argue that if there's anyone out there who should press Rodgers for MVP -- if there's anyone who is most valuable in the truest sense of the award -- it's Tom Brady. He doesn't have the receivers Rodgers and Brees have. His offensive line is nothing special. His running backs aren't as proficient. And his defense stinks. Yet somehow, some way, New England continues to win.

Yeah, I know, the Packers aren't scintillating on defense, either, especially against the pass -- and I'm being kind. But they have playmakers on that side of the ball. I'm talking about people like Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews, B.J. Raji and Tramon Williams. Woodson was the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2009. Matthews was the runner-up one year later. And Williams was the defensive star of last year's playoffs.

Now, tell me what difference maker New England has, especially in its secondary. Julian Edelman? Nope, the Patriots keep winning because of Tom Brady, which means this year is no different than the year before ... or the year before that ... or the year before that.

"He makes everything look so easy," said former coach Eric Mangini, now with ESPN, "that you forget how good he is. He makes the exceptional look commonplace, and it's not. It's special, but he does it so often it's just another day at the office. We've become spoiled."

So Brady wins, the Patriots are the AFC's top seed and we barely notice. It happens. Heck, Chuck Noll never was the league's Coach of the Year, and Phil Jackson won the NBA's award just once. The more they won the more we started thinking they were successful because ... well, because they had more talent than everyone else ... so, we figured, that put them at an advantage.

But that's my point with Brady: He wins without as much talent as everyone else. And it's been that way for years.

With the exception of Randy Moss, Brady never had an elite wide receiver. In fact, the Patriots haven't drafted a wide receiver in the first round on coach Bill Belichick's watch. So Brady makes the best of what he has, and in 2006 what he had was Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney as go-to receivers. Nevertheless, he came this close to advancing to another Super Bowl.

"The difference between Tom Brady and other quarterbacks," said one AFC coach, "is that with Tom Brady it's never a matter of who he plays with. They all get better."

Wes Welker is Exhibit A. Welker annually leads the league in catches, but was rarely a starter in Miami before he was teamed with Brady. Now he's a Pro Bowl regular. Welker and Deion Branch are Brady's favorite outside targets, and both are 30 or older, under 5-10 and without top-end speed. No problem. Brady turns to tight end Rob Gronkowski, makes him a red zone weapon and the Patriots keep pushing forward.

Connect the dots, people. Other than the head coach, there's one constant in the Patriots' decade of success, and it's the quarterback. No club in NFL history has reached a Super Bowl with the league's 32nd-ranked defense, but New England will try -- and it has a chance because of Brady.

"It's Tom Brady's offense where, with Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, you have to say they're playing in Sean Payton's and Mike McCarthy's offenses," Billick said. "But Tom Brady is just like Peyton Manning. They are the offensive coordinators."

I was on a Milwaukee radio station recently when the host asked if I ever witnessed a season like the one Rodgers is having. I said, yes, as a matter of fact, I had: Tom Brady in 2007. When he challenged me, questioning if Brady didn't make the mistakes that Rodgers avoids now, I told him to look it up. And he did.

Through his first 12 starts this season Rodgers has completed 70.6 percent of his passes for 3,844 yards, with 37 touchdowns and five interceptions. Now look at Brady in 2007: Through his first 12 games he completed 70.2 of his passes for 3,696 yards, with 41 touchdowns and five interceptions.

But here's the number I like most: .774. That's Brady's career winning percentage. No other quarterback in the Super Bowl era is higher. He wins passing titles. He wins division championships. He wins conference championships. He wins league MVPs. Most important, he wins Super Bowls. He's been to four, winning three, and tell me what quarterback in today's game can say that.

People keep telling me he's not having a stellar season and that an elbow injury may be responsible. I don't know about that. Brady threw for a franchise-record 517 yards in the season opener, then followed with a 400-yard effort. Like Brees, he's on schedule to break Marino's single-season yardage record. He's also on schedule to throw 40 touchdowns, joining Marino as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to get there. He has touchdown passes in 28 straight starts. He hasn't thrown an interception in his last four. And his passer rating is 100 or better in nine of 12 games.

All I know is that the Patriots were non-factors until Brady showed up. Then they went to four Super Bowls, and draw your own conclusions. I have. A writer I respect once told me you could make the case each year for Tom Brady as league MVP. Now, more than ever, I understand what he meant.

"I don't like getting in this debate," said Billick, "but when you talk about the greatest quarterbacks of all time, clearly, he's in the discussion -- and his three Super Bowls are the 'screw-you' part of the argument."

I'll second that.

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Brees' three TD passes propel Saints past Lions

CBSSports.com wire reports
Dec. 4, 2011

NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees rifled a 20-yard pass over the middle in just the right spot for Lance Moore to make a leaping catch between two defenders in the end zone.

The receiver might have been impressed if he hadn't seen it so many times before.

"He doesn't amaze us. That's just Brees out there," Moore said. "He does it every single day in practice. The rest of the world doesn't get to see it but once a week."

Brees made a little more history for New Orleans and kept mistake-prone Detroit struggling, passing for 342 yards and three touchdowns as the Saints won their fourth straight, 31-17 against the Lions on Sunday night.

The performance gave Brees 4,031 yards this season, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark in the first 12 games.

"We were able to spread the ball around and come up with some big plays," Brees said. "I hope our hopes and aspirations are bigger than setting records."

His touchdown passes went for 67 yards to Robert Meachem, 20 yards to Lance Moore and 6 yards to Darren Sproles. He also connected eight times with tight end Jimmy Graham for 89 yards as the Saints (9-3) improved to 6-0 at home while taking a two-game lead over Atlanta in the NFC South.

"He's a stud, a young raw talent but a guy who's figuring it out quickly," Brees said of Graham, who became the first Saints tight end to have 1,000 yards receiving in a season. "I love most his heart and desire."

Matthew Stafford passed for 408 yards and one touchdown for the Lions (7-5), who have lost five of their last seven, but remain in playoff contention.

The Lions hurt themselves with 11 penalties for 107 yards, including three offensive pass interference penalties and a personal foul on tight end Brandon Pettigrew for shoving an official who was trying to get between him and Saints safety Roman Harper after the whistle.

"We lost to the Saints, but we beat ourselves today. Our offense continued to get derailed by penalties," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "We need to act accordingly. We need to be a team that doesn't beat ourselves. We have talent, we have good schemes, good coaching. We cannot afford to be selfish and put the team at risk of taking points off the board and there was way too much of that today."

The mistakes made it impossible for the Lions to keep pace with the league's No. 1 offense, and Detroit missed a chance to take a one-game lead over Chicago and Atlanta in the NFC wild-card race.

"We had a great opportunity to do what we wanted to do," Stafford said. "Obviously, we did not do it tonight. Smart football teams are still playing in January. Teams that make smart decisions don't beat themselves."

Mark Ingram scored New Orleans' first touchdown on a 14-yard run. The Saints then built a 24-7 halftime lead on the touchdowns to Meachem and Moore before Detroit showed signs of mounting a comeback in the third quarter.

Jason Hanson's 31-yard field goal made it 24-10. The Lions pulled within one score on Maurice Morris' 9-yard touchdown reception from Stafford, capping a nine-play, 88-yard drive.

Hanson lined up for 55-yarder early in the fourth quarter that could have pulled the Lions even closer, but it missed wide left.

"We've got a lot of work to do still ... but I like the fact that we're playing with confidence," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "I like the fact that we answered in the second half when the momentum shifted."

That answer came on Sproles' TD, which capped a seven-play, 55-yard drive on which Brees found Graham four times for 46 yards.

Graham said he was in man-to-man coverage, "and Drew laid a couple in there for me."

"He's a surgeon out there and makes me look good," Graham added. "When your quarterback has confidence in you, it raises you to a new level."

Although the Lions were without Ndamukong Suh because of his two-game suspension, and also without injured defensive backs Chris Houston (left knee) and Louis Delmas (left knee), Schwartz said that was no excuse for several defensive lapses, particularly in the first half.

"We played poorly on defense. We never gave ourselves a chance," Schwartz said. "We didn't get the job done in coverage, we didn't get the job done rushing the passer."

Still, Detroit got more pressure on Brees than the Saints' recent opponents, sacking him twice, including rookie Nick Fairley's first career sack. Brees had not been sacked in three previous games.

Stafford completed 31 of 44 passes, but was sacked three times and intercepted by Tracy Porter.

Nate Burleson had five catches for 93 yards, while Calvin Johnson had six catches for 69 yards.

Meachem caught three passes for 119 yards.

After Meachem's TD made it 17-0, the Lions responded with an 80-yard scoring drive on which Stafford completed all six of his passes. Kevin Smith's 2-yard TD run made it 17-7.

Moore's score with 22 seconds left in the first half increased the lead to 24-7, but the Lions had a chance to get some points in the final seconds after Titus Young beat Saints defensive back Patrick Robinson deep down the left sideline for a 52-yard gain to the Saints 24.

Robinson saved a touchdown by pushing Young out of bounds, then made amends for his earlier mistake in coverage by coming off the end to block Hanson's field-goal attempt as time expired in the half.

The first quarter was more of a defensive struggle, with the only scoring coming on John Kasay's 39-yard field goal that gave New Orleans a 3-0 lead.

His kick capped a methodical 13-play, 41-yard drive during which the Saints converted three third downs.

Notes

Lions T Jeff Backus set a new franchise record with his 172nd consecutive start, surpassing Hall of Fame CB Dick LeBeau. Schwartz said Fairley was limited by pain in his left foot, which he had injured during training camp, but X-rays were negative. Brees is the second quarterback in NFL history to pass for 4,000 or more yards in six consecutive seasons. Peyton Manning did it from 1999-2004. Graham now has 1,046 yards this season, making him the first Saints tight end to have more than 1,000 receiving in a season.

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Lawsuit plaintiffs Brady, Manning, Brees say it's time for NFL deal

NEW YORK -- Calling the players' offer "fair for both sides," star quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees -- plaintiffs in an antitrust suit against the NFL -- said Wednesday "it is time" to wrap up negotiations on a deal to end the league's lockout.

At the bargaining table, though, it wasn't that easy.

On the day Brady, Manning and Brees spoke as a group publicly for the first time, players and owners spent nearly 11 hours meeting at a Manhattan law office.

About two hours after players' association chief DeMaurice Smith left, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell walked out with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the league's lead negotiator Jeff Pash at 10 p.m.

Other owners including Pittsburgh's Art Rooney and Carolina's Jerry Richardson departed around then, too.

Negotiations were scheduled to resume Thursday morning. With each passing day, the need to strike a bargain and end the first NFL work stoppage since 1987 becomes greater.

Deadlines are coming up next week to get training camps and the preseason started on time. Although it seems the sides have agreed on the basic elements of how to split more than $9 billion in annual revenues, among the key sticking points recently have been how to structure a new rookie salary system and what free agency will look like.

In a statement released to the Associated Press via the NFL Players Association, New England's Brady, Indianapolis' Manning and New Orleans' Brees said: "We believe the overall proposal made by the players is fair for both sides and it is time to get this deal done."

They continued: "This is the time of year we as players turn our attention to the game on the field. We hope the owners feel the same way."

In response, the NFL issued a statement saying: "We share the view that now is the time to reach an agreement so we can all get back to football and a full 2011 season. We are working hard with the players' negotiating team every day to complete an agreement as soon as possible."

Brady, Manning and Brees are among 10 players who are named plaintiffs in an antitrust suit that is pending in federal court in Minnesota. That class-action lawsuit was filed March 11, hours after federally mediated negotiations to arrive at a new collective bargaining agreement broke down, and the old labor contract expired. The NFLPA immediately dissolved itself, meaning players no longer were protected under labor law but instead were allowed to take their chances under antitrust law.

On March 12, the owners imposed a lockout on the players, a right management has to shut down a business when a CBA expires. During the lockout, there can be no communication between the teams and current NFL players; no players -- including those drafted in April -- can be signed; teams won't pay for players' health insurance.

A series of court rulings followed, including one last week from an appeals court that said the lockout could continue.

Talks gained steam in May, overseen by a court-appointed mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, who is on vacation this week. Boylan ordered both sides to speak with him in Minneapolis next Tuesday, and the owners have a special meeting set for July 21 in Atlanta, where they could vote to ratify a new deal if one is reached.

That means there's intense pressure on Smith and Goodell to keep things moving in a positive direction. Disruptions to the planned preseason schedule would decrease the overall revenue pie.

In an added complication, a federal judge has set an Aug. 8 hearing for NFL retirees, who claimed Wednesday that the league and NFLPA "have conspired" to set low retiree benefit and pension payments in the negotiations. The retirees also say they have been illegally and intentionally excluded from the talks.

Smith and Goodell were joined at Wednesday's meeting by a half-dozen team owners: Jones, Rooney, Richardson, Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, John Mara of the New York Giants and Clark Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs.

On the players' side were Jeff Saturday of the Indianapolis Colts and Tyson Clabo of the Atlanta Falcons.

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