Since joining the New Orleans Saints in free agency 14 seasons back, perennial Pro Bowl signal caller and Super Bowl champion Drew Brees has been known for history making nights, especially in the comfy confides of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in front of the amazing fans of “The Big Easy.” Two weeks ago, he rose up another all-time NFL chart.
In leading the NFC South Champion Saints (12-3) to a 34-7 victory versus the Indianapolis Colts (6-8) on ESPN’s Monday Night Football on Dec. 16, Brees who was 29 for 30 passing for 307 yards and four touchdown passes without an interception, surpassed future Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion offensive signal caller with the Colts and Denver Broncos Peyton Manning (539) into sole possession of No. 1 on the all-time touchdowns thrown list with 540, which has increased to 544 with his work of 27 for 38 for 279 yards and three touchdown passes in the Saints’ 38-28 win at the Tennessee Titans (8-7) this past Sunday afternoon.
“Listen, it was special. Everything about the night,” Brees, who finished the night with 541 career touchdown passes said after the win postgame. “I don’t know how they pick them. Monday night football. Playing the Colts, right? The team that we won the Super Bowl against 10 years ago. So, the whole Super Bowl XLIV team is back for the 10th Anniversary and obviously national television, you know, big game and now that record in the balance as well.”
“Just kind of makes you shake your head, you know, are you kidding me? Not sure how we got here?”
This is not the first time the 40-year-old Brees made history on Monday Night Football. Last season, Brees broke Manning’s passing yards record versus the Washington Redskins as he went 26 for 29 passing with four touchdown passes.
Brees’ 96.7 completion percentage against the Colts became the highest ever in a single game with a minimum of 20 pass attempts by a quarterback, completing 22 consecutive passes, which set a personal record, a streak that was still active entering the tilt at the Titans.
That completion percentage Brees had was just one-tenth point better than ironically enough the man who replaced Brees in now Los Angeles Chargers longtime signal caller Philip Rivers, who had the record at 96.6 done last season. He also extended his own NFL record for games with at least 25 touchdown passes registering his 25th. Plus, Brees set another personal record by going 12 for 12 passing when targeting wideout Michael Thomas.
Brees tied Manning when his 539th career touchdown pass went to wideout Tre’Quan Smith, a 21-yard passing score that capped a 10-play, 85-yard drive at the 6:11 mark of the second quarter.
It was believed that Smith caught the record-breaking score in the final seconds of the first half, but he was called for offensive pass interference that nullified the touchdown and history, for the moment.
Brees finished the first half going an incredible 20 for 21, completing 95.2 percent of his passes, setting the best completion percentage on a minimum of 20 pass attempts in the opening half the last 25 seasons.
The record-breaking touchdown reception was caught by tight end Josh Hill, whose five-yard score capped a 12-lay, 75-yard drive at the 7:08 mark of the third quarter, where play-by-play announcer Joe Tessitore call was, “Touchdown pass 540 in the 504!”
The 541st touchdown pass by Brees went to the Saints swiss army knife on offense in Taysom Hill, who caught a 28-yard score to cap a three-play, 51-yard drive late in the third quarter.
“Pretty incredible moment,” Brees, who registered his 12th game throwing at least three touchdown passes on Monday Night Football, second all-time to Hall of Famer Brett Favre said to ESPN’s Lisa Salters on the field after the win. “To be able to share something like this with my team and the “Who Dat?” nation, and everybody in the Superdome tonight, my family and friends.”
“You don’t really think about these things, especially when you first enter this league. I can remember as a young player just trying to become a starter someday maybe. Maybe be able to make a little bit of an impact and its hard to believe we’re here are 19 years later having a chance to do some of these things but these special moments are special because of the people who are on this journey.”
Brees got a chance to celebrate this historic moment with some of those people who have been on this journey with him like his offensive teammates and the fans got a rousing ovation from those in attendance from Saints fans to his wife of 16 years Brittany and their three sons Baylen, Callen and Bowen and their daughter Rylen and other family members. He then took a quick lap around the building where his emotions were very visible and then shared a warm embrace with head coach and offensive play caller Sean Payton, who have done quite a bit of record breaking and winning, together, including winning Super Bowl XLIV over the Colts and Manning in what was dubbed, “The Miracle in Miami” a decade ago as mentioned earlier.
“It just kind of makes your whole life and career flash before your eyes because I never thought I would’ve had a chance to be a part of something like this,” Brees who also holds the NFL record for passing yards and completion percentage said after the game. “And just looking at the entire journey., you know 19 years from five years in San Diego (now the Los Angeles Chargers) to 14 years here. All the incredible teammates and coaches that I’ve had the chance to play with and for, this team right here, it was very special and of course our fan base. The ‘Who Dat?’ nation. Everybody in the dome tonight. Everybody watching tonight. Loved ones, my family, my kids, both my college roommates-two of my best friends in the world, they were here.”
Everyone that was present or watching on their television or mobile device saw a performance to remember by Brees.
To put into context the kind of performance Brees had against the Colts, according to the NFL’s “Next Gen Stats,” he threw the ball at least 10 yards down the field 11 times and completing all 11 of them, setting the record for most passes without an incompletion.
Brees also completed passes in what are called tight windows, which is defined as tight passes attempts by a quarterback to a receiver where a defender is within one yard of the pass catcher going 7 for 7.
According to “Next Gen Stats,” no quarterback in the four years of this stat area has completed that many passes without an incompletion.
If that was not enough, Brees joined Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh as the only players in NFL history to simultaneously hold the records for yards passing, passing touchdowns and completion percentage at the same time.
One person who was very impressed with those numbers was Brees’ head coach and offensive player caller for the Saints Sean Payton, who said during his postgame speech in the locker room to his players while presenting Brees with the game ball, “The 13 years I’ve been here, he was magnificent tonight. Drew Brees.”
Payton, whose squad on 11-plus games for the third straight season said to the media during his postgame presser about his quarterback’s performance, “You know, it’s hard to do. You go back and evaluate each play and it’s just unusual.”
“He had a hot hand obviously. Guys were making plays but it’s awfully difficult to do, and I’m trying to think of the incompletion.”
Payton added with a smile about that one incomplete pass, “He’ll get a minus on that play. Gotta give one minus, right?”
Another person who was impressed with Brees setting the all-time touchdown record was fellow future Hall of Fame signal caller and six-time Super Bowl champion of the New England Patriots Tom Brady, who tied Manning for No. 2 on the all-time touchdown passing list at 539 with his lone passing score in the Patriots (12-3) 24-17 win versus the Buffalo Bills (10-5) on Saturday night.
Brady said in a tweet @TomBrady, “Congrats Drew!! Couldn’t be more deserving. Passing Peyton in anything is an incredible achievement and your records will be tough to beat! But it’s worth trying.”
Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, who also has a Super Bowl win on his resume tweeted @DangeRussWilson to Brees, “LEGEND! @DrewBrees.”
Favre, tweeted @BrettFavre, “Congrats @drewbrees on an amazing achievement.”
At the end of the Saints Monday night tilt versus the Colts and what he did on Sunday afternoon in Week 16 at the Titans, Drew Brees now stands as the all-time leader in passing touchdowns at 544 and counting, with Tom Brady right behind him at 539, which is tied with Peyton Manning, with Hall of Famers Brett Favre and Dan Marino right behind at 508 and 420 respectively.
Brees set another record and authored another memory for all Saints fans in New Orleans, LA and across the country. He did in front of his family and the people that meant a great deal to him along this journey.
While Brees has been making his mark on NFL history, the Saints have won at a high level since he arrived in “The Big Easy” 14 years ago and are positioning themselves for another serious run at the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which they captured in South Florida just a decade ago.
Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 12/16/19 8 p.m. Monday Night Football game “Indianapolis Colts versus New Orleans Saints” on ESPN with Joe Tessitore, Anthony “Bogger” McFarland, and Lisa Salters; 12/16/19 11:15 p.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter With Scott Van Pelt;” 12/16/19 www.al.com story, “Tom Brady Reacts to Drew Brees Breaking Peyton Manning’s Career TD Passes Mark,” by Mark Heim; https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/gamelog/_/id/2580/drew-brees; https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameid/401128117; and https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameid/4001127898.
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