New Orleans Saints: Why the Arizona Cardinals could upset the Saints
By Jason Reed
![CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 20: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the New Orleans Saints warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 20, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 20: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the New Orleans Saints warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 20, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/1ff4273a624a2b52db9778e176d962871edf49d97a474f8ea812b7723a1ad283.jpg)
1. We don’t know who is starting at quarterback
This sounds like a ridiculous point, but hear us out. It will be worrying if the New Orleans Saints head into Sunday morning still not announcing whether or not Drew Brees will definitively play. It would be better for the team to outright rule Brees out on Friday rather than head into Sunday with these question marks.
And no, this is not because of fantasy football. Making a last season decision like this is dangerous because of the precedents it can have in practice the week prior.
There is a value in taking reps with the first team and the coaching staff absolutely has different gameplans for both quarterbacks. Why else do you think Bridgewater has looked decent in the games he started but did not look great in the game where he came in for Brees?
Splitting time with the first team is just going to throw the flow of the offense off and is going to make it harder to develop a definitive gameplan. Even worse is if Brees practices the most with the first team all week only for him not to end up playing on Sunday.
The result of this could be an offense that really does not have a feel for what they are doing on Sunday, which can lead to a slow start, an early deficit and a hole that is hard to dig out of.
The Saints need to make the decision earlier, even if they don’t announce it.