Saints’ championship window far from closed

To those who believe the “window” to win the Super Bowl is closing for the New Orleans Saints, here are a couple of questions for you to answer.

Who led the NFC the last two seasons in combined regular season wins?

In what year did Drew Brees post his best quarterback rating?

First, we’ll address Brees.

His best rating year as a quarterback was 2019. That’s right, the quarterback without a deep threat to stretch the field and without a healthy Alvin Kamara for much of the season posted a quarterback rating of 116.3, the best of his career.

In the Super Bowl season of 2009, Brees posted a rating of 109.6. Two seasons later, when the Saints were the best team in the NFL not to win the Super Bowl, Brees’ quarterback rating was 110.6.

Last season, Brees completed 74.3 percent of his throws, throwing 27 touchdown passes and only four interceptions.

The bulk of those stats were compiled after Brees had thumb surgery on his throwing hand after a week two loss at the Los Angeles Rams.

Now, the answer to the first question.

The Saints have won more games than any team in the NFC over the past two seasons by far. New Orleans posted back-to-back 13 win seasons for a total of 26.

The Rams, who slumped to 9-7 in 2019 and missed the playoffs, won a combined 22 games. The Seahawks won 21 regular season games over the past two seasons.

Yet, the hue and cry by many is that the Saints are somehow sliding, and that Brees is way, way, way past his best football.

True, Brees did have two turnovers against Minnesota in a 26-20 overtime playoff loss. He was also 26 of 33 passing against a Minnesota front while rushing only four most of the game that was able to get ample pressure on the quarterback.

Brees was sacked three times and hit several others.

My take on the Saints loss days later hasn’t changed.

The Vikings were playing the Saints at the exact right time. At least three of the Saints starters on the offensive line were playing hurt. Meanwhile, New Orleans was without two first round picks on the defensive line.

Even without tackle Sheldon Rankins and end Marcus Davenport, it took Minnesota 40 carries to rush for 136 yards after a strong start on the ground.

A week later, the Vikings went to San Francisco and got whacked, leaving Saints fans to wonder ‘how did the loss to the Vikings happen? Are the 49ers that good? That much better than us?”

The 49ers are an interesting study as to how injuries affect teams.

In 2018, with more than a dozen players on injured reserve, including quarterback Jimmy Garappolo who played in just three games, and running back Raheem Mostert (nine total games), San FRancisco finished 4-12.

One year later, both played in 16 games as San Francisco went on to win the NFC championship.

The Saints have been remarkably consistent. Winning 13 games with a roster hit hard by injury speaks to the quality of the organization and the quarterback.

So, to say the Saints are sliding because of one bad playoff loss is premature. To say the quarterback is sliding, too?

Don’t get me started.