One of the benefits of Drew Brees joining NBC Sports as a broadcaster in retirement is his quick reaction to New Orleans Saints games each week — there isn’t anyone better informed about the team than him across the NFL media landscape. He even got a look at their Week 1 game plan for the Green Bay Packers.
But he didn’t mince words when reviewing his old team’s stunning loss to the Carolina Panthers on NBC’s “Football Night in America” panel.
“The Carolina defense completely shut them down today. There was no run game, they got after Jameis Winston,” Brees said tightly, adding: “These Carolina Panthers came ready to play.” And then he quickly transitioned to recap the next game’s results.
It was a brief moment, but it sure felt like a quiet scolding. It’s a safe bet that he reserved more specific criticism for private conversations, which is probably the right move. Raising three rowdy boys prone to wrasslin’ on the sideline at the Pro Bowl is good practice. Entertaining as it may be, dissecting the Saints’ flaws on national television might not be in his or the team’s best interests. Let’s hope they make him proud next week.
