The New Orleans Saints put points on the board first in their preseason game against the New York Jets, with a pair of familiar faces responsible for the opening-drive touchdown play: quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Michael Thomas.
Facing a third-and-seven from the Jets’ 19-yard line, Brees went looking for his favorite target — and found him, with Thomas outmaneuvering an opposing defensive back to make the acrobatic catch. He fell to the ground with one foot inbounds, but was able to tap the other foot down inside the end zone for six points. An easy extra-point attempt from kicker Wil Lutz sailed through the uprights, and the Saints took an early lead on their first possession.
This was the first time most fans have seen Brees this summer, with backup quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill handling snaps in the first two Saints preseason games. Brees completed four of his six pass attempts and gained 68 yards on the drive, which ended with his touchdown pass after traveling 72 yards in just eight plays. That’s pretty efficient.
Brees exited the starting lineup after this first possession, swapping his helmet for a baseball cap along with Thomas, running back Alvin Kamara, and left tackle Terron Armstead. This is probably all we’ll see of Brees until the regular season starts against the Houston Texans.
