FOXBORO -- Every week in New England there's buzz over the work of an elite quarterback. There was more of the same this Tuesday, people just weren't talking about Tom Brady.
Drew Brees is in town.
"I mean, you talk about trying to play those top guys in the league like Tom Brady and now having Drew in here, we dont get a break, so you really have to try to be perfect," Devin McCourty said after the joint practice session. "It sounds crazyso you try to be perfect on every play but when you go against quarterbacks of that caliber you really do because you know 90 percent of the time theyre going to be perfect. The ball is going to be where it has to be and you really have to play very well on defense to try and compete with those guys."
Brees had the best completion percentage among NFL quarterbacks, 71.2, in 2011. He was No. 1 for total yards (5,476) and touchdowns (46), and No. 2 for attempts for game (41.1). The numbers blow his statistics from 2010 -- the last time the Patriots and Saints met during preseason -- out of the water.
New England's defense is well aware.
"Hes a hell of a quarterback," said Vince Wilfork. "Hes very smart, hes very passionate about what he does and so is everybody else around him: the offensive line, his backs, his receivers."
"Thats just a good football team; offensively theyre very, very, very good. Going against them, seeing Brady and now Brees, its tough matchups for this defense, but they can make us better and thats what were looking for: to be better as a defense and hopefully we can help this ball club win some ball games this year."
Wilfork is smart to put Brady and Brees in the same sentence. Saints defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo did the same thing.
Who knows better?
In his 30-year career Spagnuolo's coached against both quarterbacks (it was his Giants 'D' that gave Brady fits in Super Bowl XLII). On Tuesday, he said each presents unique challenges to even the best defenses.
They run the whole show. Not every quarterback can process everything going on in their mind. I have videotape of both of them with the TV cameras looking at them as they call out the signals, their eyes on the clock. Theyre looking at what the secondary is doing, they find out what the front is and get them in the right place and if youre one of the ten guys playing with those guys on offense, you know your chance for success on every play goes up.