Saints quarterback Drew Brees was scheduled to have surgery Wednesday after suffering a torn ligament in his right (throwing) thumb Sunday against the Rams.
The injury is a blow to a Super Bowl-hungry team and the veteran's absence could go a long way toward shaping the NFC playoff picture. He's expected back within eight weeks after the team opted not to place him on injured reserve.
Before he got hurt, Brees had missed just one game to injury in his 19-year NFL career. Now, he'll miss the next six, at least: against the Seahawks, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Bears and Cardinals before he and the team hope he returns against the Falcons, after the Saints' Week 9 bye.
Games that Saints QB Drew Brees is now expected to miss: https://t.co/Vws651tnaA
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 16, 2019
Brees' backup — either Teddy Bridgewater, Taysom Hill or a mix of the two after coach Sean Payton refused to commit early this week — will be faced with a stout first challenge visiting Seattle and things won't get easier when the Saints return home to host the star-powered Cowboys.
New Orleans should survive the next two weeks against Tampa Bay and Jacksonville before maybe even leaving Chicago with a win if Mitchell Trubisky struggles again. The Cardinals could also be beaten as they continue to get comfortable with first-year duo Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury.
But even when Brees does get back on the field, there's no guarantee the 40-year-old will return to his record-breaking form which helped him make a case for an MVP last season before he was outshined by Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes. And, while he's building his strength back after his procedure, teams around the league will be getting stronger, as well.
The Saints aren't the only NFC South team struggling, as Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is also dealing with an injury and Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston is still establishing himself. So the Falcons will certainly look to take advantage with the hope of getting far enough ahead that New Orleans won't be able to catch them down the road when Brees is back.
Compared to the Brees-less Saints, it could be argued that other NFC contenders like the Rams and Cowboys have lighter schedules during that period. Green Bay, on the other hand, has some tough opponents and no bye until Week 11.
Rams: Browns, Buccaneers, Seahawks, 49ers, Falcons, Bengals, Bye
Cowboys: Dolphins, Saints, Packers, Jets, Eagles, Bye, Giants
Packers: Broncos, Eagles, Cowboys, Lions, Raiders, Chiefs, Chargers
The Rams have the most to gain from the Saints' loss, while the Cowboys have a shot at a top-two seed. Then there's the 49ers, who could potentially secure an NFC wild-card spot under Jimmy Garoppolo if Brees can't quite bounce back.
The Saints could struggle with Bridgewater at quarterback given he was reliable yet unimpressive Sunday as he substituted for Brees, finishing 17 of 30 for 165 yards with no touchdowns. Then again, it was just his seventh time seeing action in a game in the last three seasons, so there are still some kinks to work out.
After all, it's hard to forget the Eagles beat the Patriots in Super Bowl 52 with Nick Foles filling in for injured starter Carson Wentz.