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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year today. Drew was a great choice. All he did was re-write the Saints’ record books this season. He became just the second player in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season and he had a team-record and league-leading 34 touchdown passes. Naturally, he spoke of team first:

“I don’t come out from week to week and say I have to throw for 300 (yards). I don’t think about that. It’s really about what I can do to help this team win. Certainly in this offense, being the quarterback, you’re in the driver’s seat. You have the opportunity to control every play and have it in your hands. Every play is about me making good decisions and putting it in a guy’s hands who is open or our playmakers working to their strengths. That’s my job.”

This choice is a little odd considering Drew didn’t get one MVP vote, but he deserves the award. It seems like Drew gets a little better each season. His 5,069 yards passing this season came up just 15 yards short of the all-time record held by Dan Marino. Even if the Saints didn’t make the playoffs, that is called having one heck of a season, especially when you consider the number of injuries the Saints had on the offensive side of the ball (Marques Colston, Reggie Bush, Jerome Shockey). Drew finished with 22 votes. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson had nine votes each. Philip Rivers had six votes.

Sources: NewOrleansSaints.com, NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Drew Brees Offensive Player of the Year

Bad news for New Orleans Saints receiver Marques Colston. He had surgery on his left thumb yesterday and will be out 4-6 weeks. Marques tore a ligament after taking a helmet-first hit to his hands from Tampa Bay Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber last Sunday. Head coach Sean Payton assessed the damage to his top receiver:

“He has a left thumb that he had a procedure done on yesterday. It’s a ligament in his left thumb and basically the surgery was to stabilize the thumb. It’s going to take some time. He had that done yesterday. It’s going to take him a while, a few weeks. By week’s end, he’ll be listed as out in this game. The surgery allows him to stabilize it. He had it done before with his right hand back in college, and weighing the options, it was definitely the best option for us and for Marques to get this done now and get it repaired the right way.”

This is a huge blow to the Saints offense. They had a “Big 4″ going with quarterback Drew Brees, running back Reggie Bush, tight end Jeremy Shockey and Marques. But it will be the rest of the receiving corps that will have to pick up the slack in Marques’ absence — David Patten, Devery Henderson, Terrance Cooper, Lance Moore and Robert Meacham.

Source: NewOrleansSaints.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Marques Colston Out 4-6 Weeks

So impressed were the New Orleans Saints with wide receiver Marques Colston’s first two seasons, they gave him a three-year contract extension as the team opened their 2008 training camp today. This move ensures Marques will be with the Saints through 2011. Said head coach Sean Payton:

“It was a priority for our team to get this done before our training camp practices started. He is an established player in the NFL and a key part of our offense. He is also becoming a leader on our team, and certainly within our group of wide receivers.”

The only one happier than Coach Payton and Marques himself is Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Marques’ first two seasons were nothing short of outstanding catches passes from Drew — 70 receptions for 1,038 yards and eight TDs as a rookie and 98 catches for 1,212 yards and 11 TDs last season.

Source: NewOrleansSaints.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Marques Colston Gets Contract Extension

It’s preseason with a tinge of the playoffs. That will be one of the highlights of a 13-game national television preseason schedule that was announced today by the NFL, along with the complete list of 2008 preseason matchups. All 12 of the 2007 NFL playoff teams will be featured in the national TV games.

It all starts in Canton, OH — site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On Sunday night, August 3 on NBC (8:00 PM ET), the Indianapolis Colts will take on the Washington Redskins in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. It will be an eventful weekend for the Redskins as two of the greatest players in their history — cornerback Darrell Green and wide receiver Art Monk — will join the class of 2008 at the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Saturday. The game also will mark the NFL head-coaching debut of Washington’s Jim Zorn. That game is just the start of the preseason national TV excitement:

WEEK 1: Two of the top-10 receivers of last season in both catches and yards square off as New Orleans (Marques Colston) visits Arizona (Larry Fitzgerald) on Thursday, August 7, ESPN, 8:00 PM ET ….. NFL fans will see the debut as a starter of Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, who this year takes over for the retired Brett Favre, when Cincinnati travels to Green Bay (Monday, August 11, ESPN, 8:00 PM ET).

WEEK 2: Panthers QB Jake Delhomme will continue his comeback from elbow surgery as he is tested by new Eagles (and former Patriots) CB Asante Samuel when Philadelphia hosts Carolina (Thursday, August 14, FOX, 8:00 PM ET) ….. Two recent first-round quarterbacks meet for the first time as Oakland (JaMarcus Russell) visits Tennessee (Vince Young) on Saturday, August 16, FOX, 8:00 PM ET ….. Two division winners go at it as New England (preparing to duplicate its undefeated ’07 season) travels to Tampa Bay (Sunday, August 17, NFL Network, 8:00 PM ET) ….. And the Super Bowl XLII champion New York Giants debut at home against Cleveland (Monday, August 18, ESPN, 8:00 PM ET).

WEEK 3: Two quarterbacks seeking to re-establish themselves as starters go at it as San Francisco (Alex Smith) travels to Chicago (Rex Grossman) on Thursday, August 21, FOX, 8:00 PM ET ….. The Battle for Texas takes place when Houston visits Dallas (the preseason series is tied 2-2) on Friday, August 22, CBS, 8:00 PM ET ….. Pittsburgh’s No. 3 NFL rush defense of ’07 can judge where it stands for ’08 when it faces Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson, the NFL ’07 Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl MVP (Saturday, August 23, CBS, 8:00 PM ET) ….. Buffalo helps Indianapolis open its new 63,000-seat Lucas Oil Stadium (Sunday, August 24, NFL Network, 8:00 PM ET) ….. And two more division winners meet when Seattle travels to San Diego. The Seahawks will be priming new RB Julius Jones (Monday, August 25, ESPN, 8:00 PM ET).

WEEK 4: The national TV schedule concludes with another matchup of playoff teams as Washington prepares to kick off the season and new Jacksonville WR Jerry Porter gets his final tune-up (Thursday, August 28, NBC, 7:00 PM ET).

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL’s Preseason National Television Schedule Features Every ‘07 Playoff Team