Payton and Brees, стр. 17
In that regard, Marrone compared Payton and Brees to flight directors at a NASA Mission Control Center because of their leadership skills, authoritative knowledge of the offense, and inherent ability to command a room.
“They both know every single thing that’s going on,” Marrone said. “They can coach, correct, do everything. I mean they can speak to coaches, they can speak to each other, they can speak to the team. They’re great communicators and great leaders. It’s unique to have both your head coach and quarterback have all of these qualities in common. It’s very difficult to replicate that.”
It’s also difficult to find a pair as competitive as Payton and Brees. Both are famous around the Saints facility for turning everything into a competition. Brees and Payton routinely go at each other during the post-practice quarterback challenges waged daily between the Saints quarterbacks and offensive coaches. They have also taken their competitions outside the building to the golf course and baseball field.
“I’ve been around a lot of people now, and I don’t know if I’ve ever been around anyone as competitive as Drew Brees,” Marrone said. “Sean’s the same way. If I said, hey, I bet you I can take this penny and pitch it to this wall and get it closer to you. I’ll bet you $5. They’re ready to go. I mean at the drop of the hat, anytime, anywhere. They’re all in. It’s unbelievable.”
Yet, as competitive as they both are, Brees and Payton said they have never really experienced a major argument in their 14 years together. If Payton and Brees ever had a major falling-out, Saints coaches and players said they weren’t aware of it. Their disagreements have been reserved for play calls and in-game situations.
“There were moments during games where Sean would say, ‘All right, Drew, pick it up, body language,’” said former Saints backup quarterback Mark Brunell, recalling communications over his headset. “He would coach Drew and be firm with Drew, and Drew never got pissed off or disrespectful. He understood the pecking order there, who was an authority, who was the head coach and who was the player.
“I was impressed with Drew’s ability to handle that and understand that as good as he is, he still needs to be coached. And I was also impressed with Sean understanding, ‘Hey, listen, I’m the guy around here. I’m the head coach, and if I feel my star quarterback, my future Hall-of-Fame quarterback needs to get his ass yelled at a little bit, then I’m going to do it.’”
Payton’s background as a quarterback allows him to understand Brees on another level than most coaches. And Brees, being the grandson of a former coach and World War II veteran, has an abiding respect for organizational chain of command. He appreciates the coach-player dynamic and is a willing student of the game.
“There’s a mutual respect there,” Brees said. “Sean having played the quarterback position, there’s a perspective there. He knows what it was like to be in those shoes, and he respects that. And he understands that so much of playing the quarterback position is confidence, and so he is constantly doing things to bolster your confidence.”
That’s not to say Payton won’t jump Brees during a game if he makes a mistake. Just like any other player on the roster, Brees will feel Payton’s wrath if he throws a silly interception or takes an ill-timed delay of game. But Brees said Payton has never yelled at him as vigorously as his first NFL coach, Marty Schottenheimer, did in San Diego.
“If I miss a throw or make the wrong read, I’ll look to the sideline and he’ll shake his call sheet and he’ll give me that face, like saying, ‘What are you doing?!’” Brees joked about Payton. “And listen, plenty of times [during games], the clock’s ticking down, and I’m wanting the play and it’s not coming in, and he’s getting it right back from me. But there’s a respect between us.”
Over the years, Payton and Brees have brought out the best in one another. In Payton, Brees found a coach who instilled even more confidence in him than he already had, a football savant who saw and coached the game through a quarterback’s eyes. In Brees, Payton found a quarterback with the perfect combination of intelligence, athleticism, and talent to operate to his offense at the highest level of efficiency.
Brees was a good player in San Diego. He won 30 of 58 games as a starter and made the Pro Bowl in 2004. But under the tutelage of Payton, he blossomed into one of the game’s elite players, a perennial Pro Bowler and MVP candidate.
Too, Payton was a respected coordinator for the Giants and Cowboys. His offenses regularly ranked among the league’s top 5 through 15 in total offense and passing yards. But no one was calling him the league’s next great offensive mind until he joined forces with Brees.
“He’s very intelligent, and from a leadership standpoint and all the other things that go into playing that position, that’s something he’s very comfortable with, and something he’s done successfully for a long time,” Payton said. “He’s played extremely well for us and been such a staple in everything we’ve done. He’s a big reason why we’ve achieved what we have so far.”
For Saints players and coaches, especially those who have been with other teams, the relationship between Brees and Payton is special. They marvel at their like-minded, almost telepathic connection during games. They’ve worked together so long they can often finish each other’s thoughts during film study. Over the years, their minds seemingly have melded into one.
“That relationship may be as good as I’ve ever seen,” Carmichael said. “They’re two similar people. They believe in themselves. They love challenges; that’s what drives them. They have an inner drive to win. Both of their brains are always