| The gridiron equivalent of the chicken or the egg question was being
asked everywhere as Big Ten players and coaches met the media to kick off the 2000 season:
Has Drew Brees made Joe Tiller’s system or has Tiller’s system made Brees? For
the past two seasons, the Purdue quarterback has been the commander of Tiller’s
"spread ’em five and spread ’em wide pass-happy offense." The
Boilermakers racked up two bowl victories in those three years, while Brees broke nearly
every Big Ten season passing record. Last year, Brees finished fourth in the Heisman
Trophy balloting and positioned himself to be one of this year’s early favorites.
But as Brees enters his senior season as a top NFL draft prospect and Pro Football
Weekly’s top-rated quarterback prospect, scrutiny has intensified. No longer are
scouts and draftniks mesmerized by the numbers Brees has posted. Attention has turned to
Brees’ ability to adapt to the NFL offenses that offer fewer receiver options and
riskier pass attempts. Can a quarterback like Brees operate out of the framework of
Tiller’s system? Has the system been the sole determinant in Brees’ success?
The best answer to that question may have come from a game against Wisconsin in
’98. In that game, Brees set NCAA records in both passing attempts (83) and
completions (55). Brees wouldn’t have attempted 83 passes if the system hadn’t
called for it. But then the system didn’t complete 55 passes either – Brees did.
You can count Brees among the number of believers (which includes many in the NFL) that
the system has created the opportunity for the monster stats but hasn’t been the only
reason for his success.
"We wouldn’t be putting up such large numbers if I wasn’t throwing so
much," Brees said. "But then again, if you understood the route structure and
the way our offense is structured and the type of defense you have to go up against week
in an week out, I think people would have more respect for what we’re doing.
"But I guess there’s always going to be critics and people who say we’re
tailored toward the offense."
Brees’ outstanding mental capabilities are apparent in his knack for running an
offense that has become more complicated each year, if not each game. Five receivers mean
five routes to memorize. Five receivers mean two or three more receivers to check off in
progression scans with defensive linemen bearing down. Could any college quarterback
succeed in Purdue’s system? Not likely.
"I could put [oft-maligned ex-Wisconsin QB] Mike Samuel in that system and he
might complete four passes," said Badgers coach Barry Alvarez, who last season called
Brees the best quarterback in the country. "It’s execution, and I think
sometimes people get confused with that. If it was the system then everybody would have
the system."
So with the big question answered, what else can Brees bring to an NFL team? Start with
improvement. Brees threw 20 interceptions in ’98, prompting Tiller to remark that
he’d like to see his quarterback stop hitting the middle linebacker. Brees came back
in ’99 with only 12 interceptions. While he still forces some passes, Brees has
become more conservative, solving a problem that many college quarterbacks don’t
figure out until they struggle in the NFL. An intense competitor, Brees plays with
composure and never seems to be rushed when being flushed from the pocket.
"He knows where the pressure is coming from," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said.
"He knows where the coverage is going to be rolled. He makes great decisions."
Brees is a bit undersized for the NFL at 6-feet and 212 pounds but his intangibles
should help ease any doubts that scouts may have. Brees is often described as "the
son parents wish they had," an assertion that is validated by Brees’ 4.0 GPA in
the classroom last semester. While reporter after reporter asked Brees questions he’s
heard hundreds of times before, Brees answered each one politely and fully.
If he hasn’t done so already, this is the year for Brees to prove that he’s
not a mere cog in the system. It’s true that Brees still needs to show scouts a few
things come fall, namely more accurate passing and improved arm strength. Engineering a
big victory over a Big Ten opponent – something that Brees hasn’t done
consistently in his time in West Lafayette – wouldn’t hurt either. Such a
victory could help to erase the doubts that have clouded this preseason and bolster
Brees’ status as a top NFL prospect. |
