The New Orleans Saints are entering uncharted waters. Starting quarterback Drew Brees, the longtime face of the franchise, is going to hit the sideline for at least six to eight weeks after he has surgery on his injured throwing hand. That puts lightly tested backup Teddy Bridgewater in the captain’s chair to see the Saints through the storm ahead of them.
It’s not something they’ve ever experienced. Brees has been an ironman with the Saints, missing just one game with an injury since signing with the team in 2006. He’s sat out a couple of meaningless Week 17 games, when the Saints were already secure in their playoff seeding, but that lone absence stands out.