Metairie, La. — After earning the top seed in the NFC playoffs, the Saints now find themselves one win away from the Super Bowl. The talent and will to win on this team is undeniable, and when you throw-in an unparalleled work ethic on top of that, it’s not really a surprise they’re in this situation.
On the offensive side of the ball, Drew Brees has long set the bar for intensity and thorough preparation, but he’s said numerous times this season how impressed he is with the work ethic of his top receiver, Michael Thomas.
“You turn on the tape and watch him,” Brees said, “and whether you’re a football professional– a coach or a player or somebody who really knows the game– or a member of the media or a fan. Look at the numbers. Look at the results. I can tell you as his teammate, as his quarterback, there’s not a guy who prepares harder, works harder in practice. What you see on game day is what we see every day– in the locker room, on the practice field. Every rep is a Super Bowl rep to Michael Thomas. And that’s why he just continues to improve and improve. He’s visualized himself being in this situation before any of us even saw it.”
But does Thomas prepare harder or bring more intensity than his quarterback? Brees stopped short of saying he’s getting out-prepared or out-hustled at practice.
“It’s two different positions obviously,” Brees said. “I would say our sense of urgency is very much the same. Every rep, I try to visualize as a game rep, a Super Bowl rep, a win the game on this rep. And he takes the same approach. When we’re able to practice like that. I feel like it carries over to the game.”