A quick review of the continuing progression of Drew Brees as an NFL quarterback: In a 34-10 victory last night against the dismal Raiders, whom Brees dominates the way Apple does the portable music market, he passed for 160 yards.
It's a slight number with mammoth substance.
Brees is no longer that darned little kid who keeps touching the hot stove, even when he knows it could earn him a morning appointment at the Center for Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery. He is instead the older sibling who has learned from past missteps with household appliances, or in this case a quarterback rating so poor it sat on the wrong side of 40.
In beating the Raiders again – for five straight games now, Brees has found more holes in the Raiders' pass defense than you might at a Dreesen's factory – he exhibited the one skill any quarterback with aspirations of greatness must own.
K.C. ALFRED / Union-Tribune
A week after compiling a career-low quarterback rating, Drew Brees raised his game - and rating - considerably against the Raiders
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The guy can forget with the best of them.
Just last week at Washington, Brees had one of his worst performances as a starter. He threw 44 passes and completed 22 for 215 yards. No touchdowns. Three picks. A rating of 35.7. Bailed out by the extraordinary LaDainian Tomlinson.
"What NFL quarterback ever plays a perfect game?" wondered the ever-so-perceptive fullback Lorenzo Neal. "Earlier in the season, people were even talking about how Peyton Manning wasn't scoring enough. That's football. You're not going to dominate.
"Drew is our leader. He's a pro and a pro bounces back. He found a rhythm tonight and played better than last week. He always dares to be better and wants to be great. He's just a mature quarterback. He has a presence. An aura. He's a household name now and his ability to lead showed through again."
In a manner so methodical, so systematic, it almost lulled you to sleep. Which would have been a far better fate – not to mention a more exciting one – than actually having to watch Oakland.
The Raiders, bless their pathetic 4-8 souls, were obviously good soldiers this week and watched film of Brees against the Redskins. They figured another season had long ago been flushed away and what with Daylight Savings time cutting into their afternoon tee times, why not just duplicate Washington's gameplan. So they did.
They brought consistent pressure up front and played soft coverages underneath and refused Brees any deep options. They touched the stove over and over and got burned for it.
Brees completed 17-of-22 and was 13-of-14 between the second and third quarters. His longest completion was for 27 yards. He threw two TDs and no interceptions. His rating: A robust 127.1.
He is on pace to join Dan Fouts as the only quarterbacks in team history to pass for more than 3,500 yards in a season. More important, the Chargers are now 14-1 over two seasons when Brees' passes find the end zone more than an opponent's hands.
"I knew last week I got a little greedy with things and tried to make the big play that wasn't there," he said. "I had to remember just to take what the (Raiders) gave me and move the chains. That's what this is all about. Situational football. Get to the red zone. Score touchdowns.
"We knew after the first drive how they would play us. So we just moved down the field, took a lot of time off the clock, ended up with touchdowns and got our defense back out there with a lot of rest ... It's the Chargers-Raiders game. Both sides really get up for it. It has been a game we have been able to win. If we go out and execute, then we should get this result."
The only thing more surprising than Brees having superlative numbers against the Raiders is the fact Oakland played 60 minutes with no enforced penalties. Oakland draws yellow flags like Brad Pitt does paparazzi.
It also has appeared more than feeble when defending Brees. In his previous games against those silver helmets, the quarterback had completed 64 percent of his attempts. Last season against them here, he was a Ps2-like 22-of-25.
"You're developing as a player every week in the NFL," said Chargers wide receiver Eric Parker. "You either get better or worse. No one stays the same. But when you have a (down week), that's why you have 10 other guys on the field with you."
Said head coach Marty Schottenheimer: "I thought (Brees) played well. The only thing that matters to a quarterback when you evaluate him is coming away with W's."
Brees got another one last night. Another one against the dismal Raiders.
Has 160 passing yards ever looked so good?
Ed Graney: (619) 293-2203; ed.graney@uniontrib.com
