Did they laugh at Columbus when he set off to find a new world? Did they laugh at Leonardo da Vinci as he was painting the Sistine (NOT SIXTEENTH) Chapel? Was Ponce de Leon laughed at while he was doing whatever he did? Probably. Were the laughers all wrong? Probably, with the exception of Ponce de Leon because I’m still not sure what he did. So, with that in mind, please don’t laugh at me as I present my theory here-to.
I think the Saints will be a better team when Drew Brees returns. No. 9 will find a team strengthened by adversity and hardened by the challenge of facing their worst fear and overcoming it.
The Saints have gone 2-0 since Drew jammed his thumb in Los Angeles. I’m not about to start a Teddy Bridgewater “heir apparent, future of the Saints” debate here. All I’m saying is adversity brings people together. One will make up for another’s deficiency or make an already existing talent even better through team work. That’s not to say the Saints weren’t already a solid team. But I think Drew’s thumb could galvanize them even more.
My worst fear as a Saints fan was the thought of Drew being injured and the season going down the drain. I’m sure the team had concerns about that too. Well, it happened. We faced our fears, and we’re still alive. We’re 3-1 after the injury. I think it’s got a lot to do with the bonding nature of adversity. It brings us together. We help each other, forget grievances, and are all better as a result of it. I think that same dynamic will help the Saints.