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Brooks must put stamp on Saints

Sporting News, The, Sept 27, 2004 by Brian Baldinger

When Deuce McAllister went out with a high ankle sprain early in last Sunday's game against the 49ers, the Saints were in trouble. They were left with no running game, and their defense was banged up. They needed quarterback Aaron Brooks to step up and be a leader.

And he did. He played a good, disciplined game, getting rid of the ball quickly and throwing accurately. He completed 25 of 34 passes for 279 yards and was not intercepted. Most important, he produced when the game was on the line. The Saints trailed, 27-23, when Brooks led a 59-yard drive that culminated in a 16-yard touchdown pass--his third of the day--to Donte' Stallworth with just over a minute left. On a day when the boo birds were out and the team could have folded, Brooks sparked an important victory.

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This is a quarterback who has been flying under the radar a bit. He had his best season in 2003, throwing 24 touchdown passes and only eight interceptions, but was largely unnoticed because the team was 8-8. He quietly has been putting up some pretty good numbers. He also is one of the league's most durable quarterbacks. He has played through various injuries while starting 55 straight games, a current streak surpassed only by Brett Favre and Peyton Manning.

Some aspects of Brooks' game still need work. He goes for the big play too often. When he's under pressure, he sometimes throws deep instead of looking for an easy completion underneath. He needs to get better at taking what the defense gives him. He also must become more disciplined in his drops. He has long legs--his three-step drop looks almost like a five-step drop for some quarterbacks--and he starts to drift to the point where his steps and drops sometimes don't match up with the length of the routes his receivers are running.

Perhaps the bigger issue is that Brooks never really has put his stamp on the Saints. This was McAllister's team a year ago, and New Orleans was searching for an identity in prior years. Now, with McAllister out for a while and the defense nursing injuries to several key players, Brooks must keep playing like he did against San Francisco and make this his team.

Brooks has an opportunity to carry the Saints. He needs to make the most of it.

Brian Baldinger, an offensive lineman for 12 NFL seasons, can be heard on Sporting News Radio and seen on FOX Sports. Listen online at radio.sportingnews.com.

Brooks must put stamp on Saints

Sporting News, The, Sept 27, 2004 by Brian Baldinger

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