Drew Brees weighs in on the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line's impact on Patrick Mahomes

USA Today

8 hours ago

This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees about his partnership with Jimmy John's, creating his personalized sandwich, The Brees #9, and shared his thoughts on the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line impacting Patrick Mahomes.
"Well, first off, there's a lot of history there. So I grew up in Texas and went to Purdue University to play football and get a great education in 1997. I was probably ordering Jimmy John's to my dorm room about three times a week my freshman year." said Brees, "I was always amazed that even at like three in the morning, I could dial up Jimmy John's The next thing I know, some guy would come riding up in a bicycle about 15 minutes later with this perfect number nine sandwich, which is called the Italian nightclub. It's salami, capicola, ham, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and then, like this, basil, oregano mix. It was the greatest bite of food ever."
Like everyone in the football world, Brees witnessed the outcome of the Chiefs' loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. He shared his thoughts on the impact of the offensive and defensive lines on a game plan.
"The game is won and lost in the trenches, so it's with the O-Line, with the D-Line, and their ability to pressure the quarterback and affect the run game. I mean, for a quarterback, you need a run game to create some balance, which, in large part, is that front five linemen plus a tight end, who are moving guys off the ball and creating lanes for the runners." said Brees, "In the passing game, one little breakdown up front can affect your opportunity to make a big player not make a big play down the field. Those are the differences in the game. It's usually when high-level teams are playing against each other. It's two or three games, two or three plays in the game that make the difference, I mean, with a guy like (Patrick) Mahomes, he can make everybody look good, I mean, there's plenty of times where I'm watching the tape and guys come free. He's making a miss, doing something to extend the play, keeping the drive alive, or making a big play, and you're like, Okay, that was just Mahomes being Mahomes. But at the end of the day, it's a team game, and that offensive line is so crucial in regards to the success of the quarterback and just the overall comfort level."
Due to Philadelphia's pressure, Mahomes was sacked six times in Super Bowl LIX and committed turnovers. Brees detailed the mindset of a quarterback when faced with pressure in the pocket.
Plenty of times, too, when all of a sudden, if the D-Lines get after you or you're having breakdowns up front, it certainly works into your thought process, and you begin to speed up a little bit. You start to think, Hey, I gotta get the ball out," said Brees, "so that can affect many things. It can affect how the play caller handles the game, too. Hey, I'm just unable to dial up certain things because we can't protect. But look at the Eagles' front, which was outstanding during the Super Bowl. I don't think it's anything against the Chiefs' front. I think it's more so that they were outstanding on the other side of the ball. But yeah, that game got away from them."
Fans can order The Brees #9, Drew's personal Jimmy John's go-to order, for the first time. Available for a limited time through August 31st, the order supports Jimmy John's Foundation, benefiting Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Brees Dream Foundation.