New Orleans has a magical way of creating perfect combinations. Red beans and rice. Shrimp and grits. Payton and Brees. As the city was rebuilding following Hurricane Katrina, Sean Payton arrived in 2006 as a relative unknown, a first-time NFL head coach tasked with resurrecting a New Orleans Saints team that had just finished 3-13. Two months after Payton was hired, the Saints signed a free agent quarterback who was cast aside by the San Diego Chargers after sustaining a severe shoulder injury. His name was Drew Brees. Together, these two underdogs joined forces and transformed the Saints from laughingstock to juggernaut. Payton overhauled the organization at every level and weeded out the non-believers. His bold, aggressive, take-no-prisoners play-calling proved the perfect match for Brees, who threw a league-leading and franchise record 4,418 passing yards as the Saints advanced to the NFC championship game. Three seasons later, the Saints were Super Bowl champions, defeating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV. And that success has continued into its third decade, as Brees surpassed Peyton Manning to set the NFL's all-time touchdown record in 2019, and the Saints won their sixth division title of the Payton-Brees era. In Payton and Brees, longtime Saints insider Jeff Duncan tells the compelling story of Payton and Brees's unique symbiotic relationship. A rare, behind the scenes look at the Saints over more than 14 seasons, Payton and Brees is the definitive account of how this dynamic duo transformed a team, a city, and the game of football.
