Ex-Colts Star Fires Back at Drew Brees After Former QB Criticizes Eagles’ Jalen Hurts & Co.

There’s rarely consensus in the NFL on how football should be played, and Drew Brees recently stirred the pot by questioning the excitement of the Philadelphia Eagles’ run-first approach. To be precise, calling it “Boring.”

With the team already under scrutiny for the tush-push controversy, his comments drew sharp reactions.

Former Colts center Jeff Saturday didn’t hold back on ESPN’s Get Up, defending Philadelphia’s strategy. “A quarterback saying that running the ball is not fun to watch… they have won 19 to 20 games doing it a certain way, and a Super Bowl by the way, in the mix of all this, and you’re gonna call it boring? I guess winning is boring. But I like watching boring, and I love to watch offensive line play, which is much more impressive to me,” Saturday said.

While quarterbacks often prefer wide-open passing attacks, the Eagles’ heavy reliance on their dominant offensive line and ground game is both effective and engaging for fans who appreciate the trenches.

Through three games in 2025, Philadelphia has run the ball 99 times versus 77 pass attempts, leading the league in rushing play percentage at 54.1% while ranking last in pass-play percentage at 45.9%.

Jeff Saturday’s pushback on Drew Brees didn’t stop with the Eagles. He brought up old scars from Super Bowl XLIV, where his Colts fell to Brees’ Saints.

“Sydney slants and checks down Charlie, and all of a sudden, we just act. We’re airing it out. I think they completed like 27 passes, in two yards or less. That’s the same as running the ball, Drew,” Saturday said, still salty about that loss.

He then broke down the numbers. Philadelphia’s passing game is averaging 159.7 yards per contest on a 71.4% completion rate, while their ground attack is churning out 122 yards per game across 99 carries. The balance, to Saturday, mirrors what the Saints once did—only the Eagles lean heavier into physicality at the line of scrimmage.

Drawing from his own playing days, Saturday argued that short passes and screens function like an extension of the run game. What separates Philadelphia, he added, is their ability to dominate in the trenches, giving the old-school formula a modern punch.

His fiery response underscores the broader league debate: does style matter, or do wins speak for themselves? For Saturday, there’s beauty in brute force, even if it doesn’t always look like the highlight-reel passing clinics quarterbacks like Brees prefer.

Brees finds the Eagles impressive yet boring

Drew Brees sparked fresh debate this week by criticizing the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive style despite acknowledging their winning record. During his appearance on ESPN’s First Take, where he will now serve as a weekly NFL analyst, Brees discussed the Philadelphia Eagles and offered some unexpected criticism.

The former Saints quarterback said, “I respect Philly. They are winning games.. I can’t stand to watch that offense. It’s the most boring offense.”

His remarks coincide with Philadelphia’s offense’s ongoing impressive steadiness. The Eagles have won all 17 of the games that Jalen Hurts has started and finished as quarterback.

The “boring” tag stems from Kevin Patullo’s conservative approach.

Hurts managed just 152 passing yards in Week 1 and dipped to 101 in Week 2, numbers that hardly reflect the talent around him. Even A.J. Brown has urged for more aggression in the game plan.

Through first 3 games, Hurts has only 77 passing attempts. This puts him 26th among quarterbacks. Yet when finally given the green light against the Los Angeles Rams, he responded with 226 yards and three touchdowns in the comeback win.

That contrast fuels the debate.