New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is renown for his fiery pregame rallying cries with his teammates. But he took the pregame speech to the next level before today’s NFC Championship Game. Prior to the game against the Rams, we got a great view of Brees from inside the huddle. Brees paced around, staring down his teammates before giving them one of his most impassioned speeches in recent memory. You can take a look at the video here: The Saints are in the NFC Championship Game for the first time since they hosted the Minnesota Vikings in the 2009 season. Led by Brees, New Orleans went on to win that game in overtime and later beat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. The 2018 Saints have similarly gotten this far in the playoffs thanks to another big year from Brees. Despite averaging his lowest yards per game total since joining the Saints in 2006, Brees set another NFL record for completion percentage, shattering his own previous NFL record with 74.4-percent of his passes completed. He set a new career-high in passer rating with a league-leading 115.7. His 1.0-percent interception rate was also the lowest of his career. The game is being played on FOX.<doc-sep>​We already know that New Orleans Saints quarterback ​Drew Brees can be very lethal with his arm. Now we've learned he also has a talent as a motivational speaker. Prior to the Saints' ​20-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles that advanced them to the NFC Championship game, Brees pumped up his teammates with an inspiring speech fitting of his legendary status. ​​Between Brees' oration and head coach ​Sean Payton's particular method of inspiring the team, it's not surprising to see that the Saints won the game. The team did a great job recovering from a slow start, coming back from a 14-0 deficit to win the game. It also doesn't hurt that the Saints have one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. The win was a good early birthday present for Brees, too. In 2006, Drew Brees suffered a devastating shoulder injury and wasn’t sure if he’d ever play again. Today, he turns 40 with the most passing yards in NFL history. pic.twitter.com/r1wsdeaQkb — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 15, 2019 ​​Having played in the NFL for a long, long time, Brees certainly has a ton of experience in each of the three stages of the game he discussed. He competed and emerged victorious in Super Bowl XLIV, and is statistically the most lethal quarterback in the history of football in addition to throwing for the most passing yards of all time. Indeed, there are few words that would seem to pin down his game more precisely than "lethal."<doc-sep>Happy birthday to Drew Brees on Tuesday, who turns 40 ahead of an NFC Championship matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The QB is already a legend for a variety of reasons, and one of them is delivering fiery pre-game pump-up speeches to the Saints. The one he gave before New Orleans took down the Philadelphia Eagles is as good as any he’s ever given: “There are three stages to this game: You play, you compete, and (you’re) lethal). You play because you love this game, you love the game of football. Then you start learning the fundamentals. You start learning technique. You start learning how to compete and how to win. Now, the third stage? Not everybody gets to the first stage. Not everybody gets to be lethal. But when you get a group of guys, a team like this, that loves one another, that plays for one another, that’s lethal.” Here’s a compilation of some his best speeches to remind you how good he is at them:<doc-sep>On the controversy surrounding the third-and-ten play on New Orleans' final full drive of regulation today: "Yea, that's tough to swallow. I think there were plenty of times throughout the season there's calls that go against you, go for you, or they miss, or they didn't. Obviously in a situation like that where it seemed like everybody in the world saw it, it's tough." On a lingering feeling going into overtime: "No, it didn't, it didn't. Listen, you're going to play ball. Just like you would throughout the season when something like that happens, whether it goes your way or doesn't. You move on to the next play. You can't let it bother you. So it had no bearing in overtime. At least not for me." On interception being his last play of the season: "It's tough. I thought we had a chance to go down and get points, get a touchdown." On playing for the fans and the team this season: "We love the Who Dat nation. We love the city of New Orleans. We love being able to play for them because that is what we do. We play for them. They provide such an unbelievable atmosphere here within the Dome. This Dome symbolizes a lot more than just football and there's a great connection there. We love our fans and they were awesome today. They have been awesome every year since I've been here. (They are the) Best fans in professional sports." On the endings in both last season in the playoffs and this season driving the team forward: "It has to drive you. Let's dive into this game some more. There were plenty opportunities for us offensively that we did not take advantage of. It was a hard fought game on both sides, credit to them. They're a great team, with a great staff, and so we knew this was going to be a battle. We knew it was going to come down to the wire. We felt like there were some more plays that we could have made. So regardless of the call or no call, I felt like there were other opportunities for us that I wish we could've taken advantage of." On pressure on the offensive line: "They are a great pass rushing team, so they are going to get after you at times. You just want to be able to avoid negative plays, right? You want to get the ball out, get completions, positive plays, move the ball, and move the chains. Unfortunately, you get hit and the ball flying up in the air is a tough way to give the ball back to them in overtime." On difference in officials taking it away rather than a team: "You feel like that was something out of your control. And I like to focus on the things I can control. There were plenty of things that I have rehearsed the game in my mind that could (have) kept a drive alive here, or could have got points here. There are always those moments after a game, win or lose, where you felt like there was some opportunities. A game like this every one of those would have counted." On field goals in first two drives: "It's not like we were inside the five (yard line). I felt we got a good drive, getting points, which was good. After getting the turnover, I think it was three plays, and then we kicked a field goal. We would have liked to get something going there, kind of closer, potentially gotten a touchdown. Credit to their defense." On digesting the controversy surrounding the third-and-ten play on New Orleans' last full drive of regulation: "That's a good question. There's nothing we can do about it. So it's unfortunate." On the environment on the field after that: "I have to focus on my job and focus on the things that I can control. When something like that happens, it is on to the next play. Defense is going out there to try and stop them. Now obviously the game is overtime, and now we get the ball, let's go down and do something with it." On if there were any momentum shifts during the game: "It was back and forth. I never felt like it was. We jumped out 13 nothing and so we got the momentum at that moment. It was hard fought after that, hard fought, back and forth." On if he was impressed by Jared Goff's poise: "They played well. They played well." *On the most special part of this year's team: *"(There were) So many parts. Just the way we were able to come together. Bringing in some new guys, both from the draft and free agency that played critical roles for our team. Their productivity and their leadership, and their put-togetherness. We like to work and we like to have fun. We had a ton of fun this year. It stings right now and it will probably for a while. But as we look back on the 2018 New Orleans Saints, it was a special team, it was a special year. It's hard right now." On if turning 40 years old, not knowing how many more chances are left makes the loss harder: "Yes it does." On feeling positive for a return to the Saints: "I feel pretty positive." On Benjamin Watson and the close of his career: "That's one of the more sad parts about today for me. An incredible teammate he's been. A leader. A mentor. A friend. Really unfortunate. He was sick earlier in the week, and it looked like appendicitis. And trying to put together a game plan and not knowing if he's up or down. It just played out that way. We were all locked in on practice and putting together the best plan we can. It would have been great to have him out there with us." On if they guarded Michael Thomas differently: "There were some differences. Some times when he was getting doubled. They were playing more zone now than when we played the first time.<doc-sep>
Drew Brees' pre-game motivational speech is right out of Any Given Sunday At 40 years of age, Drew Brees is still as hungry and as hellbent as ever The New Orleans Saints haven't been to the Super Bowl since 2010 but their legendary quarterback who brought them to history then is intent on giving them another bow on one of the biggest stages in the world. On Sunday night, the Saints host the Los Angeles Rams for a place in Atlanta after a second half of grit and character saw them slug it out over the Eagles in the Divisional Round and win 20-14, keeping the opposition scoreless for the final two quarters. Brees was typically instrumental, pushing team mates into positions they weren't even looking at and dragging the Saints up the pitch like clockwork. And his 18 years as an NFL player have helped accumulate enough experience for the iconic number nine that he can not only say that he's been there and done that, but he can give it straight in a huddle about what he sees now. And he sees a winning team that can go to a level not many can go to. It all came out in his inspiring speech just before the first drive at the weekend. "Hey, listen to me now! "There's three stages to this game. You play, you compete and lethal. "When you're a kid, you play. You play because you love this game. You love the game of football. "Then you tarted learning fundamentals. You started learning technique. You started learning how to compete. And how to win. "Then the third stage... not everybody gets to the third stage. Not everybody gets to be lethal. "But when you get a group of guys, a team like this that love one another, that play for one another... that's lethal. "When you go into every game and know that you got a chance to win - no matter what the circumstances, you will find a way to win - that's lethal! "All season long we played. We competed. "And tonight? We are lethal!" Check it out below. He had Michael Thomas hanging off his every word and the pair formed an unbreakable connection that was a consistent supply line for the Saints all night. Thomas has been absolutely brilliant again this season and, on Sunday night he clocked up another 12 receptions totalling a crazy 171 yards as Brees sought out his reliable wide receiver time and time again. After the game, Thomas was still pumped, maybe with his captain's lethal words still ringing through his ears. But as much of a winner as Brees is, he's still a touch of genuine class 'til the end too.