To further illustrate why I don't think Drew Brees' arm strength is the reason for the New Orleans Saints' struggles to get the ball downfield, I broke down some numbers from ESPN Stats & Information.

Brees has completed just 1 of 4 passes this season that traveled 38 yards or more in the air (including his underthrown interception to Robert Meachem last week, but also including a gorgeous 46-yard pass to Kenny Stills a week earlier).

That's not great, but it's not unusual. The entire NFL has completed a total of 29 such passes this season out of 93 attempts (31.2 percent).

In 2011, when Brees had one of the greatest passing seasons in NFL history, he completed 3 of 9 throws that traveled 38 yards or more in the air. In 2009, when they won a Super Bowl, he was 4 of 15.

It's not a good way to measure arm strength, since such throws are simply difficult to pull off in the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles' Nick Foles, for instance, is 1 of 12 on such throws this season. Only four quarterbacks have completed more than two of them this season (Kirk Cousins 4-of-7, Matthew Stafford 4-of-8, Tony Romo 3-of-6 and Brian Hoyer 3-of-7).

The bigger issue, as I wrote earlier Tuesday in my “Film Don't Lie" breakdown of the Saints' downfield passing game, is that the Saints have been unable to get the ball downfield consistently to their wide receivers from all distances.

And there are a number of reasons for it -- including Brees' lack of timing or placement on some of those downfield throws. He admitted he needs to get a better feel for those throws again. I just don't believe it's simply a matter of arm strength with Brees, who still has shown plenty of his usual zip on intermediate throws.