The Saints had the ball and their season in the hands of the man they trusted both with the most.

Only one problem: Drew Brees wasn’t the same Drew Brees this year as he has been since coming to New Orleans.

The pieces around him weren’t the same, either.

All fall, Brees struggled to get out of the way of rushers and turned the ball over far too many times. Many of those mistakes came at critical moments when victory hung in the balance.

So, it seems only fitting that Brees would turn the ball over not once but twice in the final three minutes Sunday when everything was in front of him and his Saints.

Down by only six despite being grossly outplayed by the Falcons, Brees and the Saints’ offense had the ball and a chance to salvage a long and mistake prone fall.

One drive and a division championship was theirs for the taking.

But his first throw on that drive was high and his next intercepted, leading to a game-clinching Falcons field goal.

Brees would fumble on the final play of the game just for icing on the cake.

Atlanta’s 30-14 victory, as the Falcons scored on that final fumble, along with a Carolina Panthers win moments later over Cleveland, leaves the Saints outside of the playoffs looking in.

This from a team expected to not only win the NFC South, but make a run at the Super Bowl.

With one game to play this season has come full circle. In the opener, the Saints blew a late lead then had a fumble in overtime that led to their first of what has been many defeats.

They have nobody to blame but themselves.

There were too many turnovers and too many late leads blown. 

In the offseason the front office made huge changes, saying they were making the team more playoff-ready. 

Talk was about running the ball more and an improved defense, even though last year’s club was fourth overall on that side of the football.

Saints’ brass proclaimed it a “remodeling”, not a rebuilding. At 6-9, it might be time to rethink that.

Even a near-touchdown return on the opening kickoff could not kick-start this team Sunday.

And it was their big-money guys who let them down.

Brees had three turnovers in all and tight end Jimmy Graham, who held out in the offseason before getting his big bucks, fumbled at the goal line. 

Money doesn’t guarantee making plays, let alone happiness.

As for that revamped defense, well it was good but only in spurts. Blown leads against the Falcons the first time around, Cleveland, Detroit and San Francisco killed the season. Four games that should have been put away instead slipped away. 

Winning one of those and the season would still be alive, two and the talk would be about the upcoming playoffs.

Those blown leads, and those key turnovers, where just too much to overcome.

Now, the focus will come on the future. 

Brees, who says he wants to play for years to come, isn’t getting any younger. It is important for the front office to understand that and make sure they give him the tools to win and win now before his window of playing for championships closes for good.

If we thought last year’s offseason was wild you get the feeling we haven’t seen anything compared to this one.

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Jim Gazzolo is managing sports editor. Email him at jgazzolo@americanpress.comNew Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton walks the sidelines in the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in New Orleans

Bill Haber