Drew Brees on track to set NFL single-season record for completion percentage

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There's a good chance New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees won't lead the NFL in passing yards for a fourth consecutive season. Instead, as the Saints have leaned on a more balanced offense, Brees has enjoyed an efficient year that could see him break the record for single-season completion percentage.

Through 13 games in 2017, Brees has completed 71.72 percent of his passes, which would surpass Sam Bradford's record of 71.56 percent from 2016 with the Minnesota Vikings.

Brees has been close to Bradford's record for much of the year, and after completing 73.9 percent the past two weeks, Brees has pushed ahead of Bradford's mark.

If Brees sets the record, he'd be taking back what had been his for seven years. In 2009, he set a record at 70.62 percent, breaking Ken Anderson's mark of 70.55 percent from 1982 with the Cincinnati Bengals. Brees then broke his own record in 2011 by completing 71.23 percent of his passes.

Brees had the top two marks in NFL history until last year when Bradford passed him, but there's a good chance Bradford's record will last just one year.

When asked last week about possibly setting the record, Brees simply shook his head and shrugged. He's not thinking about making individual history right now because his mind is on winning to ensure the Saints return to the postseason for the first time since 2013.

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"Right now, that's the number one thing," Brees said when asked if winning was the focus.

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Brees currently holds the league record in career completion percentage at 66.9 percent, too, and barring a three-game stretch of inaccuracy, his mark this year will give him three of the top four percentages for a single season, whether he break's Bradford's record or not.

Brees hasn't produced at his typical volume this year because the Saints have run the ball more, but he's had an incredibly efficient season.

His 104.2 passer rating ranks third in the NFL and would be his highest since 2013. His touchdown-to-interception ratio of 3.2 to 1 -- 19 touchdowns, six interceptions -- is the best it's been since 2013, and his 8.1 yards per attempt are his highest since 2011.

Sure, Brees isn't leading the NFL in passing yards, which he did in five of the past six seasons, but his efficiency has been a key reason for the Saints' 9-4 record that has them leading the NFC South. Brees' 3,569 passing yards rank fifth this year, and he's 296 yards behind league-leader Tom Brady.

Saints coach Sean Payton praised Brees' preparation as a reason for his high completion percentage and noted that the improved run-pass balance has probably played a role in the quarterback's record pace.

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"I would say the commitment to the details of what we do each week," Payton said. "That's kind of been something that hasn't changed since he's been here. He takes care of himself, his preparation, all of the above."

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