National Football League

Saints at Lions: Teachers vs. Students, Brees vs. Stafford

Published Oct. 13, 2014 11:15 a.m. ET

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Sunday in Detroit, two gun slinging No. 9's will command opposing but remarkably similar offenses as the Saints take on the Lions.

The Lions' offensive package can be up to a 90% mirror image of what the Saints run, largely because of new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, New Orleans' former quarterbacks coach from 2009-2013.

Lombardi cut his NFL coaching teeth under the direction of the Saints head coach Sean Payton and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael starting in 2007 as an offensive assistant. Lombardi still considers both men to be special mentors and close friends.

Payton sent Lombardi a congratulatory text when the Lions beat the New York Giants on Monday Night Football to start the season. Lombardi and Carmichael still speak weekly.

When one's job is to coach Brees, the argument could be made that person doesn't have the most demanding workload. Lombardi spent much of his time in the Crescent City soaking up how Brees, Payton and Carmichael run a winning offense.

Lombardi is an expert in the art of how Brees prepares, mentally and physically. He's used that framework to construct his first offense this year in Detroit.

Some of the tools Lombardi has to work with only further the notion of drawing parallels between these two systems.

The Saints former Super Bowl champion running back Reggie Bush is now a key piece in Lombardi's Detroit system.

Quarterback Matt Stafford's cannon-like arm is more powerful than Brees' arm, but Stafford lacks Brees' accuracy and decision making skills, at least so far. Lombardi is working on it though.

The 43-year old coordinator puts Stafford through daily foot drills to increase mobility in the pocket.

The younger No. 9 also tells me that Lombardi has had him study so many cut ups of Brees at work, that Stafford sees the older No. 9 in his dreams.

Yes Joe Lombardi is the grandson of legend Vince Lombardi. Clearly, Joe Lombardi has a wealth of experience to draw from, as well as keen instincts and raw talent. The protege is now trying to define himself though, as he stands on his own two feet on Jim Caldwell's team.

Sunday, the students - Lombardi and Stafford - will challenge their teachers in a game both teams crave in their quests to keep playoff hopes alive.

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