Drew Brees hasn’t been his best, but the Saints are 1-2 for other reasons

Do your job!

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton says it to his players all the time.

In fact, team officials hung a ginormous photo in their indoor practice facility bearing those three little words and Payton’s larger-than-life mug in 2012 when he had to serve a season-long suspension for his alleged role in Bounty gate.

After three games, after an embarrassing 1-2 start, suffice it to say not enough players (other than running back Alvin Kamara) are doing their jobs well enough to make a difference.

Certainly not well enough to win the NFC — heck, maybe not even the NFC South — and play for a second Lombardi Trophy.

After all, that’s the whole reason for playing the COVID-19 2020 season, presumably the last in quarterback Drew Brees’ stellar NFL career. You know Super Bowl or Bust and all that jazz!

If the Saints don’t get their act together AS A TEAM, beginning Sunday against the Detroit Lions at empty Ford Field (noon, Fox), their first quarter of the season will go down as an unmitigated disaster.

The Saints are favored (by 4), just as they have been favored against Tampa Bay (-4, win), Las Vegas (-3, loss) and Green Bay (-3 1/2, loss). The Lions (1-2) are coming off a 26-23 road win against the previously unbeaten Arizona Cardinals.

New Orleans may get a boost if injured starters Michael Thomas (high ankle sprain) and defensive end Marcus Davenport (elbow) are cleared to play.

But even if one or both can’t play, those who can still must make a difference.

Heading into this season, I liked the Saints chances to win Super Bowl LV because of their quality, veteran-laden roster. I felt then, and I still do, that the Saints have one of the deepest rosters from top to bottom in the NFL and an experienced, proven coaching staff to boot.

Look at how the Saints performed last season when Brees went down with a bum thumb on his throwing hand for five games. Backup Teddy Bridgewater moved under center and the Saints didn’t miss a beat, winning all five games and staying on track to win the NFC.

Yes, Bridgewater acquitted himself well. But the Saints didn’t go 5-0 because of him. All three phases contributed mightily, knowing they had to pick up the slack in Brees’ absence.

I don’t see that same team effort or team mindset in the absence of Thomas and Davenport. And No. 9 is under center.

Brees has come under intense media scrutiny because he hasn’t displayed the same Hall of Fame caliber-play that we are accustomed to seeing, perhaps because his safety net is missing (Thomas) and perhaps because of the physical limitations that go along with being 41.

Whatever the reason, the Saints played better as a team for the five games without Brees last season than they currently are without Thomas.

It seemed a fair fight Sunday night.

The Saints were missing their star receiver (Thomas) and the Packers were missing theirs (Davonte Adams). The Saints were missing a key defensive lineman (rush end Davenport) and so were the Packers (tackle Kenny Clark).

The Packers prevailed in a mostly lifeless Mercedes-Benz Superdome, winning 37-30 against an underperforming home team that leads the NFL with 24 penalties for 331 yards and is yielding 31.3 points per game.

I’d like to add a little punch to Payton’s aforementioned exhortation:

To his players, I say Earn Your Money!