TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans don't have to look very far Sunday to find defensive tackle Gerald McCoy's source of inspiration -- and also his nemesis. Both are wrapped up in the 6-foot-0, 209-pound, 38-year-old body of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, whom McCoy affectionately calls a "mutant" and also a close friend.
The "mutant" part is the one that gets under McCoy's skin when they're training together in San Diego -- which they've done the last eight offseasons -- and in games. Brees is gifted not only athletically but mentally too, with his ability to manipulate defenses with his eyes and dissect them with surgical precision.