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Was this a good change of pace to face another team out here?

Brees: "It's always fun. You kind of get that excited feeling the night before, almost feel like it's a game-type atmosphere because there is some unexpectedness. We're back at our home facility and that's nice. Being able to step out on these fields – which look as good as they've ever looked – is nice. It's nice to be back in New Orleans and to be able to come and be able to compete against another team."

What is your goal for the first-team offense for the game Saturday?

Brees: "We know it's only going to get tougher from here. That was the first preseason game and everybody was kind of working out the kinks. As we get into more of these preseason games, more of the offense is installed and more of the defense is installed and you'll probably see some more looks that might give you problems that you might want to take a look at. It's really kind of 'expect the unexpected'. We've installed our base stuff and we feel like we know it pretty well. We just want to come out here and whatever they throw at us, we feel like we should be able to combat with what we've been taught."

How crisp was the offense in the 11-on-11s this morning?

Brees: "I thought it was fine. I'll need to take a look at the film to see the protection and how we match up outside and that sort of thing, but I know we threw a lot of completions. We had a lot of guys getting separation and getting open and that's always a good thing. We got the ball out on time and we certainly want to play fast and be efficient."

Some NFL quarterbacks get a "dead arm" late in camp. Do you worry about that this time of year?

Brees: "I have a good maintenance program. You have to take care of it; you can't just come out here and throw a couple hundred balls and then go to sleep. I do my stuff in the weight room, I ice my arm – I do all those things. I have a good maintenance program to take care of my arm so that when I come out here that each day during camp, I feel like it's getting stronger. I feel like I'm not fighting fatigue but that my arm is getting stronger throughout the season."

How many throws do you think you make a day during training camp?

Brees: "We counted it two years ago when I was on that pitch count and I was throwing probably anywhere from 60 to 80 a practice. You're talking about around 150 balls a day."

Is that cut in half during the season?

Brees: "I wouldn't say that because practices become a little longer during the season since you're only going once a day. Plus you're doing extra work on the side and this and that, so I'd say that it's around 75 to 100 during the season."

Will the goatee stay for the foreseeable future?

Brees: "It was kind of a camp thing but it has made its way back to New Orleans and we'll see. My wife thinks it's alright for now, so I guess it will stay."

When you have a combined practice, is the goal to have a good tempo and complete passes?

Brees: "That's what we want. We want to look sharp. I think all of us have enough pride to where when we step off the practice field we want to feel like we got better. The thought is that you're always getting better or you're getting worse – you're never staying the same. We always want to walk off the field feeling like we've accomplished something and I feel like we can walk off the field today saying that we did get better."

What have you seen out of Mark Campbell in camp so far?

Brees: "There's not a guy that I'm more happy for than Mark Campbell right now. Fighting through that injury last year really puts things in perspective. When you feel like your career might be threatened – a back injury for a tight end who is late in his career – and Mark has fought so hard to come back from that. He looks as good now as I've ever seen him and I've heard that comment made by several people that knew him as a younger player too. I'm happy for Mark and he's doing a great job. I think he's a big part of the spirit and the energy of this team."

Did you cringe the first time you saw him go up high for a catch in the game?

Brees: "You never want to lay a guy out to dry – and I wasn't doing that in that situation. Anytime you're going up in a crowd of people to catch a ball, you always hope that he comes down with it. I had seen him do it a few times in practice so it's not like it was the first time. You see him catch it, you see him fall hard and then pop back up for the next one and you say, 'OK, he's good'."

Did you notice Mario Williams and his pass rush at all during the drills today?

Brees: "I felt him, but you just step up and avoid and do all those things that you've done all those things that you've done your entire life when guys are chasing you."

How significant was it to the guys in the locker room that Reggie Bush was such a part of the offseason program this year?

Brees: "He definitely made a point to be here and I felt that was important. Just for team camaraderie and so guys could actually see how hard he was working and know that he's paying the price; he's putting in what he wants to get out of it. I've definitely seen a change in Reggie; just in the level of focus and a calmness, knowing that he has put himself in the best position that he can to be the type of player that he wants to be."