Drew Brees certainly has a great deal of credibility when it comes to playing the quarterback position in the NFL. He’s one of the best to ever do it, after all.

The New Orleans Saints great was keeping a close eye on his former team as they took on the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass., on Sunday during Week 3 action in the NFL. But he was also keeping tabs on rookie quarterback Mac Jones as the former Alabama star is still gaining his bearings at the professional level. Jones finished 30-of-51 for 270 yards while throwing a touchdown, but also tossed 3 interceptions in a 28-13 loss.

Still, count Brees as a fan of what he saw.

“I was impressed with the way Mac Jones played today,” Brees said on NBC’s “Football Night In America” on Sunday evening. “He stood in the pocket; he was poised. He looked in command and under control. You saw his eyes in the right place, throwing it to the right guy. Those guys just weren’t making plays for him.

“Give credit to the Saints defense. They got after him with [a] 4-man rush, with pressure, and guys just couldn’t get open down the field for him.”

We’ll next see how Jones does against his predecessor. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the Patriots on “Sunday Night Football” on Oct. 2, Brady’s first time facing his former team.