INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts and Saints are in the minority.

For nearly the entire past decade, neither franchise has had to fret over what kind of play they will get from the quarterback position.

For New Orleans, no quarterback in the NFL has put up the numbers that Drew Brees has since he became, arguably, the most significant free agent signing in NFL history back in 2006.

Listen to Saints head coach Sean Payton talk about Brees and it sounds like a certain Colts head coach speaking on his own franchise quarterback.

"There is not a day that goes by that you take that for granted or don't realize some of the things you're able to do is because of his skillset," Payton, who has spent a decade with Brees, said on Wednesday.

"All of what you see on the field would be things that you would appreciate and value very highly, and yet there are so many things off the field in regards to how he's driven, how he's motivated, how he prepares, how he leads, that are just as important."

Those words sound eerily similar to how Chuck Pagano describes Andrew Luck.

Brees and Luck have spent past Pro Bowls together and the two hold each other in high regard ahead of their first regular season game together.

"I've always admired Drew a lot," Luck said on Wednesday.

"Great guy, great quarterback, who's done it well for a long time. He's not the typical size of a quarterback. (Yet) he's an incredible passer of the football, accurate, great feet, obviously a winner. A lot to learn from him (for) any young quarterback, at any age. He's one of those guys that's a role model in the quarterback world."

Luck will see one of his role models on the opposite sideline Sunday in a state where Brees has some very fond memories.

Brees played at Purdue from 1997-2000, finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting during his senior campaign, while leading the Boilers to their second Rose Bowl appearance in school history.

Sunday will be the first time Brees has played back in Indiana since the 2007 NFL regular season opener.

The Lucas Oil Stadium debut for Brees this weekend will come with several of his friends and former collegiate teammates in the stands.

On the field, Brees is simply adding to his Hall of Fame resume in his 15th NFL season.

The personnel continues to change in New Orleans, yet Brees is still relying on offensive tempo to spread the ball around to his skill guys. The Saints are one of two teams in the NFL with five guys having at least 200 receiving yards this season.

Despite Brees rarely playing against the Colts, he is familiar with the defensive scheme this week. Brees and Colts defensive coordinator Greg Manusky were together in San Diego from 2002-2005.

This Sunday, the NFL's most accurate passer of all-time will be in a foreign stadium, but one filled with familiar faces.

It's a game that pits two of the league's finest signal callers on the same field and a duo that has the upmost admiration for each together.

"He's the total package," Brees says of Luck. "He's got all the physical tools and he's got all the intangible tools as well.

"In my times around him, he's got a great demeanor, great poise. He's a big-time player. I've seen him win a ton of big games and play really well doing it. He's got the opportunity to make big plays with his arm in the pocket and also running the football, which is a rare combination for a guy as big and strong as him---to be that athletic. He's just a competitor, so I respect a lot of things about him."