The New Orleans Saints have confirmed they would like to re-sign Drew Brees.

"We want him to be our quarterback, and we'll get going on that at some point," Mickey Loomis said.

Loomis said there have yet to be any negotiations with Brees.

"We'll get to it," Loomis said. "I'm not anticipating any big issues, so we'll see."

At the end of the Saints' season, Brees said he wants to re-sign and is not preparing to entertain offers from rival teams.

The NFL's television ratings for the divisional round playoff games were down 16 percent compared to last season.

The weekend's four games averaged 30.43 million viewers, off from 36.22 million the year before, the Nielsen company said. 

Last year's games featured the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, which reached more than 48 million viewers.

While ratings were down, Saturday's game between the Patriots and Titans was only one million viewers behind the College Football Championship for the most watched program of the week.

Drew Brees doesn't plan on testing the free agent market, even if that means he will lose leverage in his next contract with the New Orleans Saints.

"I'm not in the mood to make anything secretive," Brees said with a laugh when asked about being chased down by the media for months with questions about his contract. "It's the same way I felt two days ago. It's the same way I felt 12 years ago. That is that I'll be here as long as they'll have me, hopefully."

Brees and the Saints last negotiated a one-year extension in September of 2016 in which he would be signed through 2017. Brees and the Saints didn't discuss an extension lsat offseason. The Saints cannot place the franchise tag on Brees, however, because of a clause in his current deal.

"We're just two days removed, so I really haven't given it a ton of thought -- other than, I know where my mindset's been the whole time, and that's that I'll be here," said Brees, who turned 39 on Monday.

Marcus Williams has vowed not to let one play define his career in the wake of the stunning end to Sunday's playoff game between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings.

The rookie safety missed a tackle, allowing Stefon Diggs to score on a historic 61-yard, walk-off touchdown catch.

Williams was hard on himself after the defeat and has been ridiculed on social media. He vowed "to never let that happen again. And, I mean, if it happens again, then I shouldn't be playing."

Drew Brees reiterated after Sunday's playoff loss that he expects to return to the New Orleans Saints.

Brees, 39, will be an unrestricted free agent and has a clause in his contract that forbids the Saints from using the franchise tag on him.

"I mean, I'm more toward the end of my career than the beginning, I know that," Brees said of the disappointment following the loss in regards to his future. "That's all I divulge [about how long I plan on playing]. But the season ends, and this one will sting, but I think you look back at the things we accomplished and some of the memories that were made and the relationships that were built and the way this team came together. It really leaves me excited for the future of Saints football."

The following shows the matchups of the NFL Divisional Round based on DVOA by Football Outsiders for the 2017 regular season with the Patriots, Saints, Vikings and Steelers ranking one through four in Weighted DVOA.

Based on the DVOA numbers, the Patriots/Titans game is the most lopsided while the Saints/Vikings matchup features the second and third best teams in the NFL.

(Offensive Rank, Defensive Rank, Weighted DVOA Rank)

NFC
- Falcons (9th, 18th, 12th) at Eagles (11th, 1st, 7th)

- Saints (2nd, 9th, 2nd) at Vikings (5th, 3rd, 3rd)

AFC
- Titans (21st, 17th, 18th) at Patriots (1st, 22nd, 1st)

- Jaguars (19th, 4th, 10th) at Steelers (3rd, 14th, 4th)

The Carolina Panthers are facing questions from the NFL after quickly clearing Cam Newton to return to Sunday's playoff game against the New Orleans Saints.

The controversy comes less than two weeks after a league mandate requiring more extensive concussion testing for players demonstrating obvious symptoms.

League officials have already been in contact with the Panthers' medical staff as to why Newton was not taken to the locker room when he was being evaluated for a concussion.

Newton was slow to get up after defensive tackle David Onyemata hit him with 8 minutes, 26 seconds remaining in the Panthers' 31-26 loss. He was replaced by Derek Anderson, and, as he moved toward the sideline, Newton went to the ground and appeared to be pointing toward his right eye.

Ron Rivera said after the game that Newton had been poked in the eye. But in revisions to its concussion policy announced Dec. 29, the NFL said it would "require a locker room concussion evaluation for all players demonstrating gross or sustained vertical instability (e.g., stumbling or falling to the ground when trying to stand)."

The NFL has five teams ranking in the top-10 in DVOA on both Offense and Defense at the end of the regular season in the Vikings, Rams, Saints, Steelers and Eagles.

The Chiefs, Cowboys, Chargers, Falcons and Patriots also rank in the top-10 on offense, while the Jaguars, Broncos, Panthers, Ravens and Cardinals rank in the top-10 on defense.