New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees optimistic he will play against Dallas Cowboys

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who missed Sunday's game with a bruised rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder, said he is optimistic he will play in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Head coach Sean Payton said Monday the Saints are encouraged by daily progress made by Brees.

"The one thing that's certain is the day-to-day progress that he's made," Payton said. "So I would say optimistic (for Week 4). We'll just pay attention to his symptoms and his strength. I don't know that there's more clarity. The thing that's positive is the progress daily."

Sunday's 27-22 loss against the Carolina Panthers was the first time in Brees' 15-year NFL career that he had missed a game due to injury.

"I'm day-to-day. Obviously I plan to and expect to start on Sunday," Brees said Sunday in his weekly postgame interview with Cox Sports Television. "But if I don't, we're in good hands with Luke."

Backup quarterback Luke McCown, starting in place of Brees, completed 31 of 38 passes for 310 yards, with an interception, but it wasn't enough to save the Saints (0-3) from falling three games behind the division-leading Panthers and Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South.

Brees was impressed with McCown's performance.

"I thought he played great," Brees told WWL Radio. "I was calling the play with him in the huddle in my mind. I was executing by trying to see it through his eyes from the sideline. He threw it to the right place every time. He did not make a bad decision in this game."

Brees, 36, had never missed a regular-season game due to injury in his 10 years with the Saints, which began after he recovered from major shoulder surgery in 2006.

"It was extremely difficult. I couldn't sit still," said Brees, who wore an earpiece on the sideline to communicate with coaches.