The New Orlean Saints didn't think they would have to battle the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field without Drew Brees, but, that is the position in which they find themselves heading into Week 3.

Brees will be on the shelf for around six weeks, and the Saints will have to find ways to win without him.

While Brees' injury may seem like a death sentence for a New Orleans club that entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations, the good news is that Teddy Bridgewater is a perfectly competent quarterback who is at least capable of keeping the Saints afloat in the meantime.

With Brees sidelined and Bridgewater under center, tight end Jared Cook becomes that much more important to New Orleans' offense, and that's why he is the biggest X-factor for the Saints in their matchup with the Seahawks.

New Orleans probably won't want to test Bridgewater's limits all that much right off the bat. Instead, the Saints will probably stick to quick, short throws, which are tailor-made for tight ends.

Brees mostly operates on short and intermediate passes anyway, so this style shouldn't be that much of a shock to New Orleans' system. Of course, Sean Payton surely won't shoulder Bridgewater with as much responsibility as Brees, which is where Cook comes into play.

Cook will likely serve as a security blanket for Bridgewater throughout the game, especially considering that Seattle will almost surely focus its defensive efforts on trying to take away Michael Thomas in the aerial attack.

Alvin Kamara will definitely get a solid chunk of touches out of the backfield, probably more than usual as the Saints will likely dial their passing game back a bit without Brees, but when New Orleans does decide to throw the football, Cook will be a prime target.

This is a guy who hauled in 68 receptions for 896 yards and six touchdowns for the Oakland Raiders last year, so just because he has logged only four catches through two games this season does not mean he is a lost cause.

I think the Saints will make it a point to get Cook involved early and often in this one to try and establish the short passing game to make Bridgewater feel more comfortable and to open up the rest of the offense.

Look for Cook to end up with around 10 targets as New Orleans tries to win without Brees on the road.