EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Saints have one of the most explosive aerial attacks in the NFL this year, as usual. Through 12 games, New Orleans is ranked third in the NFL in passing yards, averaging 294.2 per game.

And yet, this has not been a good season for quarterback Drew Brees.

Yes, he leads in the NFL in touchdown passes, with 31. But he's also tied for the league lead in interceptions, with 16.

That's why nine quarterbacks are ranked ahead of him in passer rating -- including rookies Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson.

And, Brees is coming off his worst performance of the year. In a 23-13 loss in Atlanta last Thursday, Brees threw a career-high five picks and had his NFL-record streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass snapped at 54.

"I would say that was disappointing for me, very uncharacteristic of me and not what I'm used to," Brees said Wednesday on a conference call with New York reporters. "Mom always said there would be days like that. You're going to have a rough day and, unfortunately, it was the timing of it all at this point in the season and against a divisional opponent on the road, you kind of scratch your head."

At 5-7, the Saints' playoff chances are slim, at best. But Brees sounded eager to get back on the field Sunday against the Giants.

"I went back and I analyzed that film, and everything that happened is correctable and I can fix and I've been doing everything in my power to get that done," Brees said. "I also know this: I'm not losing any confidence. You've got to have a lot of trust and a lot of confidence to play this position, and I believe in myself and I believe in this team, in this offense and our ability to make plays and to score points."

Brees has had some big games against Big Blue. Last season, he threw for 363 yards, with four touchdowns and no interceptions, in a 49-24 Saints victory in New Orleans. In 2009, he threw for 369 yards, again with four touchdowns and no interceptions, in a 48-27 win, also at the Superdome.

But Brees knows the Giants' defense is dangerous. Big Blue is currently second in the NFL in takeaways with 30, behind only the Bears (34).

"They've got an extremely talented group of players," Brees said. "They do a great job getting pressure on the quarterback with a four-man rush. They've got a plethora of great pass rushers. Their front four has done a phenomenal job at that; always has. That's been their reputation and they live up to that."