Monday's showdown between the New Orleans Saints and the Seattle Seahawks is much more than just a matchup of the NFC's top two teams. Here's the long and, um, short of it.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees Associated Press

Russell Wilson (5 feet 11) and Drew Brees (6 feet) will be the shortest pair of starting quarterbacks to face each other since 2001 when Wilson's Seahawks host Brees's Saints at CenturyLink Field. Yet both stand head and shoulders above most of their peers in terms of their performance.

Led by Wilson, who ranked sixth in the NFL in passer rating entering Week 13, the Seahawks come in with the NFL's best record (10-1). Brees has been even better than that, ranking fourth for the 9-2 Saints. Brees's career passer rating of 95.1 is seventh in NFL history among qualifying starters. Wilson is just 27 games into his career, but he is at 102.1.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson Associated Press

The last time a pair of opposing starters were shorter than Brees and Wilson's combined 143 inches was 1970, when Edd Hargett of the Saints faced the Falcons' Bob Berry. Both were 5 feet 11. Today's average NFL starting quarterback is over 6 feet 3.

No wonder, then, that personnel honchos leaguewide overlooked Wilson and Brees despite their impressive college careers. In 2012, 74 players were selected over Wilson, including five quarterbacks. Scouts couldn't see past their tape measures even after Brees, a second-round pick in 2001, demonstrated that height isn't a requirement for greatness.

It is hard to see how their shorter stature is a handicap for either player. Both manage to see past the offensive line well enough to complete at least 64% of passes. They're even better than average in avoiding having passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. And there is no questioning the size of their arms: Brees and Wilson have combined this season for 19 touchdowns versus just three interceptions on passes that travel over 20 yards, according to Pro Football Focus.

—Michael Salfino