Saints QB Drew Brees could make history against the Chargers Sunday night. (US Presswire)

Saints QB Drew Brees realizes how special it would be to break a 52-year-old record against San Diego on Sunday night. He also knows he would enjoy it more if the Saints weren’t 0-4 entering that game.

If he throws a touchdown pass, Brees will have 58 consecutive games with at least one scoring toss. Johnny Unitas set the old mark of 57 from 1956-60.

“I obviously hope to accomplish it, but at the same time I have to focus on doing my job and whatever it takes for us to win,” Brees said. “If we break the record in the process, that’s great.”

Joe Unitas, the son of Johnny Unitas, sent a letter to Brees that the Saints posted on their website this week, praising him for tying the record. Joe Unitas added that his father, who died in 2002, would have wanted Brees to break his record.

“I responded back to him (Joe Unitas) and emailed him today,” Brees said Wednesday. “I’ve never met him in person. It is obviously classy, and something he didn’t have to do it. It was a very nice thing for him to do.”

Unitas threw 1,507 passes in the five years that his record-setting streak spanned. Brees has thrown 2,020 passes during the four-year run of his streak, which started in game No. 6 of 2009.

The game has changed dramatically in the last 50 years, giving Brees an even greater appreciation for Unitas’ accomplishment.

“It just goes to show how good he was,” Brees said. “That was the heyday and really kind of paved the way for what we have now.”

Follow Saints reporter Guerry Smith on twitter @CBSSaints.