American Football:The New Orleans Saints are still unbeaten and have joined the Indianapolis Colts in making NFL history. Quarterback Drew Brees threw for a season-high 371 yards and five touchdown passes as the Saints beat the New England Patriots 38-17 on Monday night.
Brees threw touchdown passes to five different players — Pierre Thomas, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem, Darnell Dinkins and Marques Colston — as the Saints joined the Colts at 11-0, the first time two teams have opened with that many wins in the same season.
Tom Brady, returning to the Louisiana Superdome for the first time since leading the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title in 2002, won’t have many fond memories of this game.
He was intercepted twice, sacked once, hit as he threw several times and was pulled from the game in the fourth quarter with New Orleans leading by three touchdowns.
"We have so much respect for (the Patriots), and that's what we're trying to be: that team that year in and year out competes for a championship," Brees said after the game.
"We have put together a special team and we're excited about the situation we're in."
New England led 7-3 in the first quarter before Thomas (18 yards) and Henderson (75 yards) hauled in scoring passes from Brees on consecutive New Orleans drives in the second.
Laurence Maroney had two rushing scores for the Patriots, who trailed 24-17 with 10 minutes left in the third, but Brees put the game away with scoring throws to Darnell Dinkins and Marques Colston.
"There is obviously a big gap between us and it wasn't as competitive as we were all expecting," said Brady, who had his string of five consecutive 300-yard passing games snapped to fall one game short of tying the record.
"That's what happens when you don't play very well against a good team like this on the road."