METAIRIE (AP) — The NFL has granted
permission for Saints coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis
and assistant head
coach Joe Vitt to attend New Orleans' home game Sunday night
against San Diego, in which Drew Brees can break a tie with Johnny
Unitas for the NFL record of consecutive regular-season games with
a touchdown pass.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says Brees, tied
with Unitas at 47, asked that Payton, Loomis and Vitt be allowed to
attend even
as they continue to serve suspensions of various lengths in
connection with the NFL's bounty investigation. Aiello says the
three suspended members of the organization may watch the game
from a private area and may not have contact with the team.
Unitas set the record from 1956 to 1960. Brees tied it Sunday at Green Bay, throwing for three scores.