NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drew Brees got suspended coach Sean Payton in the building, broke a prestigious NFL passing record and
led New Orleans to a desperately needed first win of the season.
For one memorable night, at least, the entire beleaguered Saints organization and its frustrated fans could celebrate a special
moment in football history and recapture that winning feeling that had become commonplace before an offseason overshadowed
by the NFL's bounty investigation.
Brees broke Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas' half-century-old record by throwing a touchdown pass in his 48th straight
game, and the Saints defeated the San Diego Chargers 31-24 on Sunday night.
"I guess you really couldn't have written a better script for tonight," Brees said. "To break the record, to get the win,
and the fashion in which we won — really a complete team effort all the way around.
"The amazing thing about a record like this is it spans over the course of four seasons and hopefully we can keep it going
to for a while," Brees said. "There are so many people that are a part of this."
Brees' 40-yard pass to Devery Henderson eclipsed the mark of 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass Unitas set from 1956-60.
Brees said he was honored and humbled to break a record by a player he saw as a pioneer who stood for "everything that's great
in this league."
Brees finished with four touchdown passes,
including three to Marques Colston, giving the seventh-year receiver a
franchise-record
52 TD catches with the Saints (1-4).
At Brees' request, the NFL allowed Payton,
assistant head coach Joe Vitt and general manager Mickey Loomis — all
serving various
suspensions in connection with the NFL's bounty investigation — to
attend the game. They and Unitas' son, Joe, saw Brees pass
for 370 yards, enough to put Brees over 30,000 yards passing as a
Saint in his 100th game with the club.
Afterward, Brees took an elevator near the Saints' locker room up to the Superdome's suite level to share a few moments with
Payton, Loomis and Vitt.
"It gave us a good mojo for sure," Brees said of Payton's presence. "I love my coach, so glad he could be here. Mickey and
Joe Vitt as well. It is special for our team, special they could be a part of this record."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the one who
suspended Saints personnel in the bounty matter but also granted Brees'
request
for Payton, Vitt and Loomis to attend the game, chimed in on his
Twitter page shortly after the record fell, writing, "Congrats
to (at)drewbrees & his teammates on breaking Unitas' record.
Amazing accomplishment by great QB & leader. We're proud of you,
Drew."
Philip Rivers passed for 354 yards and two touchdowns to former Saint Robert Meachem, but had two costly turnovers in the
final quarter.
"I can't tell you how tough it is to lose a game like this," Rivers said. "We were right there. We were up by 10 points and
just didn't get it done. We have a great team, a championship caliber team. But we have to win close games like this."
The first late turnover was Roman Harper's
interception and 41-yard return on a pass tipped by fellow safety
Malcolm Jenkins.
That set up the Saints' final score on Garrett Hartley's field
goal. San Diego (3-2) still had a chance to tie in the final
minute until defensive end Martez Wilson stripped Rivers and
recovered the fumble to seal the victory.
The Saints' defense, which entered the game ranked least in the league, had a hand in the victory not only with the turnovers
but five sacks.
"You really have to credit our defense getting pressure on the quarterback," Interim head coach Aaron Kromer said. "That's
what made a difference in the game."
After his record-setting completion, Brees
trotted to the end zone to hug Henderson. The rest of New Orleans'
offense pursued
and swarmed around Brees in celebration while the jubilant
Superdome crowd roared and then howled an elongated, "Dreeeeeeew!"
Brees took the game ball to the sideline where he continued to accept congratulations. The scoring pass capped an 80-yard
drive in which Brees completed all three of his third-down passes, including the touchdown.
Colston finished with nine catches for 131 yards, while Henderson had eight catches for 123 yards.
Colston's second TD late in the third
quarter eclipsed a franchise mark set by Joe Horn in 2006 and pulled the
Saints back
within a field goal shortly after the Chargers appeared to have
gone ahead 31-14 on Demorrio Williams' interception return
for a touchdown. Williams' TD was nullified, however, by Melvin
Ingram's late hit on Brees' chin, which drew a roughing-the-passer
flag and extended what wound up to be an 87-yard scoring drive.
"Obviously it was a critical play," Chargers coach Norv Turner said. "You can't make those kinds of errors, and we will learn
from them."
Vitt is expected to take over the coaching
staff when his six-game suspension ends. Loomis was docked eight games.
As the
Saints headed into their bye week, the desperately needed win
offered hope, however faint, of making a run for a fourth-straight
playoff appearance when Vitt and Loomis are back.
Colston made his first touchdown catch on a pass Brees lofted perfectly to the back of the end zone. That gave New Orleans
a 14-10 lead that lasted until Meachem's 44-yard touchdown catch in the final minute of the half.
San Diego went ahead 24-14 on Ryan Mathews' 13-yard run around left end, capping a three-play drive that started when Henderson
tipped a pass that Brees threw behind him, allowing Quentin Jammer to intercept it and give San Diego the ball on the New
Orleans 25.
Notes: Brees set his latest passing record
against the team that drafted him in 2001 and for which he played his
first five
seasons in the NFL before coming to New Orleans in 2006. ... The
last game Brees played without throwing for a TD was Oct.
4, 2009, in a victory over the New York Jets. ... Chargers PK Nick
Novak, who was filling in for the injured Nate Kaeding,
made a 20-yard field goal but missed a 55-yard attempt in the
second quarter. ... Saints CB Jabari Greer left the game with
what team officials said was a hip injury. He was hurt late in the
second quarter and did not return. ... Saints TE Jimmy
Graham hurt his right ankle in the first half. He returned but was
not a factor.