Drew Brees threw four touchdown passes and Tom Brady threw three interceptions as the visiting New Orleans Saints defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-3 on Sunday night.
Brees entered the game one touchdown pass behind Brady for the NFL career lead and finished the game with 564 to Brady’s 561. Brees completed 26 of 32 for 222 yards and 12 different receivers caught passes on the night.
The Saints (6-2) won their fifth consecutive game to pass the Buccaneers (6-3) for first place in the NFC South. New Orleans swept the season series after beating Tampa Bay 34-23 in the season opener in which the Saints intercepted Brady twice.
This is the first time in Brady’s career that he has lost twice to the same team in one season. He completed 22 of 38 for 209 yards in the most lopsided loss of his career.
The Buccaneers ran just five times, the fewest in NFL history.
Saints All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas returned from injury to play for the first time since the season opener and had five catches for 51 yards.
New Orleans led 31-0 at halftime, the largest halftime deficit ever faced by Brady.
The Buccaneers recovered a Brees fumble on the first possession of the third quarter and drove to the Saints’ 1-yard line, but Brady threw an incompletion on fourth and goal.
Neither team scored in the third quarter and Brees threw a 3-yard touchdown to Josh Hill early in the fourth quarter for a 38-0 lead.
Ryan Succop’s 48-yard field goal with 5:52 left enabled Tampa Bay to avoid a shutout.
Brees tied Brady on the Saints’ first possession when he threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tre’Quan Smith for a 7-0 lead.
He added a 7-yard touchdown pass to Adam Trautman for a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Brees’ 12-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders increased the lead to 21-0.
David Onyemata intercepted Brady, setting up Alvin Kamara’s 1-yard touchdown run for a 28-0 lead.
Wil Lutz added a 36-yard field goal for a 31-0 lead late in the second quarter. It stayed that way going into halftime after Marcus Williams intercepted Brady at the New Orleans 19 in the final minute of the quarter.
–Field Level Media
