New Orleans Saints blast Colts in record-setting rout
(CBS/AP) - Remember Drew Brees? All the talk in this "Year of the Quarterback" has centered on Tom Brady and arguably best QB in the league Aaron Rodgers. But Brees and the Saints made a statement Sunday night when they demolished the Indianapolis Colts in a record-setting 62-7 rout.
You read that right: sixty-two points. Last night was the first time a team has scored that many points since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
New Orleans set a franchise record for most points scored. They also set a team record of 36 first downs - the league record is 39. The team set franchise scoring marks of eight touchdowns, eight extra points and 21 first-quarter points.
How good was Brees? The Super Bowl champ went 31-35 for 325 yards and five touchdowns. Yes, Brees had more TDs than incompletions on the night.
Brees had two touchdown passes to Marques Colston and one to Darren Sproles in the first quarter. His fourth and fifth touchdown tosses went to second-year tight end Jimmy Graham in the third quarter.
"I don't know what to say about 62 points," Brees said after the game. "I don't think you ever expect to come in and score that many."
The Saints were playing without head coach Sean Payton on the sidelines. Payton had called offensive plays from the sidelines since he took his first head coaching job with New Orleans in 2006, but that changed after he was caught up in a tackle along the sideline during a loss at Tampa Bay last week and was injured. Payton had surgery on Monday and didn't attend a practice until Thursday.
Sitting high up in the Superdome for the game against the Colts, he had to like what he saw down below, where offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. called plays for the first time.
The hapless Colts couldn't do much to stop the bleeding. With Peyton Manning on the sidelines, Colts quarterback Curtis Painter was only 9 of 17 for 67 yards and had an interception returned 42 yards for a touchdown by Leigh Torrence in the second half. Painter also fumbled a snap on the game's opening drive which linebacker Jonathan Vilma recovered, leading to a touchdown. Later in the first quarter, Colts running back Delone Carter was stripped by tackle Tom Johnson and Cam Jordan recovered near midfield, setting up another Saints TD.
The lopsided win comes after a 3-interception showing last week against Tampa Bay. But Drew Brees made a statement last night. When discussing the best QBs in the league, don't forget about Brees.