Saints set points record, beat Colts 62-7
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees drops to pass as Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Antonio Johnson rushes him during the second quarter. (Oct. 23, 2011) Credit: AP
For the first time as a head coach, Sean Payton spent the game up in the coaches' booth, where he could sit comfortably with his broken left leg propped up. He called the plays from there and he had to like what he saw from his new vantage point.
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.
It seemed the Saints could do whatever they wanted, also rushing for 236 yards.
When the large video board in the Superdome showed Payton peering out from the booth, the crowd erupted. By the time the third quarter ended, there wasn't much of a crowd left.
Colston had seven catches for 98 yards.
Brees wasn't intercepted before he was replaced by Chase Daniel late in the third quarter, a move that prevented New Orleans' starting quarterback from extending his NFL record of four straight games with at least 350 yards passing.
The Saints had 557 yards and a team-record 36 first downs.
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.
For the seventh game this season, Colts star quarterback Peyton Manning was forced to watch because of a neck injury that has sidelined him all season.
As hard as it had to be for Manning to be a spectator in his return to his native New Orleans, it had to be even harder to see his team's mistake-prone performance. These Colts looked more like the bumbling Saints of old that his father, Archie, starred for three decades ago.
Indianapolis fumbled twice in the opening quarter, giving the Saints a relatively short field both times.
The first came on the opening drive on a botched snap that linebacker Jonathan Vilma recovered on the Colts 41-yard line.
Brees then completed his first three passes, the last a 14-yard scoring strike to Colston, who made a leaping catch in front of defensive back Jerraud Powers to make it 7-0.
The Saints then went 81 yards in six plays, including Pierre Thomas's 57-yard gain on a screen pass, and took a 14-0 lead when Brees hit Colston again with a quick 4-yard throw over the middle.
The Saints then took over on their 48 when defensive tackle Tom Johnson stripped rookie running back Delone Carter, and Cam Jordan recovered.
Sproles started the drive with a 16-yard run and finished it with a 6-yard touchdown catch.
Brees' 26-yard completion to Lance Moore ignited yet another touchdown drive, this one covering 69 yards in seven plays and ending with fullback Jed Collins' 1-yard score on a second-effort plunge through a pile of players.
Indianapolis trailed 31-0 before scoring on Carter's 2-yard run, capping a seven-play, 80-yard drive that was highlighted by Carter's 42-yard scamper on the opening play.
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