NEW ORLEANS — Drew Brees shook off some early rust to throw for three touchdowns and close to 400 yards as the Saints slammed the Arizona Cardinals 31-9 for the team’s sixth win in a row.
The Saints now head to the bye week with a 7-1 record.
"This will be a good tape to watch," said head coach Sean Payton.
Brees was playing in his first game since he injured his thumb on a hit from Aaron Donald. There was question all week if Brees would suit up or sit out this game and for the bye week.
"We just paid attention to the doctors," said Payton. "We weren't going to be careless with it... If a player is 100 percent healthy and feels ready to go... this is an important game. All 16 games have the same weight."
Brees threw an interception in the first half and he and the offense botched a chance to score at the end of the second quarter, taking a game they had totally dominated to the half with only a 10-6 lead.
But the defense, which was again very strong, held Arizona on a 4th and half a yard play on the Cardinals own 30 with it still being a 10-6 game. The Cardinals were held to 237 total yards on the day.
Brees hit Latavius Murray on a 15-yard swing pass for a touchdown that made it 17-6.
The Cardinals answered with a field goal to make it an eight-point game and then Brees went to work. He hit Ted Ginn for 28 yards and ended the drive with a five-yarder to Taysom Hill to make it 24-9.
Brees threw another touchdown to Michael Thomas to finish 34 of 43 passing for 373 yards and the three touchdowns. Michael Thomas caught 11 of his passes for 112 yards and the touchdown. Latavius Murray had 21 carries for 102 yards and caught nine passes for 55 more as Alvin Kamara sat for a second straight game.