National Football League

Saints rack up points to blast Seahawks

Published Nov. 21, 2010 7:25 p.m. ET

foxsports

Drew Brees shredded Seattle's struggling pass defense and broke one of Archie Manning's old team records while he was at it.

Brees became the New Orleans Saints' all-time completions leader, throwing for four touchdowns in New Orleans' 34-19 win over the Seahawks on Sunday.

Brees was 29 of 42 for 382 yards and completed his 1,850th pass as a Saint in the second quarter to break a record held by Manning since 1982.

Brees hit Marques Colston and Robert Meachem twice each for TDs to keep the defending champion Saints (7-3) one game behind NFC South Division leader Atlanta.

Matt Hasselbeck was 32 of 44 for 366 yards, the most allowed by New Orleans' top-ranked passing defense this season, but Seattle (5-5) had trouble getting in the end zone. The Seahawks lost two fumbles and had four drives end with field goals.

Seattle came in ranked 28th in the NFL in pass defense, allowing 272.2 yards per game through the air. It didn't help when the Seahawks' best defensive back, Marcus Trufant, took a shot on the helmet from running back Chris Ivory's knee and left the game.

Brees hit 10 different receivers while passing for more than 300 yards for the 35th time as a Saint, which extended his own franchise mark.

The Saints entered the game allowing about 166 yards passing per game. Hasselbeck's scrambling ran Saints pass rushers ragged, and the Seattle quarterback had little trouble throwing downfield.

He connected with Mike Williams six times for 109 yards, including a 68-yarder to the Saints 10, which set up the game's first points on a field goal. Hasselbeck hit Ben Obamanu five times for 87 yards, including one 42-yard gain and a short TD.

But settling for field goals and Marshawn Lynch's two fumbles while trying to fight for extra yards made it tough for Seattle to keep pace.

Roman Harper stripped Lynch and recovered his first turnover, while Scott Shanle got the strip and recovery on the second.

The Saints played their eighth straight game without running back and punt returner Reggie Bush, who has been out since breaking a bone in his lower right leg in Week 2 at San Francisco. He was expected to play against his old college coach, Pete Carroll, and worked out on the field before the game, but the Saints decided to make him a late scratch.

He could come back against Dallas on Thanksgiving. The Saints did fine on the ground anyway, with rugged undrafted rookie Chris Ivory rushing for 99 yards and scoring New Orleans' first TD on a dive over the pile in the first quarter.

Colston finished with eight catches for 113 yards. Meachem had three receptions for 50 yards, the longest going for a 32-yard score in the third quarter for Brees' last TD passing.

Rookie tight end Jimmy Graham, filling in for the injured Jeremy Shockey (bruised ribs), caught five passes for 72 yards.