Saints Brees past Pack

Brees: On fire for Saints

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Drew Brees threw four touchdown passes and Deuce McAllister broke the team scoring record to help the New Orleans Saints outgun the Green Bay Packers 51-29 in a Superdome shoot-out on Monday night.

Lance Moore caught two touchdown passes, one for 70 yards, while Pierre Thomas rushed for two and McAllister ran in his 54th touchdown for the Saints - setting a new franchise record.

Brees moved beyond the 3,500-yard mark after his 11th game of the season as the famed Saints offensive game really took flight against the Packers.

Brees threw for 323 yards in all with four TDs and no interceptions, while opposite number Aaron Rodgers had 248 yards for two TDs, but crucially was picked off three times for interceptions.

Tight half

After Moore's two scores and one from Thomas, Green Bay moved in front with Rodgers firing a seven-yard pass to Greg Jennings in the end zone, before running in himself to make it 14-10 to the visitors.

Brees took charge in the third quarter, though, with 21 unanswered points coming with passes to Billy Miller and Marques Colston either side of McAllister's three-yard run.

Rodgers hit Ruvell Martin for a TD and the following two point conversion, but Thomas' second rushing score took the Saints over the 50-point mark.

"We spread the ball around pretty good," New Orleans coach Sean Payton said.

"We moved the ball well all night, Drew (Brees) was very comfortable out there and we did a lot of good things out there tonight.

"We had to have the win obviously. It was the right time to get the offence going."

Play-off hope

New Orleans stay bottom of the NFC South but move on to 6-5 to keep their play-off hopes alive, while Green Bay slip to 5-6 and lose their share of the lead of the NFC North.

McAllister's score brought a huge reception from the Louisiana Superdome crowd and the Saints staff on the sidelines, in what could have been his last game at home.

Eight-year veteran McAllister is appealing a four-game suspension handed down by the NFL after he tested positive for a banned diuretic - and that ban might even end his Saints career as he could be released at the end of the season.

"We couldn't be happier for him," Payton said of McAllister's achievement.

"His team-mates, all the fans here had a chance to witness that. It was pretty special."

Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy lamented his side's defensive frailties, but added that Brees was a hard man to stop on the night.

"We didn't slow them down at all tonight," he said.

"Give credit to the Saints and the play of their quarterback. He was on fire coming into the game and we didn't cool him off any."