Brees throws for 4 TDs as Saints pound Buccaneers 38-3

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Drew Brees threw for 222 yards and four touchdowns, regaining the NFL career TD pass lead and lifting the New Orleans Saints into first place in the NFC South with a 38-3 rout of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night. The three-time defending division champions won their fifth straight game, intercepting Brady three times and completing a season sweep of the Bucs (6-3). The Saints (6-2) weren’t perfect – turning the ball over twice themselves – however the offense was extremely efficient with receivers Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders back in the lineup, and the defense played its best game of the season. Brees was 26-of-32 passing, including first-half TD throws of 14 yards to Tre’Quan Smith, 8 yards to Adam Trautman and 12 yards to Sanders, who missed the previous two games while on the COVID-19 list. The 41-year-old added a 3-yarder to Josh Hill to make it 38-0 with just over nine minutes remaining. Brees regained the league career TD pass lead with 654, three more than the 43-year-old Brady, who had thrown for 17 touchdowns and just one interception over his previous six games. BILLS 44, SEAHAWKS 34 ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) – Josh Allen regained his early season groove by throwing three touchdown passes and rushing for a score, leading the Bills to the victory. Buffalo’s defense played a major role in rattling Seattle’s Russell Wilson, who was sacked five times, threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles. Buffalo (7-2) matched its best record through nine games since 1993, a season that ended with the Jim Kelly-led Bills making their fourth consecutive Super Bowl appearance. Allen – playing one day after the death of his grandmother – finished 31 of 38 and equaled a career best with 415 yards passing. The Bills’ offense came alive after Allen combined for just 846 yards passing and five touchdowns – including one rushing – in splitting the previous four games. The Seahawks (6-2) blew an opportunity to match to match their best record through eight games. They were 7-1 in 2013. Seattle became the NFL’s sixth team to score 25 or more points in each of its first eight games, but was undone by turnovers and a defense that surrendered 420 yards. DOLPHINS 34, CARDINALS 31 GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Tua Tagovailoa threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns in his second NFL start and Miami rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Arizona. Miami (5-3) has won four straight. The Cardinals (5-3) had their three-game winning streak snapped. The 22-year-old Tagovailoa was on the winning end of an action-packed duel with Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray, who finished with 283 yards and three touchdowns. Murray also had 106 yards rushing on 11 carries. Arizona’s Zane Gonzalez was short on a 49-yard field goal attempt that would have tied the game with 1:53 left. Tagovailoa was more productive in his second start after throwing for 93 yards against the Rams last week. He showed great poise during two scoring drives in the fourth quarter. The left-hander also made some plays with his feet, extending drives with scrambles. He finished with 35 yards rushing. The Cardinals pushed ahead 31-24 late in the third quarter on Murray’s 12-yard run. It was the seventh time in eight games the quarterback has thrown and run for at least one touchdown. But the Dolphins and Tagovailoa fought back on the next series, delivering an impressive 10-play, 93-yard drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Mack Hollins. Miami pushed ahead 34-31 with 3:30 left on a 50-yard field goal by Jason Sanders. CHIEFS 33, PANTHERS 31