Drew Brees Ties NFL Record With 7 Touchdowns In One Game
Drew Brees, the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, became the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw seven touchdowns in a single game today, November 1.
Brees just barely made the achievement when he threw to running back C.J. Spiller late in the fourth quarter, as reported by ESPN. This touchdown put the Saints in a tie with the New York Giants at 49-49. Kai Forbath made a last-second field goal that brought the Saints to 52-49, winning the game for the New Orleans team.
Drew Brees wasn’t the only one to reach a milestone today, however. In addition to Brees’ achievement, the combined score of the two teams was 101 points, which is third total highest in NFL history. Eli Manning, the quarterback for the Giants, threw six touchdowns today, just one short of Drew, putting him at number 10 on the NFL’s all-time list of touchdowns thrown.
The third touchdown Manning threw on Sunday’s game put him at 11th place on the list, tying him with Joe Montana. However, the Giants quarterback soon passed Montana, and also Vinny Testaverde, as his total touchdowns thrown went up to 276 for his entire career.
Drew Brees is currently number five on the all-time list of passing touchdowns. Drew has 411 total for his career.
Brees’ and Manning’s 13 combined touchdowns set a new record in the NFL. The last and only time 12 touchdowns were thrown was way back in 1969, in another New Orleans game. The Saints were playing the St. Louis Cardinals, and beat them with a score of 51-42. That was the only other time in which both quarterbacks threw at least six touchdowns in a single game.
ESPN reports that Sunday’s game was the best game of Brees’ 15-year career. Drew ended the day with 511 yards passing in addition to helping the Saints win three straight games in a row, the first time the team has done that in two years.
After Brees’ serious shoulder injury that happened back in Week 2, a lot of people weren’t sure what would happen with Brees’ career. As ESPNsaid, Drew, “has come all the way back and then some.” Today might have turned the season around for Drew and the Saints.
Even though Brees set records for himself and his team, it was the kicker who got the winning points for the Saints. Even with the passes Drew made, the team wouldn’t have won if it weren’t for the last minute field goal made by Kai Forbath. USA Today reports that Sean Payton, the coach for the New Orleans Saints, joked about Drew setting such a big record, yet the game ball went to the kicker and not Drew.
“So Brees had seven touchdowns and we told him the game ball was going to the kicker.”
Drew said that today’s game was definitely one of the more memorable games he has played in. The score was back and forth between the two teams, with neither team successfully blocking the other from scoring, as well as both Brees and Manning playing at their best.
“This was certainly one of the craziest games that I have ever been a part of. Reflecting back on it, it was pretty wild.”
Giants’ safety Landon Collins commented on how his team played. Collins attributed the loss to the team’s sub-par defensive play, and the fact that Drew took advantage of that.
“We just had a breakdown on defense all day and (Brees) picked us apart. We just weren’t on the same page in the secondary and it showed.”
Giants coach Tom Coughlin weighed in on his thoughts on the game against Brees and the Saints. Coughlin was obviously not very happy with the way his team played, and how the Saints pulled the win at the last minute.
“We couldn’t stop them; we didn’t stop them. Find the words. It was frustrating. You want to explode, but that is not going to help.”
Drew Brees joined Nick Foles and Peyton Manning on the list of quarterbacks who have thrown seven touchdowns in a single game.
[Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images]
