Saints beat Cowboys, set 1st-down record

NEW ORLEANS - Drew Brees completed 34 of 41 passes for 392 yards and four touchdowns, and the New Orleans Saints demolished the 5-5 Dallas Cowboys, 49-17, Sunday night.

The Saints (7-2) had an NFL-record 40 first downs and a franchise-record 625 total yards.

Brees connected with Kenny Stills on a 52-yard touchdown pass, with Marques Colston on a 22-yard scoring strike, with running back Pierre Thomas for a 1-yard score, and with running back Darren Sproles for a 28-yard score with five seconds left in the first half.

Saints 49, Cowboys 17

Dallas 3 7 7 0 - 17

New Orleans 7 21 7 14 - 49

First quarter

Dal-FG Bailey 37, 8:14.

NO-Colston 22 pass from Brees (Hartley kick), 3:23.

Second quarter

Dal-Murray 7 run (Bailey kick), 14:05.

NO-Thomas 1 pass from Brees (Hartley kick), 5:09.

NO-Sproles 3 run (Hartley kick), 1:32.

NO-Sproles 28 pass from Brees (Hartley kick), :05.

Third quarter

NO-Ingram 4 run (Hartley kick), 2:12.

Dal-Williams 21 pass from Romo (Bailey kick), :41.

Fourth quarter

NO-Stills 52 pass from Brees (Hartley kick), 12:43.

NO-Thomas 1 run (Hartley kick), 5:44.

A: 73,018.

Dal   NO

First downs 9   40

Total Net Yards 193   625

Rushes-yards 16-89   38-242

Passing 104   383

Punt Returns 0-0   4-18

Kickoff Returns 6-132   0-0

Interceptions Ret. 0-0   0-0

Comp-Att-Int 10-24-0   34-41-0

Sacked-Yards Lost 3-24   1-9

Punts 8-50.4   1-33.0

Fumbles-Lost 0-0   1-1

Penalties-Yards 11-82   6-44

Time of Possession 20:28   39:32

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Dallas, Murray 16-89. New Orleans, Ingram 14-145, Thomas 17-87, Sproles 5-12, McCown 2-(minus 2).

Passing: Dallas, Romo 10-24-0-128. New Orleans, Brees 34-41-0-392.

Receiving: Dallas, Hanna 3-11, Witten 2-27, Bryant 1-44, Williams 1-21, Beasley 1-18, Murray 1-6, Harris 1-1. New Orleans, Colston 7-107, Sproles 7-76, Thomas 7-24, Graham 5-59, Stills 3-75, Ingram 2-15, Meachem 1-17, Moore 1-14, Watson 1-5.

Missed Field Goals: New Orleans, Hartley 37 (WR).