SAINTS 42, PANTHERS 10

Drew Brees threw three touchdown passes as the New Orleans Saints geared up for the post-season by smashing the host Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C. New Orleans (13-3), aiming for a first-weekend bye and potentially overall homefield advantage, would have to await results involving Green Bay and the San Francisco-seattle game to determine its NFC seed. Brees finished 19-for30 for 253 yards. The Panthers (5-11) lost their eighth game in a row as they finished in last place in the NFC South. Panthers running back Christian Mccaffrey scored on a one-yard run in the third quarter. He finished with 26 yards on nine carries and 72 yards on seven catches. He became the third player in NFL history with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season, joining Marshall Faulk (1999) and Roger Craig (1985).