Brees, Saints feast on Falcons; Cowboys tied for first place
Drew Brees threw four touchdown passes to inexperienced receivers and the New Orleans Saints won their 10th straight game Thursday night with a 31-17 victory over Atlanta that eliminated the Falcons from contention in the NFC South.
Tommylee Lewis and Austin Carr each caught their second career touchdown pass, and rookie tight end Dan Arnold grabbed his first, as did rookie receiver Keith Kirkwood. All four entered the NFL as undrafted free agents within the past three years and had combined for zero touchdowns this season before Carr caught the first of his career last Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Falcons (4-7) lost three fumbles inside the Saints 20 — something no team facing streaking New Orleans (10-1) can afford this season.
Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan was stripped by safety Marcus Williams on a third- and-2 from the Saints 3 and Williams recovered to end Atlanta’s opening drive. Julio Jones was stripped by linebacker Alex Anzalone after a catch on the New Orleans 17, and safety Vonn Bell recovered in the final minute of the second quarter to preserve a 17-3 lead going into halftime.
Ryan finished 35 of 47 for 377 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
COWBOYS 31, WASHINGTON 23 » Amari Cooper had a 90-yard touchdown after celebrating with a free throw following his first scoring catch, Ezekiel Elliott ran for 121 yards with his TD and the Cowboys pulled even with Washington atop the NFC East.
The Cowboys (6-5) won their third straight game. Dallas’ eighth win in nine Thanksgiving games against Washington, and second in three seasons, earned a season split.
Washington (6-5) lost for the third time in four games in Colt McCoy’s first start in four years coming off Alex Smith’s season- ending leg injury. The former Texas Longhorns star threw three interceptions to off- set two touchdown passes.
Cooper, the former Raiders receiver, finished with a Dallas Thanksgiving-best 180 yards receiving — 105 of those coming after the catch on his two touchdowns.
The Cowboys were having all the fun before Washington pulled even at 7-7, with Elliott scoring on a 16yard run and dropping $21 into a giant Salvation Army red kettle behind the end zone. The cash was handed to him by a team photographer. As a rookie in 2016, Elliott, who wears No. 21, jumped into the kettle on the same part of the field after a TD in a 31-26 win over Washington.
BEARS 23, LIONS 16» Chase Daniel made the most of his chance to fill in for Mitchell Trubisky, setting career highs with 230 yards passing and two touchdowns to keep Chicago rolling with a win over Detroit.
The NFC North-leading Bears (83) sealed their fifth straight victory with Kyle Fuller’s interception in the end zone with a little more than a minute left. Detroit (4-7) has lost four of five, plummeting to last place in the division.
Chicago broke a 16-16 tie on Eddie Jackson’s 41-yard pick- 6 with six minutes remaining. It was Jackson’s second consecutive game with an interception returned for a touchdown.