TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints keep on rolling.
Brees threw for three touchdowns and the Saints shrugged off a slow start defensively to remain unbeaten Sunday with a 38-7 rout of the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers and young quarterback Josh Freeman.
Robert Meacham caught touchdown passes of 4 and 6 yards in the first half. Third-string running back Mike Bell scored on runs of 3 and 1 yards in the second half, when New Orleans gained 147 of its 183 yards rushing. The Saints (10-0) have their first 10-game winning streak in franchise history.
A spate of turnovers made the Saints seem more vulnerable over the past month, but Brees didn't throw an interception for the first time in five games. The Saints also didn't allow a sack for the first time since Oct. 18 against the Giants.
Tampa Bay (1-9) drove 95 yards for a touchdown on its first possession. But Freeman had little success after his 18-yard scoring pass to Michael Clayton gave the Bucs a short-lived 7-0 lead.
Brees completed 19 of 29 passes for 187 yards before being replaced by Mark Brunell late in the fourth quarter. With Reggie Bush out with a knee injury, Pierre Thomas rushed for 92 yards on 11 carries and Bell contributed 75 yards on 13 attempts.
Freeman was 17 of 33 for 126 yards and three interceptions. The first-round draft pick was sacked three times and also lost a fumble that led to Brees' 11-yard TD throw to David Thomas in the third quarter.
Bush and New Orleans defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis did make the trip because of knee injuries. Receiver Lance Moore (ankle) and cornerbacks Tracy Porter (knee) and Jabari Greer (groin) also sat out.
The Bucs got off to the fast start they were looking for when Freeman found Clayton standing alone in the left corner of the end zone behind Kellen Winslow and Derrick Ward, who were both covered.
Brees countered with a 68-yard drive he finished with his first TD pass to Meacham. He was 4 of 4 for 55 yards on the possession, including a 37-yard completion to Thomas — New Orleans' longest play of the day.
Malcolm Jenkins' interception and 14-yard return to the Tampa Bay 29 set up John Carney's 38-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead. Poor clock management by the Bucs at the end of the second quarter gave Brees an opportunity to put another touchdown on the board to make it 17-7 at the half.
