Saints smash Giants

A Drew Brees master class inspired the New Orleans Saints to a 49-24 win over the New York Giants in the NFL on Monday.

Brees passed for 350 yards, four touchdowns and added one himself in the 2009 Super Bowl champions' comfortable victory as they kept their one-game lead over Atlanta in the NFC South division.

The 32-year-old became the first player ever to achieve the feat on Monday night football and became just the second player after Peyton Manning to reach 30,000 yards in a seven-season run from 2005.

Brees' heroics overshadowed the result but in truth it was an easy win for the Saints with the match as good as over at half-time when they led 24-3.

After a scoreless first quarter, Brees burst into action as Lance Moore (twice) and Jimmy Graham scored touchdowns from his passes.

All New York could muster was a lone field goal through Lawrence Tynes and although Brandon Jacobs scored an early touchdown for the Giants in the third quarter, they were blown away by more Brees brilliance.

He ran eight yards to score his touchdown after a John Kasay kick, before he passed for his fourth touchdown of the night as Graham scored his double.

With the match all but over, both sides traded two touchdowns each in the final quarter but they mattered little as all the focus was on Brees and his team-mates after they notched their seventh win of the season and consigned the Giants to their third loss in a row.