Brees picks Panthers apart, Saints control NFC South

Drew Brees torched Carolina's much-vaunted defense with four touchdown passes as the New Orleans Saints routed the Panthers 31-13 to regain control of the NFC South on Sunday.

A week after throwing for just 147 yards in a loss to Seattle, Brees picked the Panthers apart in a dominant performance that saw him pass for 313 yards.

The victory gave New Orleans (10-3) a one-game lead over Carolina (9-4) in the division with the two teams scheduled to meet again on Dec. 22.

The Panthers, who had been on an eight-game winning streak coming into the game, took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter with two Graham Gano field goals, but it was all Brees from there.

The New Orleans quarterback tossed consecutive touchdown passes to Marques Colston in the second quarter and added a five-yard strike to Jimmy Graham for a 21-6 halftime lead.

Brees cooled a little in the second half, where he led New Orleans to a field goal in the third and another passing touchdown to Graham in the fourth, giving the home side a commanding 31-6 advantage.

Carolina's Cam Newton threw for 160 yards and ran for 48, throwing a 17-yard score to Steve Smith late in the fourth.