NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees broke a half-century-old NFL record by throwing a touchdown pass in his 48th straight game, and the New Orleans Saints won for the first time this season, 31-24 over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday night.
Brees' 40-yard pass to Devery Henderson eclipsed the mark of 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass set by Johnny Unitas from 1956-60.
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Brees also had three scoring strikes to Marques Colston, giving Colston a franchise-record 52 touchdown catches with the Saints (1-4).
At Brees' request, the NFL allowed head coach Sean Payton, assistant head coach Joe Vitt and general manager Mickey Loomis -- all serving various suspensions in connection with the NFL's bounty investigation -- to attend the game. They and Johnny Unitas' son, Joe, saw Brees pass for 370 yards.
Philip Rivers passed for 354 yards and two touchdowns for the Chargers (3-2), but had an interception and fumble in the final quarter.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press