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Saints eliminate Colts, stay in hunt for No. 1 seed

Drew Brees and the Saints embarrass the Colts in the Big Easy.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees reacts after a touchdown throw in the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The touchdown pass broke the career touchdown record. Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Drew Brees was spectacular on Monday night, completing 29-of-30 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns against the out-classed Indianapolis Colts. The Saints move to 11-3, keeping pace with the Packers but still stuck in the No. 3 playoff seed.

The Colts didn’t have much of a chance to make the playoffs, even if they could have beaten the Saints, but now they are officially eliminated. Jacoby Brissett was awful all evening. He couldn’t hit open receivers despite time to throw and ended the game completing 18-of-34 passes for 165 yards.

Drew Brees, on the other hand, set multiple records with his great statistical night. He needed three touchdowns to break Peyton Manning’s touchdown record and he ended up throwing four, to give him 541 to Manning’s 539 and Tom Brady’s 538.

The 40-year old Brees also broke the record for best pass completion percentage, as he completed 29-of-30 passes (96.7 percent) while Philip Rivers held the record with a 28-of-29 day against the Cardinals last season.

The Saints will need help to move up in the playoff seeding and that would most likely come next Monday night when the Vikings host the Packers. If the Vikings can take down the Packers, the Saints would move ahead of them to the No. 2 seed if they can take care of the Titans next week. They can move up to the No. 1 seed if Seattle can defeat the 49ers in Week 17 and the Saints defeat the Panthers in the season finale. None of that is too far fetched, so expect Brees and company to keep pressing on the gas.