New Orleans improves to .500

— After fighting their way back from an 0-4 start to a .500 record, the New Orleans Saints now face a tough task if they want to make it back to the playoffs.

Drew Brees threw three touchdown passes and Malcolm Jenkins returned an interception for another score as the Saints earned a 38-17 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

Lance Moore caught two touchdown passes and Mark Ingram ran for a score as the Saints (5-5) won for the fifth time in six games and are in position to make a late-season playoff run despite the season long distraction from the organization’s bounty scandal.

Getting back to .500 was just the first step. New Orleans’ next three games come against teams currently in first place, starting with a home game next week against the Bay Area’s other team, the San Francisco 49ers, followed by games against Atlanta and the New York Giants.

The Raiders (3-7) lost their third consecutive game under first-year Coach Dennis Allen as their banged-up defense got picked apart by Brees’ precision passing. Oakland has allowed 135 points in those defeats - the most in a three game span for the franchise since allowing 141 in the first three games in 1961.

Carson Palmer threw one interception that was returned for a score and another in the end zone.

The Saints did just about everything starting with an efficient opening drive by Breesthat set the tone for the game. Brees finished 20 for 27 passing for 219 yards, extending his own records by throwing a touchdown in his 53rd consecutive game and completing 20 passes for the 46th game in a row.

He did it against one of his favorite opponents. Brees has won his past seven starts against the Raiders with 16 touchdowns and no interceptions in those victories.

Even New Orleans’ much maligned defense got into the act. The Saints got the two big turnovers in the first half that got the blowout started and held Oakland to one touchdown until late in the game.

About the only bright spot for the Raiders was fullback Marcel Reece, who rushed for 103 yards and added 90 yards receiving as he started at halfback in place of injured Darren McFadden (Pulaski Oak Grove, Arkansas Razorbacks) and Mike Goodson.

RAVENS 13, STEELERS 10

The Baltimore Ravens shut down Byron Leftwich, and Jacoby Jones supplied the offense they needed to grab control of the AFC North. Jones returned a punt for a touchdown, Justin Tucker kicked two field goals and Baltimore beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night in another slugfest between two of the NFL’s biggest rivals. The Ravens (8-2) moved two games in front of the Steelers (6-4) by shutting down Pittsburgh’s offense, which sputtered without injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Leftwich, making his first start in more than three years, completed 18 of 39 passes for 201 yards and an interception. He ran for a score but was also sacked three times. Baltimore’s Joe Flacco wasn’t much better, completing 20 of 32 passes for 164 yards, but the Ravens didn’t need Flacco to dominate to beat the Steelers for the third consecutive time at Heinz Field. The Steelers fell to 0-5 against the Ravens since 2005 when Roethlisberger doesn’t start. The two-time Super Bowl winner is out indefinitely with a sprained right shoulder and a dislocated rib.

FALCONS 23, CARDINALS 19

Matt Ryan overcame a career-worst five interceptions, guiding Atlanta to its only offensive touchdown in the fourth quarter in a sloppy victory. The Falcons (9-1) turned it over a total of six times, but Michael Turner scored on a 1-yard run with 6:40 remaining to give Atlanta its first lead of the game. Ryan set up the score with four completions for 64 yards, including a 9-yarder to Tony Gonzalez on third-and-5 at the Arizona 10. Coming off a bye, Arizona (4-6) lost its sixth consecutive game. The Cardinals tried to bolster their anemic offense by switching quarterbacks, replacing John Skelton with rookie Ryan Lindley, but Larry Fitzgerald couldn’t hang on to a fourth-down pass after Ryan’s fifth pick.

PACKERS 24, LIONS 20

Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes, including a 22-yarder to Randall Cobb with 1:55 left to lift Green Bay. Mason Crosby made a 39-yard field goal with 19 seconds to go after missing two field goals earlier in the game. Matthew Stafford couldn’t put the Lions ahead on either of their last two drives in a game he’d like to forget. Stafford threw two interceptions - one of which was returned 72 yards by Green Bay safety M.D. Jennings (Arkansas State) for a go-ahead score in the third quarter - and lost a fumble. Green Bay (7-3) has won five consecutive and Detroit (4-6) has dropped two in a row.

PATRIOTS 59, COLTS 24

The Patriots used three scoring passes from Tom Brady, two touchdowns on interception returns and another on a punt return to match a team single-game scoring record. The first match up between three time Super Bowl winner Brady and star rookie Andrew Luck was no match. The Patriots (7-3) won their fourth consecutive game and extended their lead in the AFC East to three games. The Colts (6-4) had their four-game winning streak stopped.

BRONCOS 30, CHARGERS 23

Peyton Manning threw for three touchdowns and Von Miller had three sacks to take the league lead with 13. Denver took a three-game lead in the AFC West by sweeping the Chargers. Manning threw for 270 yards. He got off to a slow start, throwing an interception that Eric Weddle returned for a score and an early 7-0 lead. But the Broncos (7-3) took a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter and never trailed again. Manning won his 148th regular-season game as a starting quarterback, tying John Elway for second on the all-time list. Brett Favre has 186. The Chargers (4-6) lost for the fifth time in six games.

REDSKINS 31, EAGLES 6

Robert Griffin III threw four touchdown passes, and Washington broke a three-game losing streak. Griffin completed 14 of 15 passes for 200 yards and also ran 11 times for 85 yards. He threw for scores of 6, 49, 61 and 17 yards - one in each quarter. Philadelphia’s Nick Foles was 21 for 46 passing for 204 yards in his first NFL start, and his first two series ended with interceptions. Foles was starting in place of Michael Vick, who suffered a concussion in last week’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Redskins improved to 4-6. The Eagles (3-7) have dropped six consecutive, accelerating the countdown toward the possible end of Andy Reid’s 14-year tenure as coach.

JETS 27, RAMS 13

Mark Sanchez directed a turnover-free offense and Bilal Powell ran for the first two touchdowns of his career as the Jets ended a three-game losing streak. Chaz Schilens scored on a 25-yard reception and Nick Folk kicked two 51-yard field goals for the Jets (4-6), who were outscored 58-16 the previous two games. Brandon Gibson caught two touchdown passes for the Rams (3-6-1), who committed three turnovers and are in an 0-4-1 slump. St. Louis’ defense hasn’t forced a turnover in five consecutive games, tying the NFL’s longest such slump since 1950 according to STATS LLC.

BENGALS 28, CHIEFS 6

Andy Dalton threw for 230 yards and accounted for three touchdowns and A.J. Green caught a touchdown pass in his ninth consecutive game. Green finished with six catches for 91 yards, Mohamed Sanu had a touchdown and BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 101 yards and a score as the Bengals (5-5) won their second consecutive following a four-game losing streak. Cincinnati now plays its next four games against teams with losing records. Jamaal Charles had 87 yards rushing for Kansas City (1-9).

THURSDAY’S GAME Buffalo 19, Miami 14 SUNDAY’S GAMES Dallas 23, Cleveland 20, OT NY Jets 27, St. Louis 13 Houston 43, Jacksonville 37, OT Cincinnati 28, Kansas City 6 Washington 31, Philadelphia 6 Green Bay 24, Detroit 20 Atlanta 23, Arizona 19 Tampa Bay 27, Carolina 21, OT New Orleans 38, Oakland 17 Denver 30, San Diego 23 New England 59, Indianapolis 24 Baltimore 13, Pittsburgh 10 OPEN Minnesota, NY Giants, Seattle, Tennessee TODAY’S GAME All times Central Chicago at San Francisco, 7:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, NOV. 22 Houston at Detroit, 11:30 a.m.

Washington at Dallas, 3:15 p.m.

New England at NY Jets, 7:20 p.m.

SUNDAY, NOV. 25 Denver at Kansas City, noon Minnesota at Chicago, noon Oakland at Cincinnati, noon Pittsburgh at Cleveland, noon Buffalo at Indianapolis, noon Tennessee at Jacksonville, noon Atlanta at Tampa Bay, noon Seattle at Miami, noon Baltimore at San Diego, 3:05 p.m.

St. Louis at Arizona, 3:25 p.m.

San Francisco at New Orleans, 3:25 p.m. Green Bay at NY Giants, 7:20 p.m.

MONDAY, NOV. 26 Carolina at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

Sports, Pages 17 on 11/19/2012

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