Giants-Saints by the numbers: Record-setting offensive display

Sunday's 52-49 loss by the New York Giants to the New Orleans Saints has been referred to as "a 60-minute long, two-minute drill," both by Chris and during the TV broadcast on Sunday. It was pinball. It was a tennis match with shots rocketing back-and-forth at breakneck pace. It was an offensive display rarely matched in NFL history. Here are some of the numbers from it.

• The teams combined for 101 points, making this the second-highest scoring game in Giants history and tied for the third-highest ever in the NFL:

-- 113 - Redskins (72) vs. Giants (41), Nov. 27, 1966
-- 106 - Bengals (58) vs. Browns, (48), Nov. 28, 2004
-- 101 - Raiders (52) vs. Oilers (49), Dec. 22, 1963
-- 101 - Saints (52) vs. Giants (49), Nov. 1, 2015

• The 49 points are the most the Giants have scored in a loss in their 91-year history.

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Ten things we learned during Giants vs. Saints

Ed Valentine

Well, neither team can play much defense. We did learn that. Let's look at what else we learned.

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Ten things we learned during Giants vs. Saints
• The Giants' seven touchdowns tied for the second-highest total in franchise history, achieved nine times previously, most recently in a victory the last time they faced New Orleans, on Dec, 9, 2012. The franchise record is eight touchdowns in a game, which the Giants have done three times.
• The teams combined to throw an NFL-record 13 touchdown passes (seven by Drew Brees, six by Eli Manning). The previous record of 12 was set on Nov. 2, 1969, when New Orleans' Billy Kilmer and the St. Louis Cardinals' Charley Johnson each threw six. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the only other game in which both quarterbacks tossed at least six touchdowns.
  
• The previous record for touchdown passes in a Giants game was 11, on Oct. 28, 1962, when Y.A, Tittle threw seven, and Washington's Norm Snead had four.
  
• Brees' seven touchdown passes tied both the NFL record for most scoring passes in a game, and the most ever against the Giants. On Nov. 14, 1943, Sid Luckman of the Chicago Bears threw seven touchdown passes in a 56-7 triumph over the Giants.
  
• Brees became the eighth player in history to throw for seven touchdowns in a game, joining Luckman, Adrian Burk, George Blanda, Tittle, Joe Kapp, Peyton Manning and Nick Foles.
• New Orleans gained 614 yards, the second-highest total ever by a Giants opponent. Chicago gained 682 yards on Nov. 14, 1943, in the game in which Luckman threw seven touchdown passes. Previously, the second-highest yardage total given up the Giants was 577 - which occurred on their previous visit to New Orleans, on Nov. 28, 2011.
• New Orleans' 36 first downs were the second-highest total ever for a Giants' opponent. The Los Angeles Rams had 38 first downs in a 55-14 victory on Nov. 13, 1966.
• Brees' 511 yards were the most by a quarterback against the Giants in history. The previous record of 444 yards was set by San Diego's Dan Fouts on Oct. 19, 1980.
• Brees threw 50 passes without getting sacked. It was the most passes a Giants opponent has thrown without being sacked since Dec. 1, 1986, when San Francisco's Joe Montana threw 52 passes.
• Brees completed 40 passes, tied for the second-most ever vs. the Giants. St. Louis' Marc Bulger completed 40 passes in a 44-24 Giants victory on Oct. 2, 2005. The record of 41 was set by Dallas' Tony Romo on Dec. 6, 2009, in a 31-24 Giants victory.
• Manning threw a career-high six touchdown passes - three to Odell Beckham Jr., two to Dwayne Harris, and one to Shane Vereen. His previous best was five against Philadelphia on Dec. 30, 2012.