Scoring

NO–Aaron Stecker 8-yard pass from Drew Brees (Taylor Mehlhaff kicks PAT), 7:42

NO–Reggie Bush 15-yard pass from Brees (Taylor Mehlhaff kicks PAT), 5:57

Notes:

– The Saints ended the quarter at the Oakland 22-yard line, courtesy of a 51-yard rainbow from Brees to Devery Henderson to the 21. Bush lost a yard a play later as the quarter expired.

Through three quarters, Brees is 24 of 27 for 291 yards and two touchdowns. He has not been sacked.

– The rout is on. Brees 15-yard touchdown pass to Bush put the Saints up 24-3, capping off a two-play, 17-yard drive after an Oakland turnover.

Bush caught a short pass over the middle, spun away from Ricky Brown, and Gibril Wilson missed a tackle attempt as he raced to the right corner of the end zone. The Brees update: 23 if 26 fir 249 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions.

– Russell finally threw the interception he’d missed four times when he threw a pass to his left directly to Jason David, who ran it back 18 yards to the Oakland 17-yard-line. It was intended for Ashley Lelie _ or, as he was called by the press box announcer on an earlier misfire _ Leslie Lelie.

– The Saints drive 55 yards in 11 plays to score on a right screen from Brees to Stecker on third-and-7 from the 8.

Brees threw one incompletion on an out route to Lance Moore, which was broken up by DeAngelo Hall.

New Orleans continued to convert third downs, getting a 5-yard run by Bush on a toss to the left on third-and-2, as well as the touchdown. The Saints have 17 first downs to six for Oakland with 7:35 left in the third quarter.

– The Raiders went three-and-out on their first drive of the half, with Russell throwing incomplete to Walker and Saints corner Jason David nearly coming up with the interceptions. It was the fourth pass Russell has thrown that could have been intercepted, but wasn’t.