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Saints' Drew Brees nears 400-touchdown milestone

 
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) passes the ball during the third quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday December 28th, 2014. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the New Orleans Saints, 23-20.

MONICA HERNDON | TIMES
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) passes the ball during the third quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday December 28th, 2014. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the New Orleans Saints, 23-20. MONICA HERNDON | TIMES
Published Sept. 18, 2015

Saints QB Drew Brees needs three touchdown passes to become just the fourth player in NFL history with 400 for his career, joining an elite trio in Peyton Manning, Dan Marino and Brett Favre.

Or, if he doesn't hurry, the fifth to do so — just as Brees is at 397, the Patriots' Tom Brady is at 396, and both have 1 p.m. kickoffs Sunday.

If Brees can get three today, he would be the fastest QB ever to 400 TDs — he's playing in his 204th game, while Manning needed 209, Marino 227 and Favre 228; Brady is playing in his 211th.

Brees would likely reach 400 with the fewest career interceptions — he has 195 right now, while Manning had 198 when he got to 400, Marino 231 and Favre 258. That honor will be short-lived, as Brady has just 143, which will shatter the previous low.

Brees has faced all 32 NFL teams and has thrown at least four touchdown passes against all of them, but the Bucs have the honor of suffering the most from Brees, with 41 in 19 games. The team that has allowed the most on a per-game basis? The Saints, who gave up four to Brees in his only career game against them.

To put his touchdowns in perspective — Brees only played five seasons with the Chargers, four as starter, but he has as many touchdown passes with San Diego (80) as the most for any Bucs quarterback. Josh Freeman has the Tampa Bay career record with 80.