Drew Brees passed for five touchdowns and a season high of 371 yards as the Saints beat the New England Patriots, 38-17, last night at the Superdome. The Saints joined the Colts at 11-0, the first time two teams have opened with that many wins in the same season.

Brees threw touchdown passes to five players: Pierre Thomas, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem, Darnell Dinkins, and Marques Colston.

New England fell to 7-4 as Tom Brady was intercepted twice and sacked once. He finished 21 of 36 for 237 yards and did not throw a touchdown pass.

Giants. Despite the New York Giants' recent slump and his own mediocre performances, quarterback Eli Manning said a stress reaction in his right foot is not affecting his play.

Manning developed the injury while dealing with another problem on the bottom of his foot during a win Oct. 4 at Kansas City. The Giants were 4-0 after that victory, but are now 6-5 as Manning has struggled in recent weeks, even though his inflamed arch has healed.

"In the games, it doesn't bother me and I don't think about it," Manning said of his latest health issue.

Redskins. Rookie defensive lineman Jeremy Jarmon (left knee injury) and two-time Pro Bowl tight end Chris Cooley (ankle) became the eighth and ninth Washington players to go on injured reserve.

Running back Clinton Portis will miss a fourth straight game as he recovers from a concussion.

Panthers. Carolina coach John Fox said that struggling quarterback Jake Delhomme fractured a finger on his throwing hand late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the New York Jets and may be replaced by the largely untested Matt Moore on Sunday against Tampa Bay.

Former Eagles quarterback A.J. Feeley also is on the roster.

Carolina linebacker Jon Beason has been arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from an incident at a strip club Nov. 15.

The Mecklenburg County (N.C.) Sheriff's Office said Beason was arrested yesterday and released on a written note to appear in court.

Cardinals. Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner said he plans to see an ophthalmologist about lingering post-concussion symptoms that kept him out of Sunday's last-second 20-17 loss at Tennessee.

Warner said he is having hard-to-describe issues with his eyes, a condition he had hoped would subside last week but never did.

He suffered a concussion Nov. 22 in the second quarter of Arizona's 21-13 victory at St. Louis and didn't play in the second half of that game.

Warner said he plans to start on Sunday night when the Cardinals (7-4) host Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings (10-1).

Browns. Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers is lost for the remainder of the season with a lower-leg injury that will require surgery, the Browns said.

Steelers. A season after winning the Super Bowl, Pittsburgh's much-admired team unity is being tested by a three-game losing streak and the unexpected decision to sit quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hours before one of the Steelers' biggest games this season.

The Steelers (6-5) have two overtime losses in as many weeks after Sunday's 20-17 loss to Baltimore. Roethlisberger sat out because of post-concussion headaches.

Wide receivers Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes suggested Roethlisberger was letting the Steelers down by forcing them to play the inexperienced Dennis Dixon.

Said Ward: "This game is almost like a playoff game. It's almost a must-win. I could see some players or teammates questioning, like, 'It's just a concussion. I've played with a concussion before.' "

Coach Mike Tomlin explained the last-minute decision wasn't made by Roethlisberger, as some players apparently thought; the team followed a recommendation by neurologist Joseph Maroon.

Jets. Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was limited during practice with a sore left knee, but should play against the Buffalo Bills in Toronto on Thursday.