NFL roundup: Saints march past Tampa to 10-0

Associated Press

Published: Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009 11:35 p.m. MST

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TAMPA, Fla. — Drew Brees threw for three touchdowns and the Saints shrugged off a slow start defensively to remain unbeaten.

Robert Meacham caught touchdown passes of 4 and 6 yards in the first half. Third-string running back Mike Bell scored on runs of 3 and 1 yards in the second half, when New Orleans gained 147 of its 183 yards rushing. The Saints (10-0) have their first 10-game winning streak in franchise history.

A spate of turnovers made the Saints seem more vulnerable over the past month, but Brees didn't throw an interception for the first time in five games. The Saints also didn't allow a sack for the first time since Oct. 18 against the Giants.

Tampa Bay (1-9) drove 95 yards for a touchdown on its first possession. But Freeman had little success after his 18-yard scoring pass to Michael Clayton gave the Bucs a short-lived 7-0 lead.

CHIEFS 27, STEELERS 24, OT: At Kansas City, Mo., Ryan Succop kicked a 22-yard field goal with 8:28 left in overtime after Chris Chambers' 61-yard catch-and-run, and the Chiefs snapped a team-record 10-game home losing streak.

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The Super Bowl champs, with Charlie Batch replacing a shaken-up Ben Roethlisberger in overtime, had to punt on their first possession. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Roethlisberger's injury was a "concussion-oriented thing."

The Chiefs faced third down when Matt Cassel connected with Chambers, who went 61 yards before he was pushed out of bounds at the 4. Succop, the final player drafted in April, kicked the game-winner for the Chiefs' first home victory in more than a year. Succop also had a 27-yarder that tied it 17-17 in the final seconds of the third quarter.

It was the second loss in a row for the Steelers (6-4), who were without injured Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu. The Steelers had the ball for almost 19 minutes longer than the Chiefs (3-7) and outgained them 463-206. The Chiefs stayed in it with a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 94-yard interception return.

EAGLES 34, BEARS 20: At Chicago, Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles found a way to pull out a close win. They also hurt the Chicago Bears in the process.