Brees picked off five times as Falcons beat Saints

Five interceptions for the first time in his career. The end of his NFL-record touchdown streak. And a timing mistake that cost the Saints dearly.

The Falcons raced to a 17-0 lead, then turned to their defense to make it stand up. The result was a 23-13 victory Thursday night that pushed Atlanta to the brink of a division championship and may have finished off the Saints’ fading hopes.

Brees had thrown a touchdown pass in 54 consecutive games, eclipsing Johnny Unitas’ longstanding record earlier in the season.