Brees helps Saints rout Panthers in playoff tune-up

Drew Brees threw three touchdown passes as the New Orleans Saints geared up for the postseason by smashing the host Carolina Panthers 42-10 in the regular-season finale Sunday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. New Orleans (13-3) ended the game as the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs but could move up to No. 2 -- and get a first-round bye -- depending on the outcome of the Sunday night game between San Francisco and host Seattle.

Brees finished the game 19 of 30 for 253 yards and did not throw an interception. The Panthers (5-11) lost their eighth game in a row as they finished in last place in the NFC South. They were 0-4 under interim coach Perry Fewell since the firing of coach Ron Rivera.

New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara rushed for two first-quarter touchdowns, scoring from 15 and 1 yards for the first two touchdowns of the game. Linebacker A.J. Klein, a former Panther, intercepted a Will Grier pass and returned it 14 yards for a second-quarter touchdown.

Brees threw second-quarter touchdown passes to Tre'Quan Smith for 1 yard and to Jared Cook for 21 yards. The Saints held a 35-0 lead by late in the second quarter on the way to sweeping the season series from the Panthers. Carolina finally scored on Joey Slye's 23-yard field goal with 32 seconds left in the first half.

In the third quarter, Brees connected with Taysom Hill for a 45-yard touchdown play. Quarterback Kyle Allen was 25 of 41 for 295 yards for the Panthers. He was intercepted in the end zone on the team's final possession of the season.

Grier, starting in his second NFL game and his first at home, exited in the first half with a foot injury. He was 1 for 8 for four yards before departing. Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter. He finished with 26 yards on nine carries and 72 yards on seven catches. He became the third player in NFL history with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season, joining Marshall Faulk (1999) and Roger Craig (1985).

Carolina struggled to get a first down in the first half, going deep into the second quarter with only one first down -- and that came via a penalty.