Charlotte, NC -- (Sports Network) - Drew Brees threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns, then rushed for another as the New Orleans Saints pummeled NFC South rival Carolina, 31-6, at Bank of America Stadium.

Brees finished 24-of-36 and was also intercepted once, as New Orleans (5-6) snapped a two-game skid and continues to hang around the division, moving into second place. They remained two games back of first-place Tampa Bay heading into next Sunday's showdown at the Superdome. The Bucs held off the Redskins, 19-13, on Sunday.

Marques Colston had seven receptions for 93 yards and a TD, and was one of nine receivers to catch a pass for the Saints. Billy Miller finished with four catches for 32 yards and a score, while Lance Moore hauled in three passes for 16 yards with a touchdown.

"We were able to come out and really translate what we did this week in practice," said Colston. "We were able to get into a rhythm and keep it going."

Aaron Stecker led the running game with 42 yards on 13 carries, while Reggie Bush was held to 32 yards on the ground.

David Carr completed just 10-of-22 passes for 95 yards and was picked off twice for the Panthers (4-7), who have dropped five straight after a 4-2 start and have not won at home since November 19, 2006.

Carr started in place of Vinny Testaverde, who was inactive with a sore back. Undrafted rookie Matt Moore came on in the fourth quarter and completed 8- of-14 passes for 66 yards and one interception.

"You just try to go out and make a play," said Carr. "It wasn't like we wanted to go out there and do what were doing. I wasn't purposefully not scoring points. They (the fans) were chanting Moore, so I thought they wanted more points and we were trying to give them to them."

The running game was also nonexistent, as DeShaun Foster rushed nine times for minus-5 yards and also lost a fumble.

New Orleans, already holding a four-point lead, took the opening kickoff of the second half and methodically carved up the Panthers' secondary. Brees was able to convert a third down when he hooked up with Miller for a six-yard gain, and three plays later found Devery Henderson for a 33-yard reception. Eric Johnson then hauled in a 19-yard pass down to the Carolina four-yard line, and two plays later Miller hauled in a one-yard pass to make it 17-6.

Carolina got back near midfield after a 22-yard end-around by Steve Smith, but on 3rd-and-1, Foster was dropped for a 12-yard loss. The ball squirted free and bounced backwards 14 more yards, forcing another punt.

Brees then gave New Orleans a 24-6 lead at 6:14, as he scrambled eight yards to the end zone for his first rushing TD as a Saint and his first since December 2005.

Foster fumbled again after he was hauled down by Roman Harper on Carolina's next drive. The ball was recovered by Will Smith at the Panthers' 43, and 10 plays later Colston's four-yard TD catch put the Saints ahead 31-6 with :47 left in the stanza.

"I felt like momentum -- we just had it," said Brees. "The defense was getting turnovers, coming up with big stops. We were capitalizing on those with touchdowns and when you get that kind of a flow going is when it gets really fun."

The Panthers opened the scoring, as John Kasay booted a 45-yard field goal that snuck just inside the left upright with 4:24 remaining in the first quarter. Carolina had driven 53 yards in five plays, but was helped along by Jason David, the much-maligned cornerback for the Saints, who was flagged for a 41-yard pass interference penalty.

Brees was picked off by Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers on the Saints' next possession, but Carolina picked up just nine yards on three plays before failing to convert on 4th-and-1.

New Orleans took advantage, as Brees marched the offense 67 yards in 13 plays, capped by a one-yard TD pass to Moore midway through the second quarter. A 17- yard completion from Brees to Miller fueled the drive and Brees moved the chains again on a 12-yard pass to Colston that left the Saints just shy of the red zone. Seven plays later Moore caught up to a one-yard floater.

Carr was then intercepted by Josh Bullocks at the Panthers' 49, and three plays later Olindo Mare's 46-yard field goal gave the Saints a 10-3 lead.

Kasay answered with a 29-yarder that closed it to 10-6 with 25 seconds left until the break.

Carolina mustered just 84 total net yards in the half, as Carr was a dismal 7- for-17 for 63 yards.

Game Notes

Mare failed to convert on a 57-yard field goal with two seconds left in the first half, with the line-drive kick falling well short of the crossbar...The Panthers played without cornerback Chris Gamble, who broke his right thumb in last Sunday's loss to Green Bay...Defensive end Charles Grant and left tackle Jammal Brown returned for New Orleans after missing time with injuries...The Panthers have used five quarterbacks this season, including three different starters, because of injuries...The Saints are 14-4 under head coach Sean Payton when scoring 20 or more points...Carolina has not scored an offensive touchdown at home in 11 quarters.