Drew Brees threw three touchdown passes in his return from thumb surgery as the host New Orleans Saints won their sixth straight game with a 31-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Brees threw 43 passes and completed 34 to nine different receivers for 373 yards in his first action since injuring the thumb during a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 15.

The Saints (7-1), who were 5-0 as Teddy Bridgewater filled in for Brees, have a bye this week. The Cardinals (3-4-1) saw their three-game winning streak end.

Michael Thomas caught 11 of Brees' passes for 112 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown. Latavius Murray rushed 21 times for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Arizona finished with 237 yards, the fifth consecutive New Orleans opponent to finish with fewer than 260 yards and the second in the last three weeks to fail to score a touchdown.

Brees, who operates mostly out of the shotgun, went under center on the first play of the game as if to demonstrate the thumb's strength in accepting snaps. He handed off on the first play, then overthrew tight end Dan Arnold on the next.

But he showed no ill effects from the injury, layoff or the light, protective brace he wore on the thumb.

Trailing just 10-6, the Cardinals went for it on fourth-and-1 at their 30 midway through the third quarter and the Saints stopped Chase Edmonds for no gain.

New Orleans took advantage when Brees threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Murray for a 17-6 lead.

Zane Gonzalez made a 50-yard field goal to trim the lead to 17-9 after three quarters.

Brees threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Taysom Hill and connected with Thomas for another score before being replaced by Bridgewater.

Gonzalez kicked a 31-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead after one quarter and Wil Lutz tied the score with a 26-yarder early in the second.

Murray's 8-yard touchdown run gave New Orleans its first lead before Gonzalez's 31-yard field goal pulled Arizona within 10-6 at halftime.

--Field Level Media