Saints running back Darren Sproles is within reach of the all-time record for all-purpose yards in a season. The current record is held by Derrick Mason, who had a total of 2,690 yards in 2000, when he was a starting receiver and the primary kick returner for the Titans. With one game left this season, Sproles has 2,528 all-purpose yards, meaning if he has 163 all-purpose yards on Sunday, he'll have the record.

Saints running back Pierre Thomas has been fined $12,500 for a uniform violation and a touchdown celebration in which he placed a bow on a football and gave it to a fan. The fine for the celebration is $7,500. Thomas also violated NFL policies by wearing Christmas-themed green and red tape on his black and gold Saints uniform.

With 15 games and 12 wins in the books, Saints coach Sean Payton isn't about to make any changes entering the regular-season finale against the Panthers. "Our approach is going to be much like it has been," Payton said. "We're going to play all of our guys. There's still seeding at stake." The Saints can clinch the NFC's No. 2 seed and a first-round bye with a win over the Panthers and a loss by the 49ers. If the 49ers beat the Rams, or both the 49ers and Saints lose, New Orleans would be the No. 3 seed and host a first-round game. The Saints haven't lost since Oct. 30, and Payton isn't about to let off the gas pedal. "I think we're getting better as a team week to week right now," Payton said. "There's value in that. That progress might be something we need going into this postseason."

Up 38-16 with less than three minutes to play against the Falcons on Monday Night Football, the Saints opted to throw as Drew Brees attempted to break the all-time single-season passing yardage mark. Brees set the record on a nine-yard touchdown strike to running back Darren Sproles that increased the team's lead to 29 points. "No need for that," one player said, according to CBSSports.com. "It came on our watch, but it didn't have to come that way. We won't forget it." Payton -- clearly aware of the hot-button nature of his decision -- addressed the issue head-on. "Someone is going to ask this question, so I am going to answer it before it's asked," Payton said during his postgame media session. "Typically, would I be throwing it there? The answer would be probably not. In fact, the answer would be 'I wouldn't be.' But I thought it was appropriate that we get the record. And we did it. We have a ton of respect for (Falcons coach) Mike (Smith), his staff and his players. It seemed like the right thing to do. I felt real good about the decision."

A day after Sean Payton helped Drew Brees break the NFL's single-season passing record, the Saints coach wouldn't divulge whether he'd enable his star quarterback to maintain that distinction for very long. With 5,087 yards passing this season after Monday night's victory over Atlanta, Brees enters the final week of the season 190 yards ahead of New England's Tom Brady. Yet the regular-season finale may not matter in terms of playoff seeding for New Orleans, meaning the prudent choice for Payton could be to rest Brees for much of Sunday's game against Carolina. The Patriots, by contrast, need to beat Buffalo to ensure they'll have the top seed in the AFC. So it's not out of the realm of possibility that Brady could finish the season with the passing record Brees now holds, particularly if the Saints' quarterback sits out. "I'm not really aware of the space between the two. I am probably better off not knowing," Payton said of Brees and Brady's yardage totals.

Saints wide receiver Marques Colston will not give the team a hometown discount as a free agent this coming offseason, according to a source. Colston, 28, signed a three-year extension of his rookie contract with the Saints in 2009.

Drew Brees set the NFL record for yards passing in a season, breaking a mark that Dan Marino had held for 27 years, and the Saints clinched the NFC South title with a 45-16 victory over the Falcons on Monday night. Brees threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns, the last a 9-yard strike to Darren Sproles that set the record with 2:51 to go. It was Brees' final pass of the game and it gave him 5,087 yards passing, with one game still to play. Marino finished with 5,084 yards for the Dolphins in 1984.

Coming off a few missed games because of an ankle sprain Adrian Peterson expected teams to target his injury, but the Vikings running back was surprised by the Saints on Sunday. "I came into the game kind of expecting that coming back from a high ankle sprain," Peterson said. "Guys are going to try to take their shots when we're on the pile and try to twist it up and things like that. "I felt like it kind of got overboard. I got up and kind of got in his face. Thank God I was able to keep my composure." Last week, Titans receiver Nate Washington accused Saints safety Roman Harper of being a dirty player, something that Harper and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams seemed to relish.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw for 412 yards and five touchdowns on Sunday as he continues to march towards Dan Marino's single-season yardage record. Brees has 4,780 yards for the season, putting him 304 away from Marino's single season record set in 1984 with two games to play. "I'm aware that we're close," Brees said of Marino's hallowed mark. "I just know if we keep doing what we're doing all of that stuff will take care of itself."

Saints quarterback Drew Brees has ended contract talks with the team as they make their playoff push. "You know, I didn't want it to become a distraction," Brees told The Times-Picayune. "And from the discussions we had, going back and forth, there was no progress really being made. I really wanted to just focus on football. "It's been tabled for now ... and just hopefully will resume when the time is right."