Saints' quarterback Drew Brees set a new NFL record for career passing yards in Monday night's blowout win against the Redskins -- and he did it in style.

Brees hit rookie Tre'Quan Smith with a 62-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter against Washington to break Peyton Manning's previous record of 71,940 yards.

Officials stopped the game and the history-making ball was handed over to Pro Football Hall of Fame officials waiting on the sideline. As the Superdome crowd gave Brees a standing ovation, he removed his helmet and hugged his wife Brittany and their four children.

Brees was wearing a microphone for broadcaster ESPN and was recorded telling teammates, family members, and head coach Sean Payton how much he loved them.

The touchdown pass gave the Saints a 26-6 lead as they sought to move into first place in the NFC South division.

The Saints won with a blowout 43-19 against the Redskins, scoring 14 points in the third quarter and 3 points in the last quarter. Washington didn't score any points in the third quarter but routed 6 points in the fourth.

Brees finished 26 of 29 for 363 yards with a total of three touchdowns, bringing New Orleans to four wins and one loss this season so far.

"I broke down and cried a bunch of times this week, just thinking about so many things," Brees said after his latest NFL-record-setting performance in a 43-19 victory over the Washington Redskins on Monday night. "I think about all the people who have influenced my life in such a powerful way, and there were so many of those people that were here tonight, that witnessed this, so many people that I spoke to this week that are a part of this, and so many other still that I have yet to have a chance to reach out to.

"Two of the people who had biggest influence on my football career certainly and on who I am, growing up, are my mom and my grandfather and they're in heaven. They're no longer here, but I know that they would be proud." — Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints Quarterback

"Two of the people who had biggest influence on my football career certainly and on who I am, growing up, are my mom and my grandfather and they're in heaven. They're no longer here, but I know that they would be proud," Brees said.

Earlier this season, Brees broke Brett Favre's career record of 6,300 completions. Brees still needs 42 touchdown passes to surpass Manning's record of 539, something the Saints quarterback could achieve next season if he maintains his current level of play. But Brees also would have to outpace Tom Brady, who has 500 TD passes, the only active player with more than Brees in that category.

Although Brees is 39 and in his 18th NFL season, his production indicates he has a lot more left than the one season remaining on his contract.

"It's a beautiful thing, a beautiful experience for all of us," said Saint left tackle Terron Armstead, the first teammate to hug Brees after the record-setting completion to Smith. "The energy in the stadium at that time, I thought he was going to cry, really. He's a tough dude, he probably didn't want to show that side. But it was an amazing experience."

Bress is averaging 323.8 yards per game, which ranks firmly in the top 10 in the NFL. His completion rate of 75.8 percent leads the NFL, and, if sustained for the entire season, would break the record of 72 percent Brees set just last season.

Fox News' Amy Lieu and the Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees made history, becoming the NFL's all-time passing leader.

The 39-year-old QB surpassed Peyton Manning's record of 71,940 yards with a 62-yard touchdown pass to Tre'Quan Smith late in the second quarter against the Washington Redskins.

Brees – a Super Bowl champion and MVP – entered Monday's game 201 yards shy of the milestone.

The Saints briefly paused the game so Brees could savour the special moment with his team-mates and family in front of the home crowd.

Manning's record stood since 2015 when the future Hall of Famer passed Brett Favre's mark of 71,838 yards, which had been upheld since 2007.

Brees previously set an NFL record for most career completions in week three, surpassing Favre's previous mark of 6,300 as he connected with wide receiver Michael Thomas on a 17-yard pass against the Atlanta Falcons.

Brees entered the game 122-of-161 passes for 1,295 yards and eight touchdowns this season.</s>New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is now the most prolific passer in NFL history.

With his 62-yard touchdown pass to Tre'Quan Smith during the Saints' Week 5 game against the Washington Redskins, Brees passed Peyton Manning's 71,940 career passing yards to move into first place on the all-time list.

Manning congratulated Brees on breaking his record in a way only he could:

Brees started the 2018 season as one of only three quarterbacks in NFL history with at least 70,000 passing yards. Brett Favre and Manning are the others.

Brees entered Monday night trailing Manning by 200 yards, with 98 yards separating Brees from Favre in second place.

Manning even acknowledged over the summer that his record was going to fall soon.

"I don't think it's a matter of if [Brees breaks the record], it's just a matter of when," Manning told reporters in June. "He deserves it. He's been a great player for a long time."

Brees, 39, is just checking off more boxes on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame five years after he decides to hang up his cleats.

The 11-time Pro Bowler began this season as the NFL's all-time leader in most consecutive years with at least 4,000 passing yards (12), 5,000 passing yards (five) and 300-yard passing games (109).</s>PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke Peyton Manning’s record for most passing yards in NFL history Monday night, but it was Manning that stole the show.

Brees set the all-time passing record late in the second quarter of the Saints’ win over the Redskins with a 62-yard touchdown pass to Tre’Quan Smith, surpassing Manning’s record of 71,940 yards. A lengthy celebration followed with Brees saluting the fans and sharing a special moment with his family before play resumed.

But Manning was the star of the night thanks to a video posted to the Denver Broncos’ Facebook page.

Brees is also on pace to break Manning’s record for most touchdown passes in league history, but at least Manning looks to have a future in comedy, or at the very least, salad making.

The Eagles will face the Saints in New Orleans on Nov. 18.</s>New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has added another record to his trophy case. The 39-year old passer has surpassed Brett Favre and Peyton Manning to own the NFL’s most prestigious passing record, with 71,968 career yards gained through the air – more than the width of Lake Pontchartrain.

The record-snapping play came off of a 62-yard touchdown reception for Tre’Quan Smith, with the rookie breaking free against Washington’s coverage to catch the ball and race down the sideline.

Brees has shredded the NFL for 18 years, even if his early days in San Diego were rocky at times. He already owns records for career completion percentage (67.1-percent), passing yards per game (342.3), and consecutive seasons of 4,500 yards (7). He also owns 5 of the 9 single seasons with 5,000 or more yards passing. Brees is a machine.

This record is just the latest entry in Brees’ Hall of Fame-bound career. The Super Bowl XLIV champion and game MVP has seen an unprecedented resurgence since joining the Saints back in 2006, rebounding from a shoulder injury that normally ends careers. It can’t be stressed enough how much adversity he’s overcome to get to this point.</s>One of the most prolific passers in NFL history has added a remarkable record to his long list of Hall of Fame-caliber achievements.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke Peyton Manning's all-time passing record of 71,940 yards during the second quarter of Monday night's game against the Washington Redskins. He set the mark on a 62-yard touchdown pass to Tre'Quan Smith. He needed 201 yards to surpass Manning's mark -- the TD gave him 228 yards on the night and the Saints a 26-13 lead.

The 39-year-old signal caller was honored during a brief stoppage in play after breaking the record, receiving an ovation from players and fans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans as he huddled with his family and Saints owner Gayle Benson. The ball caught by Smith was given to Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker for display in Canton, Ohio.

Brees entered the game third all-time in passing yards with 71,740 before passing No. 2 Brett Favre (71,838). Brees is roughly 5,000 yards ahead of the next active player on the all-time passing list -- No. 4 Tom Brady at 67,077.

Brees passed Favre's total on a 6-yard pass to Alvin Kamara during the second quarter.

It also took Brees fewer games than Manning to pass for 71,740 yards -- Brees achieved the feat in 253 games compared to Manning's 266. He also has a higher career completion percentage (67.1) than Manning (65.3) and Favre (62.0). He surpassed Favre earlier this season to become the NFL's all-time completion leader.

Brees told reporters this week he "never would have dreamed" of setting the all-time passing mark when he first entered the league with the San Diego Chargers in 2001. He said he was "extremely grateful" to be in position to break the record but added that his focus going into game was on beating Washington, not setting the record.

Manning took a timeout from prepping dinner to congratulate Brees on breaking the record (and to congratulate him for breaking his TD record, which should fall to Brees next season):

Favre also congratulated Brees on passing him on the all-time list:</s>Drew Brees took his place among NFL royalty in style.

The New Orleans Saints quarterback become the league's all-time leading passer Monday night, surpassing first Brett Favre (71,838) and then Peyton Manning (71,940) to claim the top spot for most passing yards in the NFL's 99-year history.

Brees broke the record with a 62-yard touchdown pass to Tre'Quan Smith in the second quarter. The play gave Brees 71,968 yards (nearly 41 miles) and staked New Orleans to a 26-6 lead over Washington.

The game was temporarily stopped as Brees celebrated with his family, teammates and coaches.

He began the night needing 201 yards to take possession of a record that's also belonged to Hall of Famers Johnny Unitas, Fran Tarkenton and Dan Marino, among others.

Brees, 39, is under contract through the 2019 season and has a chance to eventually blow by 80,000 yards if he can keep this up. Tom Brady (67,418 yards) is his closest active pursuer.

Peyton seemed to be in good spirits when the news was broken to him as he sliced tomatoes:

"Drew, for 1,000 days I've held the record for all-time passing yards in the NFL. And I gotta tell ya, it's been the greatest 1,000 days of my life. And thanks to you, that's over now and you've ruined that for me. So, thank you very much. I've nothing left to look forward to left except slicing my tomatoes, making dinner for my family, putting together this wedge salad..."

© Gannett Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved</s>Peyton Manning “congratulated” New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees for breaking the retired NFLer’s career passing yards record Monday night in an awkward, hilarious fashion.

Brees broke Manning’s record during the Saints’ romp over the Washington Redskins in front of a hometown crowd in New Orleans, as the 39-year-old’s wife and children watched from the sidelines.

“It’s hard for me to reflect too much right now just because my career’s not done,” Brees said. “There are still goals to be accomplished. There are still challenges to be met. And so I’m still very focused on that.”

READ MORE: Peyton Manning calling it a career after 18 NFL seasons

Following Brees’ feat, fans were treated to a video message from Manning, former Denver Broncos’ quarterback and a New Orleans native, who awkwardly praised Bree’s accomplishment. The video was also shared on the Bronco’s social media channels.

The video shows Manning chopping tomatoes while muttering about his lost record.

“Drew, for a thousand days I’ve held the record for all-time passing yards in the NFL. I got to tell you it’s been the greatest thousand days of my life,” Manning said straight-faced to the camera. “Thanks to you, that’s over now and you’ve ruined that for me.

“So, thank you very much. I have nothing left to look forward to except slicing my tomatoes, making dinner for my family, putting together this wedge salad,” Manning said.

Brees is also on pace to break Manning’s touchdown record, something the retired quarterback noted in the video message.

READ MORE: Super Bowl champions Denver Broncos bask in spotlight of loyal fans on parade day

“Also, let this serve as the congratulations for the touchdown record because as you can see I’m very busy,” Manning added. “I don’t have time to keep doing these videos for you.”

Brees has 499 TD throws, one fewer than Tom Brady and 40 fewer than Peyton.

Manning did, however, sincerely congratulate Brees and the end of the message.

“You’ve done it the right way. All your hard work and dedication have paid off,” he said.

–with a file from the Associated Press</s>Former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning posted a tongue-in-cheek video on Twitter to congratulate Drew Brees after he broke Manning's all-time passing yards record.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is now the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards, passing Peyton Manning for the top spot last night against the Washington Redskins.

Brees eclipsed Manning’s 71,940 career passing yards when he connected with rookie wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith for a 62-yard touchdown in the second quarter against the Redskins.

“It played out even greater than I ever could’ve imagined,” Brees told ESPN, adding he’d been thinking about what he would do when the moment finally arrived. Brees embraced his teammates on the field and made sure to show the home fans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Monday Night Football before receiving hugs and kisses with his wife Brittany and their four children, telling his kids right after the play, “You can accomplish anything in life you’re willing to work for, right?”

“There’s so many people that are responsible and had a hand in that,” Brees told ESPN reporters after the game when they asked what breaking the record meant to him. “The two people that are most responsible for my football career, early on, my mom and my grandpa, are up in heaven.

Peyton Manning was a good sport about Brees surpassing his record, posting a hilarious video on the Denver Broncos official Twitter account after Brees threw that second-quarter touchdown.

“Drew, for 1,000 days, I’ve held the all-time record for passing yards in the NFL. I’ve got to tell you it’s been the greatest 1,000 days of my life. And thanks to you, that’s over now. And you’ve ruined that for me,” Manning said into the camera, clearly joking with Brees.

“Thank you very much. There’s nothing left to look forward to except slicing my tomatoes, getting dinner ready for my family, putting together this wedge salad. “Also let this serve as the congratulations for the record, because as you see, I’m very busy. I don’t have the time to keep doing these videos for you congratulating you.”

Later in the video, Manning changes to a more serious, congratulatory tone, telling Brees, “You’ve done it the right way. All of your hard work and dedication have paid off.”

In response to seeing Manning’s video after the game, Brees was obviously both amused and appreciative of the two-time Superbowl winner acknowledging his achievement.

“In true Peyton fashion,” Brees said. “He always is very creative.”</s>The Superdome crowd knew it was coming, his family was on the sidelines, and a 62 yard TD pass put him over the top.

Drew Brees threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to receiver Tre'Quan Smith last night and the New Orleans Saints quarterback became the NFL's all-time passing leader. Watch the video HERE.

Brees entered the Monday Night Football game in third place on the all-time list. He passed Brett Favre first and then overtook Peyton Manning on his way to a 43-19 blow-out win over the Washington Redskins. The game came to a halt for several minutes as he was mobbed by his teammates and then joined by his family. Drew was emotional and thanked his mother and grandfather "in heaven."

While Drew Brees was breaking Peyton Manning's record last night, Peyton was home slicing tomatoes.

"Drew, for 1,000 days, I've held the all-time record for passing yards in the NFL. I've got to tell you it's been the greatest 1,000 days of my life. And thanks to you, that's over now. And you've ruined that for me," Manning declares.

Manning is then told that Brees is headed to replace Peyton atop the all-time touchdown record of 539.

"Also let this serve as the congratulations for the record, because as you see, I'm very busy. I don't have the time to keep doing these videos for you congratulating you," Manning said.

The video includes a photo of the two of them together when Peyton was a third year NFL quarterback and Drew was still in college.

No one deadpans like Peyton!
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees becomes the NFL’s career leader in passing yardage, surpassing Peyton Manning.