Drew Brees Leads New Orleans Saints Past Carolina Panthers for Rare Win on Road

Drew Brees overcame a shaky start, throwing for one touchdown and running for another as he led the New Orleans Saints past the Carolina Panthers, 28-10, on Thursday night to take over first place in the N.F.C. South.

The Saints (4-4) piled up 375 yards and snapped a seven-game road losing streak that dated back to last November.

Brees threw an interception and fumbled in the first quarter before he settled down late in the second quarter and led touchdown drives on four of five possessions. He finished 24 of 34 for 297 yards. Running back Mark Ingram turned in another solid performance with 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

The Saints’ defense sacked Cam Newton four times and forced two turnovers. Newton spent much of the game under heavy duress, playing behind an offensive line without three of its regular starters. He was limited to 151 yards passing.

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Gruden said that Griffin was fully recovered from a dislocated left ankle sustained in Week 2 and that Griffin took most of the first-team snaps in practice ahead of Colt McCoy, who started Monday night’s upset over the Dallas Cowboys.

“We feel he’s at 100 percent physically right now,” said Gruden, adding that time remained to make sure of the decision.

HERNANDEZ’S REQUEST DENIED A Massachusetts judge denied a request from the former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez to move his trial in the fatal shooting of a semiprofessional football player to a different county.

Hernandez is charged in the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancée. In Fall River Superior Court, Hernandez’s lawyer, Michael Fee, urged a judge to move the trial out of Bristol County, citing what he called “sensational and inflammatory” media coverage he said had prejudiced potential jurors.

TITAN PLEADS GUILTY The Tennessee Titans rookie Taylor Lewan pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly, in a plea deal that puts him on probation for a confrontation last year involving an Ohio State fan.

Lewan, 23, a former Michigan offensive tackle, was accused of hitting the fan outside a bar, hours after the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines in Ann Arbor last season, 42-41. Lewan was originally charged with aggravated assault and assault and battery against two people.

MIAMI COACH ABSENT Dolphins Coach Joe Philbin missed practice because of a family matter while the team prepared for Sunday’s game against San Diego. Philbin’s absence was expected to be brief.

MORE ACTION FOR TOP PICK Houston Texans Coach Bill O’Brien was encouraged by Jadeveon Clowney’s performance on Sunday and said the team would ease him into more work in the coming weeks. The return of Clowney, the top pick in this year’s draft, will help the Texans’ defense get after quarterbacks. Their 17 takeaways rank second in the league.

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J. J. Watt was happy to have the 6-foot-5, 266-pound Clowney back on the field with him.

“I think he’s going to continue to get better as he goes on,” Watt said. “As he goes, getting back into the defense, getting back into conditioning and getting back into everything . — I think that will be good for him and he’ll continue to impress.”

CHARGERS LOSE CORNER Jason Verrett, a rookie cornerback for San Diego, will be out for at least one game and possibly more with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Verrett originally hurt his shoulder in a victory at Oakland on Oct. 12 and aggravated it in a loss at Denver on Oct. 23.

The Chargers did regain a cornerback when Brandon Flowers was cleared to practice after missing the Denver game with a concussion.

EAGLES COULD REGAIN CENTER Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce made it through a third straight day of practice, making it more likely he will return from a sports hernia injury in this weekend’s game against Houston.

Kelce has been out since having surgery at the end of September.