The seventh all-time matchup between Drew Brees and Tom Brady was a massive win for the NFL and NBC from a ratings standpoint.

According to Dino-Ray Ramos of Deadline, the Week 9 showdown between the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on NBC's Sunday Night Football drew 13.77 million viewers, with a 4.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

This highly-anticipated game didn't live up to expectations by any means. The Saints absolutely dominated the Bucs 38-3, marking the most lopsided defeat of Brady's legendary career.

Countless NFL fans, pundits and Buccaneer supporters had to be disappointed with the one-sided tilt, but the NFL and NBC will surely be pleased with the strong viewership numbers.

Brees and Brady are the two all-time leaders in passing yards and touchdowns. Entering Sunday, Brady (561) was one touchdown pass ahead of Brees.  But the Saints kept Tampa Bay out of the end zone all night, and Brees tossed four touchdown passes (now at 564) to move three ahead of Brady.

More importantly for the Saints, they swept their NFC South foes in the season series and are now in the driver's seat for the division title. Since New Orleans has the tiebreaker, they essentially hold a two-game lead over the Bucs.

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Sunday marked one of the worst outings of Brady's career, and not just because he didn't throw a touchdown pass. He completed just 22 of 38 pass attempts for 209 yards, no touchdowns and a whopping three interceptions - and he was sacked three times.

The Saints absolutely dominated in every phase. Facing the league's best rushing defense, they racked up 138 yards on the ground - led by Tayson Hill's 54. Brees also had a field day with 26 completions for 222 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

With the victory, the Saints moved to 6-2 on the season, while the Buccaneers fell to 6-3 following a three-game winning streak. The Bucs will visit the Carolina Panthers in Week 10, while the Saints prepare host the San Francisco 49ers.

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