(Image source: The Times-Picayune)

BY JIM FLINK

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

Drew Brees rewrote the record books Monday night -- breaking Dan Marino’s decades-old single-season passing record. The New Orleans Times-Picayune’s Peter Finney explains the historic moment.

“How dramatic. On his final completion of the evening, Drew Brees throws a 9-yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles, giving him 307 for the game and 5,087 for the season -- 3 yards more than Dan Marino posted in 1984.  It could not have been scripted any better.”

In some ways yes. Brees was a gracious winner, crediting everyone from owners to teammates to ball boys for his success.

ESPN’s Trent Dilfer says -- he’s a true star.

“This is a guy of tremendous faith, tremendous character in the NFL in terms of a person, or a competitor. ... And he didn’t talk about himself at all.  He talked about everybody else that helped him climb that hill.  Just a tremendous, tremendous person.  Every young player out there, look at Drew Brees as a true role model, a true pro."

But a storybook ending? Sports Illustrated says Don Banks says, for the most part, yes..

“Though the record didn't fall during the course of a close game, Brees revealed in the accomplishment, coming it as it did in a game of such significance, against a division rival, before a national TV audience. And if others took issue with the Saints' approach, well, it was up to Atlanta's defense to stop them, and it couldn't.”

But Yahoo!’s Jason Cole says, there was a decided lack of class in how the Saints achieved the record.

“Classy? Not so much, and Payton pretty much admitted that when he said he stretched his ethical standards for this situation....Brees is one of the classiest guys in the NFL ... But you can’t say that you’re not trying to run up the score when you actually are running up the score.”

CBS Sports talked with a few Falcons’ players who were playing the no respect card.

“Respect? The Falcons players didn't see it that way. Nor did much of their staff.  The players I talked to all thought it was classless.”

Fan blogger Falcoholic says, the better team won. Now, the Falcons will get another shot at Brees and New Orleans, in the playoffs.

“You'd be hard-pressed to find a more motivated team than the Saints … they're a damn good football team ...So the Falcons got shown up on national television and must make the necessary adjustments on both sides of the ball for next week, let alone the playoffs. Time to look ahead. There's a road worth walking in the future, and behind us there's nothing but knee-high piles of poop.”

As for the golden-armed Brees, he has one more regular season game to pad the single-season passing record, he now owns.