During the fourth quarter of Monday night’s crucial tilt against the Falcons, Saints quarterback Drew Brees set the NFL single-season passing yards record, eclipsing Marino’s previous mark of 5,084.

Brees entered the contest just 305 yards short of the record, which has stood for an incredible 27 years.

As he’s done all season long, Brees was simply surgical, tearing through an overmatched Falcons secondary with relative ease. He finished with 23 completions for 307 yards and four touchdowns.

Obviously, the game had bigger and more important implications — New Orleans was playing for the NFC South crown. However, you can bet that the team wanted to see its All-World signal-caller accomplish the feat in front of their home crowd.

And they did. The man from Purdue officially surpassed the man from Pittsburgh, doing so in workmanlike yet remarkable fashion — just what we’ve come to expect from the 2011 MVP front-runner.

Per the Associated Press, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson feels the Saints were purposely attempting to re-injure his left ankle, which caused him to miss the last three games, during Minnesota’s 42-20 loss on Sunday.

Even though Peterson anticipated his ankle being a target for the opposition, he says it “kind of got overboard” after cornerback Jabari Greer twisted it in a pile up, leading to a brief confrontation between the two.

Luckily, AP escaped the contest without further injury, but this has become somewhat of a disturbing trend for the Saints.

Last week, the Titans accused them of blowing a whistle from the bench area late in the game, causing confusion on the field. Tennessee receiver Nate Washington also ripped Saints safety Roman Harper for being a “dirty player.”

Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams likes to employ a physical and intense style of defense, and it’s generally pretty successful. However, both he and head coach Sean Payton would be wise to address the supposed guilty parties before Big Brother begins to keep a watchful eye out.

Per ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky, two members of the Titans offensive line, guard Jake Scott and tackle Michael Roos, thought they heard a whistle from the Saints’ bench area during the game’s fourth quarter, which conflicted with the refs’ whistles on the field.

And it wasn’t just their imagination: there’s apparently evidence of the rogue noise, caught by the team’s television show producer, Dean McCondichie.

“Dean’s got it on tape,” Scott said. “Somebody was blowing a whistle on the sideline. There is audio of it, so we’ll let it go from there. The second to last drive I think.”

McCondichie had Roos mic’d up for this week’s episode of the show, and unequivocally concluded it was indeed another whistle, loud enough to hear within earshot.

“During the game we heard this whistle blowing, but they weren’t stopping the game, they just kept playing,” he said. “They were loud enough for me to hear it on the microphone on him. They were all trying to figure out why play continued. I asked them if they knew where it came from and they said the New Orleans bench. Nobody saw it, but it was pretty loud and it was definitely a whistle.

It doesn’t end there, either. Apparently, New Orleans’ chippy on-field actions were just as bad as their supposed sideline indiscretions.

After he witnessed a blatant facemask against a fellow receiver, Nate Washington was quick to call out the perpetrator, Saints safety Roman Harper, for what he considers him to be — a dirty player.

“That was dirty what he did, it’s unfortunate that he grabbed the facemask — at the same time you don’t walk over a guy and nudge him with your knee. You don’t do that. That’s dirty. And honestly, that’s a dirty player, flat out. This is not just one game. He’s been doing it all season. And I’m tired of it. I hope the league did something about it,” Washington said.

Sour grapes will be sour grapes; such is life after defeat in the NFL. If these accusations truly hold any merit, we’ll be sure to hear about it during the upcoming week.

Otherwise, it’s just your typical postgame fodder.

Though, if there was one positive glimmer on an otherwise gloomy Sunday for New Orleans, it was definitely second-year tight end Jimmy Graham, who added himself to the record books with an outstanding performance.

During the Week 6 contest, Graham hauled in seven passes for 124 yards, an impressive statline considering the Saints’ spread-the-wealth style of offense.

However, his numbers were even more significant because it was Graham’s fourth straight 100-yard game, which tied an NFL record for tight ends and set a new franchise record.

Up to this point, Graham ranks third in the league with 620 receiving yards, and leads all tight ends by an extremely wide margin in the same category. His 39 receptions are second to only Wes Welker, the NFL’s leading receiver.

The way he dominates week in and week out is simply a spectacular sight to behold. Using his 6’6, 260 pound frame, Graham is a nightmare matchup for any defense. With his rare mix of speed and power, he’s virtually uncoverable.

Assuming he continues at the pace he’s set for himself, Graham is well on his way to becoming the best at his position in 2011.

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Tom Condon, the agent for Brees, said he and Saints general manager Mickey Loomis had a “substantial talk” in ‘Nawlins on Tuesday.

“We spent a good deal of time together and had a substantial talk,” Condon said.

Condon didn’t reveal how close (or far) both parties are from an agreement, or the financial terms they’re aiming for. Brees is in the last year of his current deal, which pays him $7,393,500 in 2011. That number is likely soon to double.

It’s a big step in the right direction after negotiations were deemed far apart as recently as last week. Each side might be putting pressure on the other to wrap this up already.

It’s obvious New Orleans isn’t going to let Brees anywhere near free agency, and could even use the franchise tag as a last ditch way of hanging onto the five-time Pro Bowler for next season. Though, it’d probably be cheaper and more practical to just sign him long-term and be done with it.

It could take a little while before they put it in writing, but it’d be shocking if Brees doesn’t have a new contract by the team’s Week 11 bye.

According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, wide receiver Marques Colston suffered a broken collarbone in the team’s 42-34 loss to the Packers Thursday night. Glazer says Colston will miss “approximately” four weeks, but that seems like an awfully generous timetable, given the injury.

It’s a tough break for Colston, who returned to action after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee at the end of last season. He turned in a solid performance, hauling in six passes for 81 yards before leaving the game on the Saints’ final drive.

New Orleans was already without receiver Lance Moore, who’s dealing with a groin injury, so this further muddles things. Though, in Moore’s absence, both Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem proved capable of stepping up and making plays in coach Sean Payton‘s offense.

Now down two wideouts, Henderson, Meachem, and tight end Jimmy Graham figure to receive the bulk of the catches, though it’s possible Payton could deviate from his tendencies and rely a bit more on the three-headed running attack going forward.

Per the Saints’ official website, the team has signed coach Sean Payton to a contract extension through the 2015 season. Payton had two years remaining on his old deal, but the organization wasn’t about to wait until it expired to wrap up its head man.

Owner Tom Benson made the news official Monday.

“I am very pleased to announce this contract extension today for Sean that will run through the 2015 season,” said Saints Owner Tom Benson. “Our goal is to continue to build a TRADITION of winning here in New Orleans and Sean represents that tradition.”

In 2006, Payton assumed head coaching duties and immediately turned the team into contenders, winning the NFC South title and Coach of The Year in the process. It was just three seasons later that he led them to its first conference championship and, of course, a Super Bowl victory over the Colts.

Payton holds an overall record of 53-33 in six seasons of duty.

The New Orleans Saints’ backfield just got a little less crowded — for time being.

Per NFL insider Adam Caplan, the Saints placed running back Chris Ivory on injured reserve Friday. He’s done for the season.

Ivory is still recovering from a Lisfranc fracture in his foot, which he suffered in the team’s final regular-season game last year. If that injury — a devastating one for running backs — wasn’t bad enough, Ivory also underwent surgery in August to repair a sports hernia.

Evidently, he must be nowhere close to healthy as New Orleans bypassed the PUP list and decided to shelve him on IR. If they would’ve went with the former, Ivory could have had his status re-evaluated after six weeks, possibly returning to action shortly therefore. It’s a moot discussion now.

Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2010, Ivory stepped into the starting lineup last season when injuries forced Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas out of action. He went on to lead the team with 716 rushing yards, also notching five touchdowns on the ground.

The Saints won’t be sweating this loss, though. With Thomas, rookie first-round pick Mark Ingram, and free-agent acquisition Darren Sproles all in tow, there wouldn’t have been enough carries to go around for Ivory — even in the share-the-wealth offense coach Sean Payton likes to employ.

• He may be staying put with his old team, but safety Roman Harper earned some serious dough while doing so. The Saints re-signed Harper to a four-year, $28.5 million deal that includes $16 million in guarantees. The sixth-year vet had a very solid 2010 campaign, recording 98 tackles, three sacks, six forced fumbles, and one interception. Harper is a key member of the Saints’ defensive backfield and should continue to thrive in Gregg Williams’ defense.

• The Raiders and offensive tackle Jared Gaither reached an agreement on an undisclosed contract. The former Raven will provide a big boost to an Oakland offensive line that recently watched Robert Gallery follow ex-coach Tom Cable to Seattle. Gaither missed all of last season with a back injury, but flashes elite talent when healthy. He should instantly step into a starting position, provided that he’s fully healthy.

• After releasing linebacker Channing Crowder, the Dolphins signed ex-Charger linebacker Kevin Burnett to a four-year, $21 million contract ($9.8 million guaranteed). While he’s not a household name, Burnett played very well for the Bolts in recent years, both as a run-stopper and in pass coverage. Signed exclusively as Crowder’s replacement, Burnett will line up at inside ‘backer for the Fish.

• Although he’s not on the same level as Santonio Holmes or Sidney Rice, Mike Sims-Walker landed himself a new contract: a one-year pact with the Rams. In fact, he was so excited that he broke the news himself. St. Louis was expected to acquire a wideout, and hope they can catch lighting in a bottle with the 27-year-old. He’ll get to prove his worth to a team that desperately needed a receiver, but will have to avoid injury for that to happen. That could be a tough task for a player who barely saw the field last season.

• Confirming what most have already presumed, Vikings coach Leslie Frasier reiterated that recently-acquired quarterback Donovan McNabb will be the team’s starter, “barring some unforeseen circumstance.” McNabb was dealt to Minnesota in a trade on Wednesday and will get the nod this season over rookie Christian Ponder and second-year man Joe Webb. The only way Ponder or Webb get their shot would be if McNabb gets injured or looks totally ineffective. Based on his play from the last few seasons, that should not be ruled out at all.

So that’s that. The bigger signings and transactions were already covered in greater detail; I just wanted to make sure these other tidbits didn’t get lost in the frenzied fray of free agency. There are still a few major prospects left on the open market — including Braylon Edwards and Cullen Jenkins — so make sure to stay tuned on Saturday for more news as it breaks.

Per Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com, the Saints reach an agreement on a two-year contract with Darren Sproles. The exact terms of the detail have not yet been released.

UPDATE: Multiple outlets are reporting that it’s actually a four-year deal worth $14 million, including $6 million in guarantees.

Sproles, the former Charger, is almost an exact replica of Reggie Bush, who was traded to the Dolphins on Thursday morning.

At 5’6″, he may not possess the same physical stature as Bush, but Sproles does almost everything in textbook fashion — whether it’s toting the rock, catching passes out of the backfield, or handling blitz pickup.

In New Orleans, Sproles will be reunited with Drew Brees as they spent a season together in San Diego. He will also become a shiny new toy for coach Sean Payton to work into his high octane offense.

Despite a logjam at the position with Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory, and rookie Mark Ingram in line to receive carries, Sproles should make most Saints fans completely forget about Bush as the transition from one to the other will likely be seamless.