National Football League

Payton gets OK to attend Saints game

Published Oct. 3, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

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The NFL has granted permission for Saints coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and assistant head coach Joe Vitt to attend New Orleans' home game Sunday night against San Diego, in which Drew Brees can break a tie with Johnny Unitas for the NFL record of consecutive regular-season games with a touchdown pass.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says Brees, tied with Unitas at 47, asked that Payton, Loomis and Vitt be allowed to attend even as they continue to serve suspensions of various lengths in connection with the NFL's bounty investigation. Aiello says the three suspended members of the organization may watch the game from a private area and may not have contact with the team.

Unitas set the record from 1956 to 1960. Brees tied it Sunday at Green Bay, throwing for three scores.