WOW! I don’t think anybody could have anticipated a showing like the New Orleans Saints put out yesterday. They were heavy underdogs against the reigning MVP of the league, Aaron Rodgers, and the Green Bay Packers. Yet somehow, they walloped them by a score of 38-3 in Jacksonville. You could tell straight away that the Saints came to play while the Packers offense just didn’t look like they wanted it all that much. New Orleans just got themselves into a rhythm and picked them apart after the first two drives of the game.
The offensive line was the biggest factor in this matchup, a category that New Orleans won by a landslide. They even lost their starting center, Erik McCoy, early on but shifted their line flawlessly. Alvin Kamara and Tony Jones Jr. were picking up big chunk runs throughout the next couple of quarters and were eating away tons of time off the clock. This was crucial in opening up the passing game for the brand-new starter, Jameis Winston. Boy, did Winston look good out there in his first start in over two years. He only threw for about 145 total yards but chipped in five passing touchdowns throughout the course of the game. He was moving around the pocket well, running for first downs when plays broke down and consistently making the correct read in the pocket. This was even more impressive when you realize that New Orleans was playing this game without Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith, Emmanuel Sanders and Jared Cook. All of whom they had in their final game of last season. This team looks good right now but face a very stiff test in the Carolina Panthers this upcoming week.
The Packers were just atrocious in every aspect of the game. Rodgers and Davante Adams never really seemed to click at all. Even their rushing attack wasn’t impactful, with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon being blanketed throughout the night. Jordan Love did step in towards the end of the game to drive the team down the field while the Saints were playing prevent defense. However, he was strip sacked inside the red zone and the Saints held strong to end the contest. Green Bay’s defense also just couldn’t generate any pressure on Winston in the backfield, with the only good hit they picked up being penalized for roughing the passer. Which, in my opinion, was a very bad call. Although, the call wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the game very much, it did wipe away a tipped interception in the back of the end zone though. It would have been the only turnover of the game for New Orleans.
The Saints keep up with the rest of the division now. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up a win over the Dallas Cowboys though it didn’t look pretty by any means. The Panthers snagged a win over Zach Wilson and the New York Jets, and the Atlanta Falcons looked horrible, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Saints have a chance to break their three-way tie by beating the Panthers next weekend!