Week 1 of the NFL is over and with it came many surprises. One of the biggest upsets was the New Orleans Saints 38-3 win over the Green Bay Packers. The Packers entered the game as 3.5-point favorites, but that didn’t hold the Saints back from releasing an unmatched aerial attack led by Jameis Winston.
Winston dominated the Packers, completing 14 passes on 20 attempts for 148 yards and five touchdowns. In addition, he added 37 yards on the ground. Alvin Kamara totaled 83 yards on 20 carries, adding three receptions for eight yards and one touchdown. In addition, Juwan Johnson had three receptions for 21 yards and two touchdowns.
In contrast, Aaron Rodgers went 15-for-28 with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The last time Rodgers threw two interceptions in Week one was 2010. Aaron Jones had just five rushing attempts for nine yards and two receptions for 13 yards. One bright spot on the Packers offense was Davante Adams, who caught five passes for 56 yards. However, he had a drop on fourth down.
The Saints started the game by kicking a field goal on the opening drive. In the second quarter, the Saints scored their first touchdown on a Winston pass to Kamara for three yards.
The Packers got the ball back, but after five plays punted back to the Saints, unable to move the ball once again. The Saints drove down the field again and capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown pass from Winston to Johnson. The Packers put together a six-play drive before the end of the half, resulting in a 39-yard field goal by Mason Crosby. The Saints led 17-3 at halftime.
The Packers received the ball to start the second half, but Paulson Adebo intercepted Aaron Rodgers to cut the drive short. Rodgers was intercepted again later in the third quarter by Marcus Williams.
The Saints took advantage of the interception, finishing the drive off with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chris Hogan from Winston. On the other hand, the Packers failed to score the rest of the game despite having four chances. The Saints, however, scored again on their next two drives with touchdown passes to Johnson and Deonte Harris.
The loss can be credited to many factors. The Packers’ new defense, under new coordinator Joe Barry, looked lost the whole game. Another weak spot was at cornerback for the Packers. Kevin King, who has struggled giving up big plays in the past, gave up a 55-yard touchdown to Harris. He also struggled with coverage much of the game. The team was clearly not prepared with many of the Packers starters not playing in the preseason.
To add insult to injury, the Packers placed linebacker Za’Darius Smith (back) on injured reserve on Friday. The Packers will look to get back on track with a matchup against the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football.