Opening the third quarter down 17-3, the Packers squandered a chance to trim their deficit when Rodgers' wobbly pass under pressure was intercepted by rookie defensive back Paulson Adebo at the New Orleans 7 early in the third quarter. “We felt like we were going to go up and down the field on whoever they have and that obviously wasn’t the case.” “This is a good kick in the you-know-where,” said Rodgers, who finished 15 of 28 for 133 yards and no TDs. But they left disappointed in a day that could not have gone much worse for Rodgers, who was pulled with nearly 11 minutes left.Īs the time expired, the remaining Saints fans joined in triumphant chants of “Who Dat!” that echoed throughout the stadium. Green Bay fans seemed to outnumber Saints fans in a crowd announced at 35,242 for what was officially a Saints home game. “You've got to pick your spots where you want to be aggressive and it's a little bit easier on that end of the field,” Payton said. The two fourth-down conversions highlighted a pivotal 14-play drive that consumed 10 minutes. He capped that drive with a leaping catch in the end zone on fourth-and-2. On the day before his 25th birthday, Johnson also converted a screen pass into a 12-yard, first-down gain on fourth-and-7 in the second quarter, when the game was still in doubt. The penalty set up the second touchdown catch of the game by Juwan Johnson, who came in with four career catches and was converted from receiver to a tight end this offseason. The only risky throw that backfired on him - a deflected pass caught by Packers defensive back Darnell Savage in the end zone - was negated by a contested roughing-the-passer penalty called against edge rusher Z'Darius Smith. Winston didn't take a sack, but did take off and run for a few key third-down conversions in the first half. Sometimes the decision may be taking a sack.” “Sometimes the decision is throwing the ball away, sometimes the decision is running, tucking. “Drew always preached, it's about the decision, not the result,” Winston said, alluding to last season, when he served as a reserve and understudy to Brees in an effort to improve the long-term trajectory of his up-and-down career. Winston, who led the NFL with 30 interceptions in his last season as a starter with Tampa Bay in 2019, was largely judicious and accurate in going an efficient 14 of 20 for 148 yards without an interception. They inspired us to come out there and ball.” Hats off to them for their resilience, because they motivated us. We knew how much it would mean to get a great victory for that region. 29, 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated the same region.Īfter canceling their final preseason game and practicing two weeks in the Dallas area, the Saints looked as sharp and inspired as any club with such distractions could have hoped. The game, originally scheduled for the Superdome, was moved while the New Orleans area continues to clean up wreckage left by Hurricane Ida, which struck southeast Louisiana as a Category 4 storm on Aug. "That’s just what this team means to the city - and the city means the same to us." “We knew that even though some people don’t have power, they’re going to find a way to watch the Saints,” linebacker and captain Demario Davis said. Winston passed for five touchdowns, New Orleans intercepted reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers twice, and the Saints kicked off the post-Drew Brees era with a strikingly dominant 38-3 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Jameis Winston and the hurricane-displaced Saints looked right at home in northeast Florida - no doubt to the delight of fans rebuilding homes and lives back in New Orleans. NFL, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers Winston, Saints, overcome displacement, pound Packers 38-3
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