Pinned
Link copied
The Jordan Love era at Lambeau Field kicked off with a bang as the Green Bay Packers erased a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the previously unbeaten New Orleans Saints, 18-17. This matched the Packers' largest comeback victory entering the fourth quarter since at least 1950, as Love led three scoring drives in a row in the final stanza to put Green Bay out front, and Saints rookie kicker Blake Grupe missed a 46-yard field goal with one minute remaining that would have won the game.
The turning point in this match took place in the third quarter, when Saints quarterback Derek Carr left the game with an injured shoulder. Jameis Winston replaced him, and completed 10 of 16 passes for 101 yards, but New Orleans did not score any points after the change under center. Chris Olave was impressive for the Saints on offense, as he recorded 104 receiving yards on eight receptions.
Love completed 22 of 44 passes for 259 yards, one touchdown and his first interception of the season, while Romeo Doubs led the Packers in receiving with 73 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. This was not the cleanest outing for Green Bay, but a win is a win -- and it was a thrilling win at that.
Let's look at what went down in Green Bay on Sunday.
Why the Packers won
Love went from hearing boos in the first half to feeling the love in the second -- and that's the major takeaway from this game. He wasn't perfect, and missed several open throws in the beginning of the game, but rebounded to will Green Bay to a win. Love looked like a clutch veteran in the final quarter, leading the offense to 18 total points in three drives -- which included a successful two-point conversion.
Love threw for 300-plus yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions in each of his first two starts this season. While he didn't put up those numbers on Sunday, he found a way to defeat one of the best defenses in the NFL. Previously, the Saints defense had allowed just one touchdown all year! It appears the Packers have a franchise quarterback.
Why the Saints lost, plus turning point
The Saints were rolling in Green Bay entering the second half. Love had just thrown his first interception of the year, and New Orleans had a 17-point lead. Then, the Saints lost their quarterback. On a third-and-9, Carr was sacked by Rashan Gary, and thrown onto his right side. The veteran quarterback was slow to get up, and eventually walked to the locker room with trainers after being attended to on the field. He was originally listed as questionable to return, but then ruled out for the remainder of the contest. NFL Media reported Carr was even taken to a local hospital for additional tests.
Jameis Winston replaced Carr under center, and while he's a very capable quarterback, the Saints offense did not look the same. Perhaps New Orleans went less aggressive in their play-calling up double digits in the second half, but the fact of the matter is the Saints did not score a single point after the Carr injury. Grupe was set up for a game-winning field goal at the end, but couldn't come through.
We can attribute some blame to the defense as well, even though this unit was magnificent for three quarters. You can't allow back-to-back-to-back scoring drives with the game on the line.
Play of the game
The game-winning play has to be the play of the game. Doubs is a dog, and he was on the receiving end of this touchdown. Listen to Lambeau explode:
76-yard punt return TD
Rashid Shaheed is an underrated weapon you need to take note of. He recorded a 76-yard punt return touchdown in the second quarter to extend New Orleans' lead to double digits, and it was the third-longest punt return score in Saints history, and longest since 2002.
What's next
The Saints return to New Orleans next week, where they will host the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As for the Packers, they are on a short week. Green Bay will host the Detroit Lions on "Thursday Night Football."
