Saints at Packers: Highlights, score and recap

In their first game without Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers played host to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

The Green Bay Packers knew it was going to be a struggle without Aaron Rodgers under center, but they certainly came out firing in this one. By the time you could blink, running back Aaron Jones already had them on the board and Brett Hundley followed up with a rushing touchdown of his own in the second quarter. The two teams went into the half with the Packers up by a score, and looking to pull off a solid home upset of the New Orleans Saints.

However, the Saints do still have Drew Brees under center and he began to work his magic in the second half. In fact, Brees racked up over 300 yards passing against the Packers secondary, and it was his drive late in the game that put this one away. The Packers played very well despite losing their starting quarterback, but against a red-hot Saints team, it proved to be too much of a challenge.

With a little under five minutes left in the game, Brees scored on a one-yard touchdown, giving the Saints a 26-17 lead. That would prove to be the final score, as the Saints won their fourth straight game of the season. Brees and company have struggled to win more than seven games in each of the last three seasons, so they could be in for a very successful year judging by the early returns.

Highlights

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Three Stars

1. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints

When the team sent Adrian Peterson packing two weeks ago, it meant that Mark Ingram needed to step up in the running game. He has done all of that and more, and on Sunday, he proved to be the bulldozer this Saints team needed to pull out the victory. Ingram scored a second quarter touchdown, and finished with over 100 yards on 22 carries against a tough Packers front.

2. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

This kid continues to put up great numbers and could be the running back this franchise has been missing for quite some time. Jones rushed for 131 yards on only 17 carries, scoring the first touchdown of the game in this one. The rookie from UTEP was the reason the Packers were able to keep this one close, and it looks like the Pack have a good one on their hands.

3. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees had some interceptions in this game, but it was his leadership that proved to be the difference in this one. With his touchdown pass to Brandon Coleman, Brees became only the fourth player in history with 500-plus touchdown passes, including the playoffs. He has his team rolling this season, and there may be a return to the playoffs in his immediate future.

Betting Odds

The New Orleans Saints were road favorites in this one heading into the game, laying three points to the Rodgers-less Packers. This was a close one, but the Saints were able to cover that spread with a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The over/under was set at 47.5 points, and they came close going over in this one. The odds on this game changed throughout to week, so always be sure to check out sportsbookreview.com during the week for the latest odds and trends.

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Next Week

The Green Bay Packers will get a week to get Brett Hundley even further up to speed, as they will have their bye week in Week 8. The New Orleans Saints will return home to the Bayou to play another NFC North team, as they welcome the Chicago Bears to the Superdome.