SNF PREVIEW: GREEN BAY PACKERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

BY ADAM GREENE

An outstanding Week Three comes to an end with a game that could have playoff implications all season as the surging Green Bay Packers travel to the Big Easy to face the stumbling New Orleans Saints.

For just the third week of the season, we have an outstanding slate of key games on the board. In the 1 p.m. slot, we have the 2-0 Las Vegas Raiders facing a New England Patriots team that probably should be 2-0. The 2-0 Los Angeles Rams travel to upstate New York to take on the 2-0 Buffalo Bills.

Inn the 4:25 p.m slot, you’ve got the Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks then finish the night up with this one. This could be a Sunday where we all eschew NFL Redzone to focus in on these marquee contests.

GREEN BAY PACKERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-3, O/U: 52.5)

Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, La.

Kickoff: Sept. 27, 8:20 p.m.

Broadcast: NBC

THE HISTORY

This one has been lopsided since the teams first met in 1968. At one point, from Nov. 1976 through Nov. 1985, the Packers won seven straight over New Orleans. The Saints, under Drew Brees and Sean Payton, have obviously been a completely different animal than the inept franchise they took over. Since Brees landed in NOLA, he’s 4-2 against the Packers and has won two straight. They last played on Oct. 22, 2017 with the Saints taking a 26-17 victory in Green Bay with Brett Hundley starting for an injured Aaron Rodgers.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (2-0)

We’re all ready to hand the NFL MVP Award to Russell Wilson and I’m as guilty as anybody, but there’s no mistaking the fact that Rodgers is on a tear of his own. He’s yet to throw a pick this season to go with his six touchdowns. If there’s a knock, it’s that the Packers have played the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, who might win five games between them from the looks of it.

Defensively, the Pack hasn’t been great, but they didn’t need to be with Rodgers dealing. It might not make a difference if Drew Brees continues to struggle attacking down the field. He averaged fewer than five yards in the air per completion Monday night.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-1)

Brees is struggling, whether he wants to admit it or not. His best downfield receiver, Michael Thomas, is still out because Payton kept him in the game late to block against Tampa Bay in Week One. There’s no real homefield advantage as fans remain banned from the Superdome. They’ve heard the criticism this week, Brees especially. Payton will design a gameplan to attack downfield more, so we’ll know if the future Hall of Famer has really lost something quick in this one.

THE PICK

If this was a normal game and a normal year, I’d go with New Orleans to bounce back in this one. But it’s not. Rodgers is playing at a high level while Brees, to be kind, isn’t. Packers 31, Saints 23

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