Nobody would have been surprised if the New Orleans Saints had lost. The Green Bay Packers were the #1 seed in the NFC in the playoffs last season; and their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, was the MVP.
The Saints, on the flip side, were breaking in a new starting quarterback and were without several key players due to injury or suspension. And, of course, they were playing a “home” game in Jacksonville, Florida after spending the previous week practicing in Texas as southeast Louisiana recovers from Hurricane Ida.
Instead, New Orleans dominated from the get-go. The Saints led 17-3 at halftime and proceeded to score 21 unanswered points in the second half.
Related
In a way, this was a win for more than just the Saints.
“Today, they were special,” WWL Saints color analyst Deuce McAllister said, speaking after the game. “They were darn good. You've got so many pieces and so many people doubting [them]. They rode the emotions. This was for Louisiana, man. This was for everything that obviously New Orleans is going through, our region, our state. These guys came out determined.”
Those comments echoed the ones Saints quarterback Jameis Winston made in his post-game press conference.
"We did that for them. We knew how much it would mean to get a victory.
They've been through so much, and for us to celebrate this victory with them is amazing. Hats off to (the people of New Orleans) for their resilience. They inspired us to go out there and ball."
Making his first start for the Saints, Winston was one of several keys to victory.
“The formula is there for this team,” McAllister explained. “Run the ball, pressure the quarterback, lean on my offensive line, hit some big plays.”
Winston was incredibly efficient. He only threw for 148 yards, but five of his 20 attempts – a full quarter of his throws – went for touchdowns. McAllister was even more impressed by another number Winston put up: 0. Winston did not throw a single interception.
“You took care of the football,” McAllister said. “You did exactly what the defense gave you as far as not forcing anything...that's what you have to do.”
Winston did just that. On three different occasions, Winston scrambled instead of trying to force something, and he picked up 36 yards and a first down on each run.
Finding success on the ground was another key part of the win, as McAllister mentioned. The Saints rushed for 172 yards on 37 carries (4.6 yards per carry) with the two kneel downs at the end of the game factored out.
Related
On the other side of the ball, the New Orleans defense succeeded in pressuring Rodgers. The Saints sacked him twice and registered seven QB hits as Rodgers completed just 53.6% of his passes. The Packers run game was also never able to get going; they managed only 43 yards on 15 carries (2.9 yards per carry).
Impressive though it was, McAllister also cautioned that it was just one game; and the Saints face a different kind of test with back-to-back true road games coming up against Carolina and New England.
Still, the Saints are 1-0 for the second season in a row; and they provided some relief and distraction to the region, even if only for a few hours.