Packers pop Saints to stay undefeated

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard (13) pulls in a 48- yard pass in front of New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore in the first half Sunday in New Orleans. Lazard had 6 catches for 
(AP/Brett Duke)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard (13) pulls in a 48- yard pass in front of New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore in the first half Sunday in New Orleans. Lazard had 6 catches for (AP/Brett Duke)

NEW ORLEANS -- Aaron Rodgers passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns, and the Green Bay Packers remained unbeaten with a 37-30 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday night.

With Packers top receiver Davante Adams unable to play because of a hamstring injury, Rodgers found ways to attack New Orleans (1-2) with a variety of passes, short and long.

Allen Lazard caught 6 passes for 146 yards for Green Bay (3-0), including gains of 48 and 72 yards on throws deep downfield that each set up touchdowns.

"We knew the type of game. They've got a lot of playmakers. Drew [Brees] obviously knows how to deal" the ball, Rodgers said, crediting the scheme designed and called by second-year head Coach Matt Lafleur. "We've gotten in a good flow. ... I feel so much more comfortable in the offense this year, and I think Matt has really settled in to the rhythm of the play calling, and it's made my job a lot easier."

Rodgers' scoring passes went for 5 yards to Lazard, 18 yards to tight end Marcedes Lewis and 1 yard to tight end Robert Tonyan. Lazard's longest catch set up Aaron Jones' 1-yard TD run.

"I really like the timing on certain calls," Rodgers said. "Sometimes, you've got to kind of dig deep at certain times and hold on to something and trust the players. I really appreciate the flow that we had tonight and the trust in us to make the plays."

The decisive drive got going when Rodgers hit tight end Jace Sternberger for a 23-yard gain and later drew a pass interference calls in the end zone on a third-down play, which set up the Tonyan TD with two minutes left.

"We're not playing well enough. Let's not fool ourselves. We're making too many mistakes," Saints Coach Sean Payton said. "We're not playing disciplined enough on both sides of the ball."

Saints running back Alvin Kamara built on a sensational start to the season, gaining 197 yards from scrimmage and scoring twice on short passes from Brees, with shifty, tackle-slipping runs after the catch.

"It's nice when you've got a weapon like that, that you just get the ball in his hands in space and he's tough to tackle," Brees said. "It's like a human highlight reel."

Kamara's scoring plays included a 52-yarder in which he took a pass near the line of scrimmage and broke four tackles, including one that forced him to balance along the sideline before he cut back inside for the final yards. That play, which tied the score at 27-27, might have wound a typical Superdome crowd into a wild, stadium-vibrating frenzy. But the stands were virtually empty, with the exception of fewer than 1,000 Saints player and staff guests.

Brees completed 29 of 36 passes for 288 yards and 3 TDs. Emmanuel Sanders caught a 10-yard scoring pass at the end of the first half that gave the Saints a 17-13 lead.

The game featured a quick sequence of defensive highlights while the game was tied at 27 early in the fourth quarter.

Just two plays after Saints defensive backs Malcolm Jenkins and Marshon Lattimore combined to stop running back Aaron Jones short on fourth and 1, Za'Darius Smith stripped Taysom Hill on a read-option run and recovered the fumble to give Green Bay possession again near midfield.

Green Bay3101410--37

New Orleans710103--30

First Quarter

GB--FG Crosby 52, 7:30.

NO--Kamara 11 pass from Brees (Lutz kick), 5:07.

Second Quarter

GB--FG Crosby 33, 14:12.

GB--Lazard 5 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick), 10:32.

NO--FG Lutz 45, 4:28.

NO--Sanders 10 pass from Brees (Lutz kick), :06.

Third Quarter

GB--Jones 1 run (Crosby kick), 12:58.

NO--FG Lutz 35, 5:55.

GB--Lewis 18 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick), 2:17.

NO--Kamara 52 pass from Brees (Lutz kick), :33.

Fourth Quarter

GB--FG Crosby 49, 8:47.

GB--Tonyan 1 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick), 2:00.

NO--FG Lutz 34, :32.

A--748.

GBNO

First downs2421

Total Net Yards369397

Rushes-yards26-9820-122

Passing271275

Punt Returns0-01-14

Kickoff Returns2-303-78

Interceptions Ret.0-00-0

Comp-Att-Int21-32-029-36-0

Sacked-Yards Lost1-122-13

Punts1-38.03-38.3

Fumbles-Lost0-03-1

Penalties-Yards2-108-83

Time of Possession31:4028:20

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Green Bay, Jones 16-69, Williams 6-14, Rodgers 2-12, Ervin 1-5, Lazard 1-(minus 2). New Orleans, Kamara 6-58, Murray 12-58, T.Hill 2-6.

PASSING--Green Bay, Rodgers 21-32-0-283. New Orleans, Brees 29-36-0-288.

RECEIVING--Green Bay, Lazard 6-146, Tonyan 5-50, Sternberger 3-36, Jones 2-17, Ervin 2-8, Lewis 1-18, Valdes-Scantling 1-5, Williams 1-3. New Orleans, Kamara 13-139, Sanders 4-56, Smith 4-42, Cook 2-21, Trautman 2-17, Harris 2-5, Murray 1-7, T.Hill 1-1.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard (13) reacts after a 72 year pass completion setting up a touchdown in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard (13) reacts after a 72 year pass completion setting up a touchdown in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) passes under pressure from Green Bay Packers defensive end Billy Winn (93) and nose tackle Tyler Lancaster (95) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) passes under pressure from Green Bay Packers defensive end Billy Winn (93) and nose tackle Tyler Lancaster (95) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) is tackled by Green Bay Packers strong safety Adrian Amos on a 49 yard run in the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) is tackled by Green Bay Packers strong safety Adrian Amos on a 49 yard run in the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard (13) pulls in a 72 yard pass completion in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard (13) pulls in a 72 yard pass completion in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders in the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders in the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (17) pulls in a touchdown reception over Green Bay Packers cornerback Kevin King (20) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (17) pulls in a touchdown reception over Green Bay Packers cornerback Kevin King (20) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
New Orleans Saints running back Latavius Murray (28) is hit by Green Bay Packers linebacker Ty Summers (44) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
New Orleans Saints running back Latavius Murray (28) is hit by Green Bay Packers linebacker Ty Summers (44) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) carries in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) carries in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) celebrates his touchdown carry with tight end Adam Trautman (82) and offensive guard Nick Easton (62) as Green Bay Packers inside linebacker Christian Kirksey (58) watches, in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) celebrates his touchdown carry with tight end Adam Trautman (82) and offensive guard Nick Easton (62) as Green Bay Packers inside linebacker Christian Kirksey (58) watches, in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)

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