The New Orleans Saints were somehow able not just to absorb 203 first quarter passing yards from Aaron Rodgers and the red-hot Green Bay Packers, but to fight back and dominate in their own right as they took a 44-23 win in the Superdome.
Despite some serious early season struggles and a 3-4 record even after this win, the Saints can move into first place with a win on Thursday night against Carolina. They certainly looked good tonight, as resurgent targets Jimmy Graham (5 receptions, 59 yards, 1 TD) and Brandin Cooks (6 receptions, 94 yards, 2 total TDs) helped quarterback Drew Brees (27-for-32, 311 yards, 3 TD) to one of his best games of the season. Perhaps the biggest—and most surprising—catalyst in the Saints’ offense tonight was running back Mark Ingram, who set a career-best with 172 yards rushing.
The Saints were able to turn a 16-16 halftime tie into a rout by scoring 21 unanswered points to start the second half. The Saints also forced two Rodgers interceptions on tipped balls, and likely benefited from a hamstring injury he suffered in the third quarter. The Packers’ QB did still throw for 418 yards, but didn’t get much help from the ground game (89 yards total) as Green Bay fell to 5-3 on the season.
