Packers Hope Success Against Saints Continues
The Green Bay Packers return home in week four for a contest against the New Orleans Saints after their road trip to Seattle last Monday night ended with a last second Golden Tate “touchdown” on what many are calling the worst officiating in NFL history.
This season, the Packers and Saints have underachieved relative to their preseason expectations and both enter Sunday’s contest with losing records — some more legitimate than others… The Saints, a perennial powerhouse since their 2009-10 Super Bowl victory, have started the season with a shocking 0-3 record, despite high preseason expectations.
They should be a challenge for the Packers nonetheless.
Before Sunday’s game, let’s take a minute to look at the Packers-Saints series history. In the all-time series, the Packers hold a 15-7 record against the Saints, including a dominant 9-2 record at home. During the Mike McCarthy era, however, the Packers have had a lot harder time with the Saints, only winning one of three encounters.
McCarthy’s lone win against the Saints came last year in one of the most memorable matchups between the two sides. The first game of the NFL season and a matchup between the last two Super Bowl champions, the game saw the Packers edge the Saints 42-34 on a three touchdown effort by future league MVP Aaron Rodgers.
In another memorable Packers-Saints matchup, five turnovers by the Saints, including three interceptions, and a three touchdown effort by then quarterback Brett Favre spurred a 52-3 victory by the Packers in 2005, the most lopsided in team history. The game also gave the Packers a chance to give then rookie quarterback Aaron Rodgers some limited action. Despite a strong showing from Favre, the highlight of the game may have been Nick Barnett’s 96-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter – the second defensive touchdown of the day.
As the Packers fights to get back to .500, they will also be fighting for their 21st victory at Lambeau Field in the last 23 games. This recent regular season dominance at home – 20-2 in the last 22 games – is tied for the best in the league with the Baltimore Ravens.
The highlight’s of NFL Sunday for Packers fans this week is the return of the refs and the Packers attempt to bounce back from last week’s referee meltdown; however, knowing the historical implications of the matchup allows us to see the game outside of its immediacy and makes victory all the more sweet.
