In a dramatic turnaround from last week’s fourth-quarter collapse, the Green Bay Packers found themselves on the victorious side of an exhilarating fourth-quarter comeback this time around.
Entering the fourth quarter against the Saints trailing by a daunting 17-0, the Packers faced a critical fourth-and-two situation deep in New Orleans’ territory. Unfortunately, they failed to convert following a miscommunication between Jordan Love and Patrick Taylor, leaving the ball in the hands of the Saints.
However, the Packers’ defense swiftly stepped up to the plate, securing a quick stop and returning possession to the offense. The subsequent events saw Green Bay scoring thrice in the final moments, ultimately sealing an 18-17 victory. As is customary after every game, let’s examine the five individuals who emerged as winners and losers in the Packers’ Week 3 epic comeback against the Saints.
Here are five winners and losers from the Green Bay Packers epic Week 3 comeback over the previously undefeated New Orleans Saints.
Packers’ Loser: AJ Dillon
AJ Dillon started for an injured Aaron Jones for the second straight week. And for the second straight week, he delivered an underwhelming performance as Green Bay’s lead back, rushing 11 times for a mere 33 yards.
He shouldn’t shoulder all the blame, but his lack of vision and explosiveness is a significant issue when he’s the lead dog. He ran into the back of his blockers multiple times against the Saints instead of pressing the open hole. Among the 41 running backs with at least 20 carries this season, he’s tied for 36th with a 2.7-yard per-carry average.
Packers’ Loser: Discipline
We knew there would be bumps and bruises for the Packers this season. That’s life for a team in the midst of a youth movement, as they transitioned from a future Hall of Fame Quarterback to a first-time starter.
However, we didn’t know it was going to be this rough. During LaFleur’s five-year tenure as the Packers’ head coach, they’ve generally been very disciplined and have avoided penalties. After averaging just over five penalties per game last season, it’s ballooned to 9 in 2023, ranking 31st in the NFL.
It gets worse. The Packers were penalized 11 times on Sunday for 90 yards, already marking the second time they’ve had nine or more penalties this season. Entering the season, that had only happened seven times under LaFleur’s watch. It could be a record-setting year for Green Bay, and not in a good way.
Packers’ Winners: Joe Barry, Rashan Gary and Jordan Love’s Moxie
Joe Barry has taken a lot of heat as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, and Sunday’s win wasn’t always pretty. However, the bottom line matters and Green Bay’s defense held the Saints to 10 points. And that was without Jaire Alexander, and De’Vondre Campbell and Carrington Valentine for most of the game.
Part of the reason for the Packers’ success was their pass rush, with Rashan Gary leading the charge. Gary continues to be on a pitch count and only played 23 snaps, but he came away with four pressures and three sacks. He’s a game-changer and will only get better as he continues to recover.
Last, but not least, is Jordan Love’s moxie. His teammates praised Love throughout the preseason for being unflappable and having a calm demeanor. However, we’ve seen him become animated a couple of times this season when his team needed a boost. He led the Packers to a sweet fourth-quarter comeback after it looked like they were dead in the water. This could be the start of a legend.