Well, none of us saw this coming, but we probably should have. Everybody was drinking the Green Bay Packers Kool-Aid. So the Packers promptly went down to The Big Easy and laid a giant turd, losing 44-23 to a New Orleans Saints team that was 2-4 coming in.
The best summary of Sunday night’s loss was that Saints running back Mark Ingram, who’s pretty much been a turd himself since being taken in the first round, tore through the Packers defense for a career-best 172 yards.
Couple that with Drew Brees being Drew Brees (311 yards, three TDs, no picks) and the Packers’ inability to score touchdowns when they got in Saints’ territory and you have the perfect storm for an ass-whooping.
The Packers settled for three first-half field goals, two of which game inside the red zone. Had those been touchdowns, we might be talking about a whole different game. Another red zone possession in the second half ended with an Aaron Rodgers’ interception on a ball that went off Andrew Quarless’ hands.
We may as well go ahead and question some buffoonish play calling by Buffoon himself right away, too. There was the first half onside kick and then there was the decision to go for it on 4th and 1 in their own territory in the second.
The kick we’re willing to let go. It almost worked and it definitely caught the Saints off guard. The 4th-and-1 decision and subsequent failure pretty much put the nail in the coffin, though.
Ultimately, the game came down to that turnover and Rodgers’ two interceptions. Neither team punted once, so neither defense was capable of stopping the opposing offense.
The Packers turned the ball over four times total (Matt Flynn also fumbled) and the Saints only had one turnover.
Defensively, the Packers looked like they really missed safety Morgan Burnett, who sat with an injured calf, and possibly cornerback Sam Shields, who missed his second straight game with a knee injury.
Davon House, starting in place of Shields, had his worst game of the season. Maybe the worst game of the season by any Packers defensive back. House got beat in coverage by bums like Brandin Cooks and Kenny Stills and couldn’t tackle a running back if one laid down in front of him. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who started at safety with Micah Hyde, looked like the rookie he is for the first time this year.
Overall, this is the worst we’ve seen the Packers play this year. It’s a good time for a bye week and thankfully Green Bay will get one to regroup.