With both the Packers and Saints working without their top wide receiver on Sunday night, the two teams have leaned on their running backs and a heavy dose of short, quick throws. The lone big play of the first half came on an absolutely gorgeous play-action pass from Aaron Rodgers to Allen Lazard, which set up a touchdown toss to Lazard later in the drive. Rodgers finished the first half 9 of 16 for 104 yards and the score to Lazard, which like the big-gainer came on a play-action bootleg concept.
For the Saints, Alvin Kamara did almost all of the damage, carrying the rock four times for 56 yards and hauling in seven passes for another 61 yards and a touchdown. Drew Brees seemed reluctant to throw the ball downfield, preferring instead to check it down to the targets he’s most comfortable with. Still, those shorter passes allowed the Saints to move the ball at a decent clip, and the last one of the half actually helped them pull in front despite a rocky start. With just six seconds remaining, Brees found Emmanuel Sanders over the middle for Sanders’ first score as a Saint, staking New Orleans to a 17-13 lead at the break.
Follow along as we continue live-blogging the festivities below.
How to watch
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans, La.)
TV: NBC | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
