Packers: Saints game in Week 3 will be important early-season test

We’ll find out how good the Packers are early in the season.

The Green Bay Packers will be expected to be in the NFC race again this year. Will they be able to compete with the other heavyweights in the conference?

We’ll get a good idea early in the season. In Week 3, the Packers head to the Superdome to meet the New Orleans Saints, winners of the NFC South three years running.

The Saints have one of the deepest rosters in football and have dominated in recent years, going a combined 37-11 since the start of 2017.

Saints go from strength to strength

New Orleans should’ve gone further than the wild-card round last season, there’s no doubt about that. But the Saints continue to boast one of the most talented rosters in the league and that will be no different in 2020.

Drew Brees is still dominating at quarterback and he has All-Pro talent alongside him at running back and wide receiver in Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. And unlike the Packers, the Saints added a complementary piece to their offense by signing Emmanuel Sanders. While the Packers did reportedly have interest in signing him, after missing out they should’ve found another way to strengthen their receiving corps.

An early test for the Packers

We’re going to learn a lot about this year’s team early on in the season. Green Bay will kick off the season on the road against the Minnesota Vikings, and then face the Saints in Week 3. That’s two daunting road games, both of which could carry important playoff implications.

Even if Green Bay doesn’t win this game, if it can go to the Superdome and compete with an NFC heavyweight, it’ll be a sign it’s ready to challenge the best teams the conference has to offer.

If they can go to New Orleans and win, the talk about Green Bay’s strange draft class will soon be forgotten. It’ll all be about the Packers showing why they are serious Super Bowl challengers.