Packers vs. Saints: 3 reasons why Green Bay wins in Week 1
The Green Bay Packers are finally kicking off their season when they travel to Jacksonville to take on the New Orleans Saints in their Week 1 matchup.
The Packers are currently 3.5-point favorites over the Saints, according to WynnBET.
They are a popular pick to win their game this week, and here are three reasons why they will.
1. The Packers will pass all over the Saints
Entering the season, the Saints were already thin at the cornerback position. Now, they will be without starting CB Ken Crawley, who will miss the game due to a hamstring injury. On the other side of him is Marshon Lattimore, who also appeared on the injury report this week, but should be good to go for the game.
The Saints bolstered their secondary by trading for Bradley Roby, but Roby will miss the game this week due to a suspension going back to the 2020 season. Needless to say, the Saints are going to be dangerously thin at cornerback.
Now add in that the Packers were one of, if not the best offense in the NFL last year. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are entering the third year in this offense and he is confident that this will be their best season yet.
The Packers have more weapons this year than last year. Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers are added to the offense and special teams, and A.J. Dillon is going to have a much bigger part in the offense.
The Packers should have no problem moving the ball through the air on the Saints on Sunday.
2. The Saints will struggle to pass the ball
On the other side of the ball, the Saints have a similar problem with their receivers. Their star receiver Michael Thomas is out after undergoing surgery this offseason, and they are also going to be without Tre’Quan Smith.
So with their top two receivers being out, that leaves them with preseason sensation Marquez Callaway as their top receiver. They will also have Deonte Harris, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Chris Hogan, and former Packer Ty Montgomery.
Not necessarily a high-powered group.
I think Jaire Alexander is going to shut down whoever he is guarding. But I also think Kevin King/Eric Stokes and Chandon Sullivan will have the advantage in their matchups.
Pair that with Jameis Winston at quarterback, and I could see the Packers getting a couple of turnovers in Jacksonville.
3. It’s going to be a home game on the road for Green Bay
With Hurricane Ida going through New Orleans, the Packers-Saints game needed to be moved. Supposedly, the Saints were trying to find a place to play that would make it much harder for Packers fans to get to the game.
First of all, that’s quite an endorsement for Packer fans, that opposing teams need to work hard to make life a logistical hell to prevent the stadium from being overrun by Green Bay fans.
Secondly, I don’t think it’s going to work. There are a lot of Packer fans that live down south, so I don’t think keeping Packer fans out of Jacksonville is going to be easy. But even fans back in Wisconsin are going to make it work. The Packers opened their 2016 season in Jacksonville, and there was still a ton of green and gold in the stands.
Even if it isn’t absolutely packed with Packer fans, there will be fewer Saints fans than there would be in the Caesars Superdome, and that in itself is a huge win for the Packers.