GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Inexperienced Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love’s first regular-season residence begin has him making an attempt one thing no person has completed over the past 10½ months.
The New Orleans Saints (2-0) come to Lambeau Area on Sunday having held every of their final 10 opponents to twenty factors or much less. The final time the Saints allowed greater than 20 factors was in a 27-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 7, 2022.
That gives fairly the problem for Love, who leads the NFL in passer score two weeks into his first season as a starter.
“They do what they do and so they persist with it,” Love mentioned. “They don’t do a complete lot of loopy stuff. They’ve some actually good stress packages on third down, however I feel they’ve obtained a great entrance that will get plenty of stress residence simply with 4, after which they play some good coverages, some sticky coverages within the again finish and actually problem receivers and do a great job urgent and getting fingers on and simply throwing off timing.”
Love and the Packers (1-1) try to bounce again from a 25-24 loss at Atlanta during which they squandered a 12-point, fourth-quarter lead.
Except for that late collapse, Love has performed properly in his first yr taking on for four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, who was traded to the New York Jets in April. Love has thrown three landing passes with out an interception in every of Inexperienced Bay’s first two video games whereas main a younger Packers offense that’s coping with a number of accidents.
“He’s actually athletic and so he’s capable of purchase a while within the pocket, get out of the pocket, does a great job of scrambling,” Saints coach Dennis Allen mentioned. “He’s a bigger-body participant, so he’s laborious to get down, laborious to get on the bottom. I feel he’s obtained a very robust arm, can throw the ball from plenty of totally different arm angles and alter the launch level.”
The Saints have their very own strong-armed quarterback in Derek Carr, who arrived from Las Vegas within the offseason after spending 9 seasons with the Raiders. However the power of the Saints is a protection that has allowed just one landing.
“They’ve obtained a ton of gamers on that protection and so they problem you,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur mentioned. “I informed our guys on the perimeter, they’re going to seize and maintain and that’s what they do. However they play aggressive and also you’ve obtained to be very basically sound. Up entrance, you’ve obtained to do an awesome job of coming off the ball and enjoying with nice pad degree as a result of they’re a bodily bunch and so they play with excessive effort.
“And while you get effort plus scheme plus expertise, you have got top-of-the-line defenses within the Nationwide Soccer League.”
SUSPENDED SAINTS
The Saints gained’t have security Marcus Maye, who obtained a three-game suspension Wednesday for violating the NFL’s substance abuse coverage.
Saints working again Alvin Kamara will probably be ending his three-game suspension to start out the season. Kamara’s suspension is linked to his function in a February 2022 altercation in a Las Vegas lodge throughout Professional Bowl weekend.
INJURY ISSUES
Inexperienced Bay has been coping with accidents to its offense by the early a part of this season. Large receiver Christian Watson missed Inexperienced Bay’s first two video games with a hamstring harm. Operating again Aaron Jones sat out the Falcons recreation with a hamstring problem.
Packers left guard Elgton Jenkins is out with a sprained medial collateral ligament and left deal with David Bakhtiari missed the Falcons recreation with a lingering knee downside.
Saints working again Jamaal Williams isn’t anticipated to play as a result of a hamstring pull. The Saints count on rookie working again Kendre Miller, a third-round draft selection out of TCU, to return from a hamstring harm and make his regular-season debut Sunday.
LOVE’S YOUNG TARGETS
The Packers opened the season with the NFL’s youngest roster, and their inexperience is most evident at receiver. But these younger wideouts have thrived to this point.
Rookie second-round choose Jayden Reed had two touchdowns and fifth-round choice Dontayvion Wicks additionally scored within the Falcons recreation. Romeo Doubs, a 2022 fourth-round choose, had two touchdowns in a season-opening 38-20 victory at Chicago.
SLOW STARTS, SLOW FINISHES
In each of their video games, the Saints haven’t reached the tip zone earlier than three minutes remained the third quarter. The Saints have but to attain greater than 20 factors in a recreation. Their margins of victory have been only one and three factors.
The Packers’ problem is ending. They misplaced to the Falcons by getting outscored 13-0 and outgained 166-11 within the fourth quarter.
SURGING SOUTH
Though the Saints are unbeaten, they might must maintain profitable to maintain tempo within the NFC South, which is shaping up because the NFL’s most improved division.
The Saints, Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all are 2-0. The Bucs gained the division final yr regardless of going simply 8-9.
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AP Sports activities Author Brett Martel contributed to this report.
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