[caption id="attachment_204" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Quarterback Aaron Rodgers escapes a defender to throw one of his four touchdown passes Sunday in Green Bay."]
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1. Packers responded very well to Monday night’s debacle
After having a victory snatched right out of their hands in Seattle, the Packers could have come out of the tunnel Sunday with a bad attitude and the taste of Monday’s robbery still in their mouths.
After dealing with what was surely the most tumultuous week in the careers of Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy and the rest of the team, it was evident from the beginning that they had moved on and were focused on the task at hand.
McCarthy deserves a ton of credit not just for the way he handled the situation with the media Monday night, but for getting his team prepared to play less than a week later.
They say quarterbacks need to have a short memory. In this case, everyone wearing green and gold needed to have one too. They did.
2. New Orleans’ defense was just what Rodgers and the offense needed
The reigning MVP looked anything but through the first three games, passing for only 745 yards and three touchdowns with a passer rating of just 87.
Rodgers took out a lot of built-up frustration on the suspect Saints defense, completing 31-of-41 for 319 yards and four scores in what was easily his best performance of the year.
Rodgers didn't look himself in any of his first three games and a once dominate offense struggled to put points on the board.
He led the Pack to the end zone four times Sunday and looked to be well on his way to a fifth before missing a play after getting his eye raked during a facemask penalty.
Backup Graham Harrell came in and tripped over the foot of a lineman, causing him to fumble the exchange between him and Cedric Benson.
Perhaps the best offensive development was the play of the offensive line, who kept Rodgers upright all day and did not surrender a single sack.
On Monday, Seattle got to him eight times.
3. The defense took a major step backwards Sunday
Coming into play today, the Packers were third in the NFL in total defense and number one in passing defense.
Drew Brees and the Saints massacred Green Bay’s defense and brought back painful memories of last year’s historically bad unit.
Brees was completing just 55 percent of his passes through the first three weeks, but connected on 35-of-54 for 446 yards and three touchdowns.
Green Bay’s secondary left receivers open on numerous occasions and inexplicably left tight end Jimmy Graham open multiple times, even with seven defensive backs on the field.
In the third quarter, Sam Shields completely blew an assignment allowing Joe Morgan to get wide open and haul in an easy 80-yard touchdown.
Brees is obviously in a different class than Jay Cutler or Russell Wilson, but to see Brees completely have his way with the Packers defense is troublesome.
4. Greg Jennings might become expendable
From 2008-10, Jennings piled up 3,670 receiving yards, 25 touchdowns and played in every game.
He was on track for similar numbers last year – possibly better – but a sprained knee towards the end of the year forced him to miss three games and ended his string of 1,000-yard seasons.
The two-time Pro Bowler missed the first game of 2012 with a groin injury and has been slowed by it all year. He exited Sunday’s game in the second quarter after reaggravating it and spent the rest of the game on the sidelines in sweats.
Jennings has just 12 receptions for 78 yards and one touchdown and is set to become a free agent in the offseason.
With his injuries starting to pile up and the emergence of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, Jennings looks like he’s on his way out in Green Bay.
5. Didn't the replacement refs get canned?
After Monday night’s debacle that ultimately cost Green Bay a victory, the regular officials were thought to be a welcome sight when it was announced they would return this week shortly after.
That is, everywhere except Green Bay.
Three horrendous calls went against the Packers and two had a huge impact on the scoreboard.
In the first quarter, Marques Colston pushed safety Morgan Burnett to the ground and got away with it before making a catch in the end zone, eerily reminiscent of the Golden Tate “touchdown” Monday night.
In the third, Darren Sproles returned a kickoff after the Packers took a one-point lead and fumbled it at his own 31. The Packers fell on it only to have the referees determine he was down by contact.
Replay indicated the ball was coming out long before Sproles hit the turf.
Instead of Green Bay having a chance to put the nail in the coffin, New Orleans kept the ball and had a field goal attempt to take the lead with just over three minutes left.
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