Packers win exciting season-opener over Saints

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GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers made a goal-line stand on the final play last night, and they escaped with a 42-34 win over the New Orleans Saints in an exciting season opener at Lambeau Field.

The Saints’ offense got an extra play in the closing seconds when A.J. Hawk committed a pass interference penalty. But Mark Ingram couldn’t score from the one-yard line, and he was stuffed by a swarm of Green Bay defenders to end the game.

Drew Brees threw for 419 yards and three touchdowns for the Saints, but his team only scored 10 points in five trips to the red zone. Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers found nine different receivers as he completed 27-of-35 passes for 312 yards. All three of his touchdown passes came in the first quarter to Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, and rookie Randall Cobb. Cobb later tied a four-year-old NFL record by returning a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown. It was also the Packers’ first kickoff return for a TD since Allen Rossum in 2000. New Orleans made a game of it, after losing a fumble on their first play from scrimmage and going down 14-0 early. The Saints had 477 total yards to the Pack’s 399.

James Starks and John Kuhn both had rushing TD’s for Green Bay. Donald Driver tied James Lofton’s Packer record for career receiving yards with 96-hundred-56. Darren Sproles returned a punt 72 yards for a New Orleans touchdown. Starks had 12 carries for 57 yards, and Ryan Grant had nine carries for 40 yards. Jennings and Nelson both had eight catches for Green Bay.

Packers’ corner Charles Woodson got a 15-yard penalty, but was not ejected, after he punched a Saints’ player in the third quarter. Corner Tramon Williams left after getting a hard hit on his right shoulder in the fourth quarter.

The Packers opened the league’s regular season schedule as the Super Bowl champs – and it was eighth straight year that the Lombardi Trophy winners prevailed. Green Bay’s next game is a week from Sunday at Carolina.

Tags: wisconsin sports, proam, football, packers