It could've been put in a Hollywood movie. Jordan Love enters Lambeau Field for the first time as the starting Quarterback and completes the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in Franchise history defeating the Saints 18-17.

I have to say I am shocked. I hate being superstitious, but I can't avoid it sometimes. This time around, I kind of put a reverse jinx into the world. I started to think of a title for this recap at the start of the fourth quarter. It wasn't good. I was sunken into my game-day chair defeated and almost ready for next week. Can you blame me? The Packers took the field in their home opener without Aaron Jones, Christian Watson, and David Bakhtiari once again this season. Without Jaire Alexander for the first time as well, and DeVondre Campbell exited the game as well. It just seemed like a stinker and all I could hope for was some good news on the health front for Thursday night. Penalties and miscues all over were reminding me that this is a young inexperienced team missing most of it's leadership. But it still stung.

Well, my reverse jinx worked somehow and all of a sudden, we were benefiting from flags instead of paying for them. Passes were being caught. This team played a winning fourth quarter and wrapped it up with a victory. 

Let's get to the recap:

First Quarter:

The first possession of the game for the Saints resulted in a three-and-out. Kenny Clark got a big sack on Derek Carr for a nine-yard loss and the punt gave the Packers the ball at midfield to start their first possession of the game. A pretty good start to the game for Joe Barry's defense.

The Packers' first drive, however, went backward from the start as a result of a holding penalty on Jon Runyan and a false start by Royce Newman, pushing them back 15 yards. They would get back to within 2 yards of the first down to line up for 4th and 2 where they attempted to run a trick play with Emanuel Wilson tossing the ball back to Jordan Love, but with the toss being a bit low, Jordan Love couldn’t keep control of the ball and ended up just throwing it up towards Dontayvion Wicks while doing the splits as the ball sailed over his Wick's head incomplete to turn over the ball on downs. Good start for the defense, but the offense could not capitalize and instead put the defense in a bad spot for field position.

The Saints took over at their own 44 with 10:44 remaining in the first. The Packers couldn’t afford to give the Saints a short field as the Saints' offense would make them pay for it. And pay for it, they did as New Orleans drove the ball into the red zone through the air and on the ground switching QBs between Derek Carr and Taysom Hill. It was icing on the cake to cap off the drive when Derek Carr hit Jimmy Graham in the end-zone for the touchdown to put the Saints on top 7-0 with 6:40 remaining in the first quarter. If only Jimmy Graham scored more of those Lambeau TDs when he was wearing a Packers uniform. I'll keep that one to myself I guess.

On the Packers' second drive, it was almost more of the same headache as earlier when Jordan Love missed a wide-open Luke Musgrave up-field that could have been a TD at the most. The offense recovered though as they were able to muster two first downs early getting into Saints territory. However, miscues and penalties once again pushed the Packers backward and forced them to punt.

Just before the end of the opening quarter, the Saints had the ball deep in their own territory. A big run stop by Kingsley Enagbare looked like a good start for the Packers' defense, but the Saints were able to earn a first down before getting pushed backward again by a holding call. One play later would take us to the end of the first quarter. 

Second Quarter:

The second quarter would start with the Packers' defense ending the drive for the Saints when Rashan Gary got after Derek Carr to register his first full sack of the season. Gary earned a half-sack against the Falcons bringing his season total to 1.5 sacks.

The Packers' next chance on offense was more of the same once again for the good guys sadly.  An Emmanuel Wilson run that would've given the Packers a first down in Saints territory was instead called back for a holding call on Wide Receiver Jayden Reed. Against the Saints' defense, the Packers' offense so far couldn’t get out of their own way. Penalties and miscues all over the place weren't allowing the young offense to get anything going. Unfortunately, Special Teams wouldn't help either as on the ensuing punt, Rashid Shaheed added insult to injury by returning the punt 76 yards for a touchdown. The Saints would go up 14-0 with 10:30 remaining in the first half.

The Packers' offense responded to the adversity by driving downfield to start featuring an end-around toss to kick returner/cornerback Keisean Nixon that went 11 yards for a first down. This was the first time we'd seen Nixon on offense after an offseason of questions about whether or not they'd use the dynamic runner in such a fashion. After that run, it looked like penalties again could’ve derailed the drive, but on 3rd and 10 Jordan Love hit Dontayvion Wicks for the first down at the Saints' 29-yard line. Frustratingly the Packers only went backwards again as a sack on Jordan Love by Alontae Taylor knocked the Packers out of field goal range. A Daniel Whelan punt later gave the ball back to the Saints at their own 11 with 4:30 remaining in the first half.

On the following drive, the New Orleans running game began to come to life as the Saints began running their four-minute offense getting 36 yards on the ground to get into scoring range. A 4th down conversion and then a 27-yard catch by Chris Olave put the Saints at the Packers' 7-yard line with time running short. The Saints went for a shot at the end-zone on 3rd down but the Packers' defense was able to hold in the red zone to force a field goal putting the Saints on top 17-0 with 0:06 remaining in the first half.

The Packers would not attempt to accomplish the impossible when they received the ball back as they took a knee to head to the locker room down 17-0. 

A frustrating half for Packers fans as the Packers had seven penalties for a total of 60 yards, which matched the amount of yards they had through the air. A lot to clean up heading into the locker room before they came out for the second half.

Third Quarter:

The Packers received the ball to start the second half looking to clean up their mistakes and hopefully get something positive going. As misfortune would have it, that would not be the case as a negative run and a false start led to a Jordan Love interception as he launched the ball downfield intended for Romeo Doubs, but it was instead caught by Lonnie Johnson Jr. This gave the Saints the ball at their own 38-yard line with 13:17 remaining in the third quarter. As far as field position went, it was like a punt. But Jordan Love had his first interception of the season after 10 quarters of football. Pretty good if you ask me to last that long your first starting season.

After the interception, the Packers' defense rose to the occasion of having their QBs' back. They followed up the turnover with a stop of the New Orleans offense at midfield after Rashan Gary registered his second sack of the game on Derek Carr to end the drive. Carr unfortunately was hurt on the play and was taken to the medical tent. He did not return to the game.

Following the punt, the Packers were pinned deep at their own 10-yard line and a Packers offensive pass interference call put them back at their own 5-yard line. Deja Vu once again. Penalties and inability to execute had the Packers going three and out. A fourth Daniel Whelan punt with 8:59 remaining in the 3rd returned the ball to the Saints offense where the veteran Jameis Winston would take over at QB for the Saints.

The New Orleans offense drove into Packers territory on their second drive of the half. But it ended up stalling there as they punted the ball away pinning the Packers deep in their own territory again at their own 5-yard line.

With the Packers, having 95 yards to go until pay-dirt, they got off to a bit of a slow start, but then big plays from Patrick Taylor and Luke Musgrave gave them a pulse. Then a pass deep to Romeo Doubs was sent from Jordan Love like a teardrop right into his arms as he made the catch with his feet inbounds along the sidelines for a 30-yard gain. This took the Packers to the New Orleans 20-yard line in under a minute remaining in the third quarter. A few plays later, a quick pass to Luke Musgrave on third down short of the first down marker ended the third quarter leaving the Packers with the decision of whether to go for it or take the Field Goal. 

Fourth Quarter:

With fourth down and 2 yards to go from the New Orleans 12-yard line, the Packers went for it and a miscue between Patrick Taylor and Jordan Love saw the pass sail to the ground. Turnover on downs. Patrick Taylor stopped in his route where it was likely he should’ve kept going, Jordan Love was clearly frustrated after that one. It was hard to leave that field position without points, but a touchdown was preferred over a field goal that close and a conversion failure still pinned the Saints deep in their own territory with the Packers' defense doing a good job stopping them. 

New Orleans took over at their own 12-yard line with 14:57 remaining in the game. It was a very short drive as they went three and out. The Packers' defense forced the punt to put the ball back in the hands of Jordan Love to hopefully capitalize on the progress from the previous drive.

After the frustrating end to the drive earlier, the Packers got out to a good start with a 31-yard pass to Jayden Reed to put the Packers right into Saints territory. Jordan Love then took two shots at the end-zone that went incomplete and ended the drive unfortunately before they could get further. But it wasn’t all for not. An Anders Carlsen 38-yard field goal finally put the Packers on the board now trailing 17-3 with 11:00 remaining in the game.

On the following drive for the Saints, they began to move the ball again. But Rashan Gary had other ideas as he sacked Jameis Winston for his third sack of the game. That along with a holding penalty on New Orleans was too much for Winston and company to overcome. The Saints sent the ball back to the Packers Offense with 8:27 remaining in the fourth quarter. 

On the first play of the drive, the Packers came out firing as Jordan Love let it fly targeting Dontayvion Wicks deep. The play was called for pass interference putting the ball at the Saints 35-yard line. On the following play, Jordan Love targeted Romeo Doubs, and again a pass interference flag was thrown in putting the Packers at the New Orleans 13-yard line with 8:16 remaining in the fourth. Finally, some flags benefited the Packers instead of hampering them! The offense drove their way slowly inside the five-yard line when on fourth down, Jordan Love took the ball into the end zone himself for a rushing touchdown, putting the score at 17-9 Packers. Surprising just about everybody, Jordan Love waived the Field Goal unit to stay on the sidelines as the Packers elected to go for a two-point conversion and succeeded with a catch in the end-zone by Samori Toure putting the score at 17-11. Lambeau was alive! An extra point would've put the game within a touchdown and extra point, but Matt LaFleur with a very gutsy call to go for two to pull within six. 

The Packers defense made sure to not let Lambeau down as they held true in the following drive again. For the fifth consecutive time since halftime, the Saints' drive ended in a punt. 

Love and the offense took over at their own 20-yard line with plenty of time left at 5:21 remaining in the game. A few plays in, Jordan Love broke free on a 24-yard scramble to take the ball into Saints territory at the 45-yard line. As if Love didn't have Lambeau crowd hyped enough, two plays later, a huge catch by Jayden Reed for 30 yards the Packers were knocking at the doorstep of the goal line. Then, on third and three from the New Orleans 8-yard line Jordan Love tossed up a pass to the side of the end zone for Romeo Doubs and this time he came down with it, putting the Packers up 18-17 with 2:56 remaining in the game.

The Saints then came out looking to take the lead down by 1 and got into Packers territory quickly. The veteran QB Jameis Winston was picking on practice squad call-up Corey Ballentine of the Packers as a pass to Ballentine's side into the hands of Chris Olave for 28 yards got them to the Packers' 42-yard line. Another Olave pass with Ballentine in coverage and they were in field goal range on first down as the two-minute warning hit. Tension was running high as the previously stout defense just let the Saints off easy. The only thing the Saints offense would do after this though would be take the clock down to 1:10 left in the game and bring on Blake Grupe for the 46-yard field goal attempt to win the game. From the left hash, Grupe had the ball up to the right and it never stopped drifting as it sailed wide-right. NO GOOD!

The Packers took over with 1:05 left in the game and after three Jordan Love kneels, the Packers had completed the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in Franchise history putting up 18 unanswered points to defeat the New Orleans Saints 18-17.

Offensive Player of the Game:

Last week I gave this award to Jordan Love and some didn't necessarily agree with me. Well, sorry, I'm doing it again whether you agree or not. Jordan Love was the MVP of the Packers' offense. Yes, he had miscues in the majority of the game, but in the fourth quarter, he really brought the offense to life. That's what you want from your Quarterback. Love basically said, "Everyone get on my back, and let's go win this game." Love finished the game 22/44 for 259 yards and a touchdown through the air with one INT. He also was the Packers' top runner with Aaron Jones out getting 39 yards off 9 carries and a touchdown. 

Love has looked relaxed all season. He looked frustrated at times today but you really have to hand it to him after leading this team to a fourth-quarter comeback win. That will be a Jordan Love signature win to be mentioned in the future. 

Defensive Player of the Game:

Rashan Gary is a monster. Today I decided I was going to wear my Rashan Gary jersey in hopes he'd play some more and show what he's worth after his injury last year. He did not disappoint me. Rashan Gary came into this game ready to disturb Quarterbacks. He registered three sacks, all three ended up being drive-killing moments. On top of that, he also had three QB hits. This year is the year Rashan Gary rockets to the top of the list of best pass rushers in the league. Today is just the start. 

What Went Right:

I have to say that the defense did well for the most part in this game. Complimentary football is key every single week. This week, The defense was holding fairly well on drives but the offense wasn't giving them much of a breather so New Orleans got by a time or two. I still don't like Joe Barry, but this defense rose to the occasion to keep this offense in the game. Essentially the defense only gave up 10 points when you remove that punt return that wasn't their fault. We still had a chance to win it even when we were down in the dirt.

Never say die. Young teams tend to give up when they're down. Not these guys today. Matt LaFleur should be very proud of how his team stayed in this game and never gave up on it.

What Went Wrong:

PENALTIES. If you take away some of the penalties in the first half, this could've been a different game. The Packers had a total of 11 penalties for 90 yards, many of which came on the offense at drive-killing times. We desperately need to clean up those mistakes.

Miscues. We're a young offense, I get it. It was said early that the defense would need to pick up the slack for the offense still trying to find its way. But man, the balls sailing over heads, and players not being where they should be, it's just frustrating and we need to get those fundamentals down if we want to go anywhere in 2023. 

The Packers have a short week ahead of them as they are set to take on the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. Lucky for them though they get to stay home and there is no travel ahead. Detroit will be coming off their victory against the Atlanta Falcons and will be looking to move to 3-1 the same as the Packers. The Lions were considered the favorite to win the NFC North before the season started. So, this will be a good test for this young Packers team to show they can still be a threat to run this division on a short week. Hopefully, we will get some starters back on offense and defense so we can head into the second divisional matchup of the season at full strength.