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Aaron Rodgers pushes 3-0 Packers past Saints

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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) has nine touchdown passes and zero interceptions this season after another three-touchdown performance Sunday in New Orleans. Photo by AJ Sisco/UPI
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) has nine touchdown passes and zero interceptions this season after another three-touchdown performance Sunday in New Orleans. Photo by AJ Sisco/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes and the Green Bay Packers overcame a tremendous performance from Alvin Kamara to pick up a win over the New Orleans Saints and move to 3-0 on the season.

Rodgers completed 21 of 32 passes for 283 yards and didn't throw an interception in the 37-30 triumph Sunday at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Kamara had 197 yards from scrimmage and two scores on 19 touches in the loss.

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"I really appreciated the flow we had and the [coaches] trusting us to make plays," Rodgers told reporters. "And [on Sunday] we did."

Mason Crosby made a 52-yard field goal on the Packers first drive of the game. The Saints responded when quarterback Drew Brees threw an 11-yard touchdown toss to Kamara. Crosby added another field goal at the start of the second quarter to cut the Saints lead to 7-6.

Rodgers threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Allen Lazard on the Packers' next drive. The Saints then got a 45-yard field goal from Wil Lutz. New Orleans took a 17-13 lead just before halftime when Brees threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders.

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The Packers responded with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on the first possession of the second half. Aaron Jones capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Lutz hit a 35-yard kick on the Saints next drive to tie the score at 20-20.

Rodgers then hooked up with tight end Marcedes Lewis for an 18-yard touchdown to give the Packers a 27-20 edge with 2:26 remaining in the third quarter.

Kamara answered with an incredible touchdown run after he caught a short screen pass from Brees. The Saints running back caught the ball on the left flank and broke several tackles before he sprinted down the sideline and weaved between would-be-tacklers on the 52-yard touchdown trek.

Crosby then hit a 49-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to give Green Bay a 30-27 lead. The Packers forced a Saints punt on their next drive. Rodgers then orchestrated a seven-play, 50-yard scoring drive. Rodgers threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Robert Tonyan to end that drive and give the Packers a 10-point lead with 2:04 remaining.

Lutz made a 34-yard field goal on the Saints next drive, but New Orleans failed to recover an onside kick after the field goal. The Packers ran out the rest of the clock to pick up their third win of 2020.

Defensive end Kingsley Keke had two sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defensed in the victory. Lazard had six catches for 146 yards and a touchdown for the Packers.

Brees completed 29 of 36 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.

"We've had two games in a row now, where these haven't been our best performances," Brees said. "There are plenty of things that we know we need to work on on both sides of the ball."

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The Packers (3-0) host the Atlanta Falcons (0-3) at 8:15 p.m. EDT on Oct. 5 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Saints (1-2) face the Detroit Lions at 1 p.m. EDT Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit.

"We've got to get ready to play a better game against Detroit," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "That's our industry. We are 1-2 right now. It's been awhile since we felt that. ... It's a little bit of a gut check."

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