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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks to pass against the New Orleans Saints.
NFL

Rodgers powers Packers past Saints, Bills blow big lead but beat Rams

The Green Bay QB now has nine touchdown passes in his first three games.

AARON RODGERS THREW three touchdown passes as the Green Bay Packers kept their unbeaten record alive with a 37-30 win over the New Orleans Saints last night.

Rodgers completed 21 of 32 attempts for 283 yards with one of his favourite targets being Allen Lazard who finished with six catches and 146 yards for the Packers, who improved to 3-0.

“We executed. We put up 37 points which is amazing considering the type of squad (Saints) have,” said Rodgers. “We made the most of our opportunities. 

“We did a pretty good job on third down and kept drives alive. The guys made plays when we had to. That was a big stop by defence on the fumble and we had a couple big drives in fourth quarter.”

Mason Crosby’s 49-yard field goal broke a 27-27 tie midway through the fourth quarter at the Superdome in New Orleans.

With one minute left Rodgers tossed his third touchdown pass of the game, a one-yarder to Robert Tonyan. Rodgers now has nine touchdown passes in his first three games.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 29 of 36 for 288 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.

Brees’ backup quarterback Taysom Hill committed a crucial fumble with the score tied, which led to Crosby’s go-ahead field goal. Za’Darius Smith stripped Hill of the ball and recovered the fumble to give the Packers the ball at midfield.

Wil Lutz’s 34-yard field goal with 32 seconds left got New Orleans within seven points, but the ensuing onside kick failed.

Also, quarterback Russell Wilson threw five touchdown passes for the second consecutive week, including a go-ahead 29-yarder to DK Metcalf with 1:47 remaining, as the unbeaten Seattle Seahawks defeated the Dallas Cowboys 38-31. 

Wilson’s 14 touchdowns are the most by any player through three weeks of the season and he became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw at least four touchdown passes in the first three games.

Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes threw 13 touchdown passes in the Chiefs’ first three games in 2018. 

Wilson completed 27 of 40 passes for 315 yards. 

In Buffalo, quarterback Josh Allen drove Buffalo 75 yards in the final four minutes for the winning scoring strike as the undefeated Bills rallied to beat the Los Angeles Rams 35-32.

Allen connected with receiver Tyler Kroft with 15 seconds left for his fourth and final touchdown pass of the day at Orchard Park, New York. He also added a rushing touchdown.

The Rams overcame a 25-point, third-quarter deficit and took a late 32-28 lead before Allen orchestrated the game-winning drive.

The Rams looked set to equal the third-largest comeback in NFL history and the biggest in franchise history when they scored 29 unanswered points in the second half. 

“Probably just got too relaxed and that’s on me,” said Allen regarding the loss of the Bills’ big lead. “I’ve got to be better for our team and our offence.”

The Rams’ four straight touchdown drives came off two Jared Goff touchdown passes, one Goff run and a one-yard run by Darrell Henderson to give the Rams the lead.

But Allen was able to regroup and rally the Bills as he completed 24 of 33 for 311 total passing yards on the day.

Goff completed 23 of 32 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Henderson had 20 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown. 

“We were just one step away, and unfortunately in this league that’s not good enough,” Rams safety John Johnson said. “The whole game was a weird game.”

Meanwhile, Nick Foles completed three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter as the Chicago Bears came from behind to beat the Atlanta Falcons 30-26 to remain unbeaten after three weeks of the season for the first time in seven years.

Foles completed the rally with a go-ahead, 28-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Miller with 1:53 remaining. Bears safety Tashaun Gipson made an interception on the Falcons’ next drive to seal the victory. 

“He was out there ad libbing a bit for sure and checking and changing some plays. There’s one play he called, I’m like, `We got that?’ So it was pretty cool to see and pretty cool to be a part of,” said tight end Jimmy Graham of former Super Bowl MVP Foles.

And, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Philadelphia Eagles finished in a 23-23 tie after they played 10 minutes of scoreless overtime in Philadelphia.

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