Packers vs. Saints: Score and Twitter Reaction from "Sunday Night Football"

The New Orleans Saints saved their season at the Superdome in Week 8.

Quarterback Drew Brees, running back Mark Ingram and the explosive New Orleans offense exploited the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, improving to 3-4 on the year with a 44-23 victory.

Mark Maske of The Washington Post summarized the outcome for the visitors on an evening when neither team punted:

Amid a heated clash that saw Brees and his superstar counterpart Aaron Rodgers play at an elite level to a 16-16 halftime draw, former NFL general manager Phil Savage appreciated the magnificent display:

The tide began to turn in the Saints' favor in the third quarter.

Rodgers used his athleticism to pick up a first down inside the New Orleans 10-yard line but came up lame along the sideline, appearing to tweak his hamstring. As Rodgers grimaced, Green Bay fans most certainly did, too.

Bleacher Report's Dave Siebert offered his expert opinion on Rodgers' left leg:

While Rodgers' mobility was limited, his golden arm was intact. However, a brilliant play saw Saints cornerback Corey White break up a would-be touchdown on a slant to Andrew Quarless. The ball shot up into the air and was intercepted by New Orleans linebacker David Hawthorne.

As is the Saints' characteristic style under coach Sean Payton, they went for the jugular not long thereafter. It proved to be a fruitful tactical ploy.

Rookie first-round pick Brandin Cooks, who also had a rushing TD in the first quarter, outran two Packer defenders and hauled in a beautiful bomb from Brees for a 50-yard touchdown, giving New Orleans a 23-16 advantage.

The NFL's official Twitter account provided footage of the game-changing score:

Sportscaster Sean Kelley praised the call to take a shot deep:

Brees, who finished 27-of-32 passing for 311 yards and three TDs, tacked on a 22-yard scoring strike to behemoth tight end Jimmy Graham late in the third. Then he found Josh Hill on an easy pitch-and-catch from two yards out with nine minutes and 51 seconds remaining in the game.

Saints fans have to be excited about the offensive balance struck Sunday, courtesy of Ingram's power and surprising elusiveness, capped in fine fashion with a 21-yard TD jaunt in the fourth.

NFL.com's Chris Trapasso took notice of Ingram:

Meanwhile, the hobbling Rodgers couldn't muster the same greatness that galvanized Green Bay to four straight wins before Sunday.

ESPNWisconsin's Jason Wilde weighed in:

From the way things started, the home team's maligned defense threatened to let the Saints faithful down again. Randall Cobb showed off his big-play ability by breaking out for a 70-yard touchdown reception.

The Packers' official Twitter account made note of Rodgers' latest long toss for six:

ESPN Stats & Info pointed to just how great Rodgers was in the first 15 minutes:

But critical errors, perhaps a result of Rodgers pressing due to his defense's struggles and grinding through pain, were the Packers' undoing—though both of the quarterback's picks were realistically catchable for his wideouts.

Lindsay Jones of USA Today highlighted how uncharacteristic Rodgers' mistakes were:

Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com lauded the way Brees hung tough all evening, dealing with exotic schematics from Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers and immense pressure:

In terms of what to expect from the future, this pre-Week 8 quote from Brees seems fitting in light of how Sunday's prime-time affair played out, per Packers.com's Vic Ketchman (h/t CBSSports.com's John Breech):

"

We've had a couple of close games. We just haven't been able to finish. There are a couple of plays here and there that would've made the difference. I think we're only a play here and a play there from being 4-2 or 5-1. We have an opportunity to turn it around this weekend. You look at our division. Nobody has separated themselves. That gives you plenty of hope.

"

The Saints found a way to finish in the friendly confines of their home turf, and there is hope in New Orleans indeed.

An extremely weak NFC South has the Carolina Panthers leading the way with a 3-4-1 record. That leaves plenty of optimism for the Saints to compete for the crown in that cluster, and the momentum achieved from beating such a quality opponent on Sunday can only help.

A road trip to Charlotte kicks off Week 9 on Thursday Night Football, as New Orleans will have a chance to gain a head-to-head tiebreaker edge on the Panthers in the division.

As for Green Bay, Rodgers' health is the chief concern—more than whatever Week 8's loss means moving forward.

That will be the hot-button topic as a merciful Packers bye commences in Week 9. Rodgers is the bottom-line determinant as to whether the Packers can compete for the NFC North title against the surging 6-2 Detroit Lions.