Analysis: Three keys to Saints' 38-3 Week 1 victory

The New Orleans Saints made a deafening statement in their 38-3 Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers. They controlled all three phases of the game, accounted for in-game injuries without missing a beat, and ultimately put the NFL on notice. Jameis Winston showed immense poise, was decisive and measured, and frankly blew my expectations out of the water. The next-man up mentality saw players like Paulson Adebo, Calvin Throckmorton, Juwan Johnson and Chris Hogan rise to the challenge; oddly enough, this game barely even needed Marquez Callaway.

While there are too many positive takeaways from that blowout to keep track of, a notable factor stuck out in this win: dominant play in the trenches.…