Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Saints QB Drew Brees out on a show, combing for 765 passing yards and seven TDs. But the Packers came out on top, 28-27. (US Presswire)

In a game that neither team -- nor, come to think of it, the NFL, the fans or the referees, themselves -- wanted to see decided by the officials, the Packers’ 28-27 win over the Saints on Sunday very nearly was.

Just six days after the notoriously controversial blown call by replacement refs cost the Packers a win and helped end the NFLRA lockout, there were some eyebrow-raising and nearly game-altering moments in Green Bay. Saints WR Marques Colston got away with pushing Packers S Morgan Burnett on Colston’s first-quarter TD reception, the second time in as many weeks a Packers defensive back was pushed down in the end zone without a flag. Later, the Packers, having used up both of their challenges, couldn’t contest a miscall on a fourth-quarter kick return when Saints returner Darren Sproles clearly fumbled but was ruled down by contact.

In the end, the Packers won a game in which they looked an awful lot like last year’s team. The offense was dynamic, racking up 421 total yards, including more than 300 through the air; the defense gave up huge plays, bending but not breaking to the tune of 446 passing yards allowed; and the special teams units were an asset, with good coverage and returns and a sneaky-successful fake punt play.

For the Packers, it was a sigh-of-relief type victory. They survived a difficult first-month schedule and emerged 2-2, a record they’ll surely take even if they’re not entirely happy about it. For the Saints (0-4), it’s going to be a long flight back to New Orleans, where they’re now the only winless team in the NFC. Despite Drew Brees’ best efforts, the Bountygate repercussions seemingly still reverberate in the Big Easy.

When the game turned: Remember those eyebrow-raising, game-altering moments discussed above? The Saints weren’t spared their share. On what would be their final possession, they had marched down to the Packers’ 25-yard line. On fourth-and-4, and with just under three minutes remaining, K Garrett Hartley lined up to attempt a 43-yard field goal that would’ve given New Orleans a 30-28 lead. He made the kick, but it was nullified by a head-scratching holding penalty on a New Orleans player that the referee did not name.

That moved the ball back 10 yards to the 35, and, after a Packers penalty pushed it back up five yards to the 30, Hartley’s second attempt, from 48 yards, was wide left. The Packers took over on downs, ran a few plays, picked up a first down and iced the win.

Highlight moments: For Green Bay, there were a few. On fourth-and-1 at their own 17-yard line in the second quarter, the Packers got into punt formation. But then they direct-snapped the ball to FB John Kuhn, who bulled through the surprised Saints’ defensive line for a 5-yard gain and a first down. That drive ultimately ended with a touchdown pass from QB Aaron Rodgers to WR James Jones that gave Green Bay a 21-7 lead.

Later, midway through the fourth quarter and trailing 27-21, Rodgers found WR Jordy Nelson, who dragged two defenders with him as he muscled in for an 11-yard touchdown that would be the winning margin.

For the Saints, their biggest highlights all occurred in the third quarter in a span of less than a minute and a half. It started as the Malcolm Jenkins show, when the CB committed a facemask penalty, his second of the game, on Rodgers deep in New Orleans territory that gave Green Bay the ball at the Saints’ 2-yard line. In the process of committing the foul, however, Jenkins had poked Rodgers in the eye, injuring him and forcing backup QB Graham Harrell into the game. On Harrell’s first NFL snap, he tripped over an offensive lineman and fumbled the handoff. Jenkins recovered and the Saints took over. Three plays later, QB Drew Brees connected with WR Joseph Morgan on an 80-yard touchdown that gave New Orleans a 24-21 lead.

Top-shelf performances: Rodgers finally looked like the reigning league MVP on Sunday, completing 75 percent of his passes and finishing with 319 yards and four touchdowns, as well as one interception (119.9 passer rating). Nelson, too, broke out of an early-season slump, catching eight passes for 93 yards and that brawny, dogged score. Also, RB Cedric Benson showed he can still be the workhorse back the Packers apparently need him to be, carrying 18 times for 84 yards (4.7 average) and catching four passes out of the backfield for 22 yards.

On the Saints’ side, Brees was virtually unstoppable, completing 65 percent of his passes for an astounding 446 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions (109.0 rating). His 80-yard strike to Morgan was a thing of pure beauty. Colston was a monster, too, catching nine passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. And Jenkins was a playmaker, racking up 10 tackles, knocking Rodgers out for that one crucial play and recovering the fumble that set up Morgan’s touchdown.

What they said about Rodgers’ final pass, an 8-yard completion to WR James Jones that gained the vital first down and clinched the victory:

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers: “That last play there, you feel great about the opportunity to win it with a completion. We had a good play call. They brought a little pressure and played man coverage. We liked the matchup with James and he made an incredible catch.”

Packers WR James Jones: “Thank God; the Lord was with me. I saw the ball thrown inside and I stuck one hand down there. Sometimes you get lucky in football, and that’s what that was. I caught it under [CB Jabari Greer’s] elbow on the other side of his body and pulled it in. The biggest thing about it is that it was a first down. We could run the clock out and get out of there with a victory.”

Saints CB Jabari Greer: “You have to make that play. I pride myself on being able to make that play in big situations. I didn’t do it. It hurts. It is something that will motivate me to get better and be the very best I can be. I am never letting that happen.”

Numbers you should know: Zero, as in the number of sacks the Packers’ offensive line allowed. The line easily overwhelmed the Saints’ nonexistent pass rush, creating textbook pockets and clearing the running lanes that helped the Packers rush for 102 yards. After getting raked over the coals for allowing eight sacks in the first half last week at Seattle, a performance that a couple linemen called “embarrassing” and “bad football,” the big boys were at their best. The zero sacks were also a product of Rodgers’ savvy and mobility, as he eluded the Saints’ rush and got rid of the ball quickly.

Another number Rodgers was pleased, though still not thrilled about was the Packers’ 80-percent red zone efficiency rate. Rodgers said during the week that was an area in which the offense had to improve, and Green Bay converted on four of its five opportunities inside the 20-yard line. Afterward, Rodgers said, “You never like a turnover down there, but [we had] a good percentage.”

For the Saints: 47, as in the number of consecutive regular-season games in which Brees has thrown at least one touchdown pass, tying the NFL’s all-time mark set by Johnny Unitas. Also, 2.4, as in New Orleans’ average yards-per-carry, gaining just 45 yards on 19 rushes.

Going forward: The Packers have now finished up what coach Mike McCarthy called one of the toughest first quarters of a season he’s ever experienced. They endured a difficult schedule and the replacement referees taking a win away from them. But, they also got to play three of those four games at home. Now they’ll go on the road for three straight weeks, to Indianapolis, then undefeated Houston and then Jacksonville. It will be a trying stretch for a team that enjoys a distinct home-field advantage.

The Saints return home to face the 3-1 San Diego Chargers next week and then they have a bye. After their week off, they travel to Tampa Bay and then Denver, where they’ll get interim coach Joe Vitt back from his six-game Bountygate suspension.

Follow Packers reporter James Carlton on Twitter: @CBSPackers and @jimmycarlton88.

Follow Saints reporter Guerry Smith on twitter @CBSSaints.