The Green Bay Packers (11-4) lived up to their two-touchdown spread over the New Orleans Saints (5-10) in a 34-0 wire-to-wire victory.
With their 34-point win, the Packers wrapped up their largest shutout victory since a 34-0 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10 of the 2007 season, as well as their second consecutive playoff appearance and fifth in six years under head coach Matt LaFleur. Their 11 wins are their most since the 2021 season when they went 13-4. Monday night’s win also marks the first shutout win for any NFL team in the 2024 season, and per CBS Sports Research, Week 16 is the latest in a season for the first shutout victory to occur.
The Packers came out firing right away, scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions of the game, the first time Green Bay has done that since the 2020 season. It got the game started by executing a 10-play touchdown drive that culminated with quarterback Jordan Love’s two-yard passing score to wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks in the middle of the end zone. Love checked out of the game with the Packers up, 27-0, with 5:52 left to play. He finished with 182 yards passing and a touchdown on 16 of 28 passing to earn his first career win in three tries on “Monday Night Football.”
Green Bay’s ground game punished the Saints all night long. Josh Jacobs’ goal-line touchdown capped off a 96-yard drive, and then it was second-year back Chris Brooks who barreled in from a yard out for the final score of the first half. Jacobs finished with 69 yards rushing and a touchdown on 13 carries, giving him his sixth consecutive game with a rushing touchdown, tied for the most by a Green Bay player since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger along with Ryan Grant (2007) and Terdell Middelton (1978), per CBS Sports Research. Kicker Brandon McManus added two field goals (55 yards and 46 yards), and backup running back Emmanuel Wilson concluded the scoring with a one-yard rushing touchdown with 2:41 left to play in the game.
As for New Orleans, it struggled to move the ball offensively with rookie Spencer Rattler under center in place of an injured Derek Carr, and it was plagued with pre-snap and operations penalties in addition to turnovers. Arguably the Saints’ most promising drive came with just over two minutes to play in the half, as they got the ball to the Green Bay 29-yard line. However, Rattler was strip-sacked by blitzing Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon and fumbled the ball to eliminate the scoring opportunity. He also threw an interception in the third quarter to Green Bay safety Zayne Anderson, who made his first NFL start Monday because of injuries to safeties Javon Bullard and Evan Williams. Rattler finished the night with 153 yards passing, an interception and a lost fumble on 15 of 30 passing. The Saints are off to their worst 15-game start to a season since 2005 when they started 3-12.
Why the Packers won
Green Bay outclassed New Orleans in all three phases of the game. The Packers out-gained the Saints by over 200 total yards (404-196), had 10 more first downs (24 to 14) and won the turnover battle, 2-0, with Rattler’s interception and lost fumble. Their ground game netted nearly 200 yards rushing (188), and Love played a clean game. While the Packers’ offense took their foot off the gas in the second half, their three touchdowns on their first three possessions were more than enough to make sure there was no doubt about the game’s outcome.
Why the Saints lost
The Saints simply didn’t have the firepower to hang with a postseason-bound Packers. Not having quarterback Derek Carr, running back Alvin Kamara, wide receiver Chris Olave and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed heavily limited the firepower New Orleans possessed Monday night. Coming up to Lambeau Field in late December and having to tackle the battering ram that is Josh Jacobs over and over again simply wore their defense out.
Turning point
Jacobs’ two-yard rushing touchdown that put Green Bay up 14-0 after its second drive of the game. Going up two scores on this shorthanded Saints’ bunch acted as an early knockout punch.
Play of the game
Nixon’s blitzing strip-sack of Rattler. New Orleans had finally driven inside the Packers’ 30 with just under three minutes left in the half, but Nixon spoiled the Saints’ scoring hopes with a perfectly executed strip sack that edge rusher Rashan Gary finished off with a fumble recovery.
What’s next
The Packers (11-4) head north to face the Minnesota Vikings (13-2) in Week 17 to fight over NFC postseason seeding. Minnesota won the first matchup, 31-29, at Lambeau Field back in Week 4, Love’s return from an MCL sprain. The Saints (5-10) return home in Week 17 to host the 3-12 Las Vegas Raiders.
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