The Packers steamroll depleted the Saints, looking like a top contender in the NFC

On By Littum

The Green Bay Packers might be the best third down team in NFL history.

The Packers can’t win the division despite an 11-4 record because the Detroit Lions or Minnesota Vikings are each 13-2 and one of them must win (or tie) when they meet in Week 18. But the Packers is on the short list of teams that can win a Super Bowl.

Green Bay didn’t have a tough challenge Monday night against a struggling New Orleans Saints team, but they did what elite teams do and thoroughly dominated a bad team. The Packers scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives, and it was practically over after that. A Saints team that featured Spencer Rattler, Kendre Miller and Foster Moreau as their top playmakers did not come back from a 21-0 hole. Green Bay throttled back in the second half and cruised to a 34-0 victory.

The Packers’ shutout was the first in the NFL this season. The Saints entered having been shut out once in their previous 369 games, according to ESPN.

The Packers have been good all season. They haven’t lost to a team all season with a record worse than 12-3. They’ve just been overshadowed in their own division. But with QB Jordan Love looking as healthy and sharp as he has all season and Josh Jacobs on a tear-scoring touchdown, the Packers aren’t a team anyone wants to face even if they’re the No. 6. NFC.

Sad to see the Saints late this season. Against Green Bay, they were without Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Taysom Hill on offense. It’s hard to compete while missing so many key players on one side of the ball.

On Monday night, the Saints looked like a team that didn’t enjoy the Lambeau Field cold, knew it couldn’t compete and just wanted to get things over with as quickly as possible.

There were some problems with the clock management at the end of the first half. The Saints were slow to call a timeout with less than a minute left, then lost 24 seconds when they didn’t realize the clock was running on an off-field fumble. That’s on interim coach Darren Rizzi. Then Spencer Rattler took a 14-yard sack when he held the ball too long, costing New Orleans a chance to at least get a field goal.

Not that the mishandling of timeouts mattered much. The Packers were ahead 21-0 with more than six minutes left in the second quarter. There is no mercy rule in football, but the only thing that kept the Saints from being beaten by 50 was that Packers coach Matt LaFleur had no reason to rub it in.

The Packers’ offense has adapted as the season has gone on. They seem to have finally settled on their identity.

Love has been good, but he hasn’t been a high-volume passer lately. The Packers are going through Jacobs quite a bit, who scored again Monday. He has a touchdown in six straight games. Love is perfect when the Packers need to lean on him, especially now that he’s completely overcoming some early season injuries. He was 12 of 18 for 127 yards in the first half Monday night.

Green Bay is mostly tuning up for the playoffs, as the only real intrigue left for the Packers is which wild card seed they end up with. It helps, because as each week goes by, the Packers look more and more like a serious threat in the NFC.

The Packers weren’t really tested on Monday. The Saints are nowhere near a playoff level team. But Green Bay has shown over the past few weeks that it is capable of beating anyone in the NFL.

LIVE COVERAGE HAS ENDED38 updates

  • The Packers secure the first shutout of the NFL season and win the playoff spot

    The Packers stopped the Saints one last time and ended the game in victory formation to complete the 34-0 shutout, the first in the NFL this season.

    With the win, Green Bay has a wild-card spot at 11-4 with two weeks left in the regular season. A dominant effort on both sides of the ball secures Green Bay’s fifth playoff berth in six seasons.

  • Saints G Lucas Patrick is injured

    Hard to see. Saints guard Lucas Patrick went down in agony in garbage time violence. Held his left knee after contact and was eventually able to limp off the field.

  • Packers pile on

    With Malik Willis at QB, the Packers added another touchdown on a seven-play, 48-yard drive for a 34-0 lead. Emanuel Wilson punches it in from 1 yard.

    Nine Packers players have carried the ball for 191 yards and three touchdowns at 5.1 yards per carry. carry.

    The only mistake on the final drive: Green Bay left 2:41 on the game clock.

  • Saints fumble on 4th down; Jordan Love’s night is over

    A Packers shutout is within reach. The Saints just managed to convert on fourth down, and backup quarterback Malik Willis has replaced Packers starter Jordan Love. Green Bay leads 27-0 with 5:44 left and the ball.

  • Packers add a FG

    The Packers extend their lead to 27-0 with a 46-yard field goal. 7:13 remains in regulation.

  • Packers fans are feeling it — and not following protocol. Earlier the wave broke out. Now they break out into a “Bears still suck” chant. Both times with Green Bay in the attack.

  • Saints strike again

    The Packers have the ball back after a Saints punt with a 24-0 lead and a clear mission: Run the clock.

  • Josh Jacobs is taking it easy on the bench

    Packers running back Josh Jacobs has been sidelined after a hot start. No reports of an injury. Makes sense for Green Bay to rest their starting running back in a blowout. Eight different players have carried the ball for the Packers tonight.

  • Packers punt

    The Packers failed to get a first down near midfield and the Saints will go for their first point on a drive starting from their own 34.

  • The Packers lead 24-0 entering the fourth

    The third quarter is over and the Packers are up 24-0 heading into the fourth. Will they keep their closure intact?

  • Everything continues to go wrong for the Saints. Their best drive of the night (to the Green Bay 22) ends with a Spencer Rattler interception to Zayne Anderson near the end zone. Green Bay keeps the shutout intact and takes over with a 24-0 lead at their own 20.

  • Christian Watson is now doubtful

    Packers receiver Christian Watson returned to the game after a first-half visit to the sideline medical tent. But Green Bay now lists him as questionable with a knee injury. Here he guesses that his night has ended in a blowout.

  • Brandon McManus is good from deep

    Brandon McManus makes a 60-yard field goal to extend Green Bay’s lead to 24-0. The only drama left in this one is whether or not the shutout holds.

  • Saints strike again

    New Orleans scores after gaining 14 yards on its first possession of the third quarter. New Orleans is still looking to crack the scoreboard.

  • Saints start the second half with the ball

    Saints have the ball to start the second half. Will they score this time – or at all tonight?

  • Halftime Stats: Packers 21, Saints 0

    This is about as dominant as one NFL team looks against another.

    Jordan Love: 12 of 18, 127 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 turnovers
    Spencer Rattler: 4 of 8, 56 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 lost fumble

    Josh Jacobs: 10 carries for 53 yards; 4 catches for 38 yards, 1 touchdown
    Kendre Miller: 5 carries for 12 yards

    Tucker Kraft: 3 catches for 63 yards
    Foster Moreau: 2 catches for 33 yards

    Packers total yards: 222 at 6.2 yards per carry. game
    Saints total yards: 81 at 3.5 yards per carry game

    Packers first downs: 15
    Saints first downs: 6

    The packer’s turnover: 0
    Saints turnover: 1

  • Saints cluster watch, best scoring chance

    Saints head coach Darren Rizzi was unaware that the game clock had restarted after an offside fumble. Saints receiver Kevin Austin Jr. fumbled out of bounds after a gain to the Green Bay 34 with 39 seconds left in the half.

    Officials stopped the clock and then restarted it after the ball was properly put back in play. The Saints apparently expected the clock to remain stopped and did not call one of their two remaining timeouts until there were 15 seconds left on the game clock.

    Spencer Rattler took a sack on the next play and the Saints went scoreless after a Hail Mary on third-and-22 hit the turf. A terrible half of Saints football ends in complete mismanagement, with Green Bay leading 21-0.

    The Saints also wasted a lot of time earlier in the drive that started with 1:49 left in the half. Complete mismanagement of New Orleans.

    Rizzi explained the gaffe to ESPN as a “miscommunication with officials” on the way to the halftime locker room.

  • Saints finally get a stop

    The Packers struck straight after scoring touchdowns on each of their first three drives. Saints have a chance to salvage some respectability with the ball back inside the 2-minute warning.

  • Christian Watson is back

    Packers wide receiver Christian Watson is back on the field after spending some time in the sideline medical tent.