For the second straight week in primetime, the Green Bay Packers started fast, led big in the first half, overcame a little lull in the second half and cruised to a comfortable win — this time a 34-0 final over the shorthanded New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field on Monday night.
The Packers went over 30 points for the fifth straight game and secured the NFL’s first shutout of the 2024 season.
Matt LaFleur’s team opened up a 21-0 lead after scoring touchdowns on three consecutive possessions to open the game, and Jeff Hafley’s defense produced two takeaways and seven other stops in a dominant performance against a Saints team missing their top quarterback, running back and receiver.
The Packers are 11-4 and have clinched a playoff berth.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— The Packers took the opening kickoff, drove 63 yards in 10 plays and scored a touchdown — using four completions from Jordan Love and 40 total yards from Josh Jacobs to go up 7-0 early. The offense has been setting the tone early in games.
— The Packers defense gave up under 200 yards, had three sacks and produced two turnovers. The Saints never entered the red zone, and both takeaways came with the Saints inside the 30-yard line. Devonte Wyatt’s sack late in the first half took away another scoring opportunity.
— Running back Josh Jacobs turned 17 touches into 107 total yards and a touchdown. He ripped off a 20-yard run on the opening drive to set up a touchdown, caught four passes for 38 yards and once again scored from inside the 5-yard line.
— Brenton Cox Jr. had a sack, two quarterback hits and a team-high six total pressures (per Next Gen Stats). He was disruptive all night. So was Lukas Van Ness, Rashan Gary and Devonte Wyatt. The pass-rush had rookie Spencer Rattler under pressure on 52.6 percent of dropbacks. The emergence of Cox and Van Ness is especially encouraging for the present and future of the pass-rush.
— Tucker Kraft and Jayden Reed both had a pair of catches gaining 30 or more yards.
— Brandon McManus made a season-long field of 55 yards, hit from 46 with ease and connected on all four extra points. He had no issues on a December night at Lambeau Field.
— The Packers rushed for 188 yards, didn’t give up a sack and mostly dominated the line of scrimmage. Nine different players had a rushing attempt. Jacobs ran hard early, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks combined for 75 rushing yards and two scores, and receivers Christian Watson, Bo Melton and Jayden Reed added 42 rushing yards. The Packers are a dynamic and versatile rushing team.
— Tucker Kraft and Jordan Love both converted first downs on sneaks. The Packers are now 3-for-3 when Kraft does the sneak.
— The Packers were 3-for-3 on fourth down. The Saints were 0-for 2. The Packers also scored four touchdowns on four red zone trips.
— Zayne Anderson logged his first career interception during his first career start.
What went wrong
— Jordan Love went through a rough patch to start the second half. He completed only two of his first seven passes for six yards coming out of the break, but he did hit Jayden Reed for a big third-down conversion in the fourth quarter.
— Christian Watson left with a knee injury. The Packers will be holding their breath waiting for results this week. He’s been a key part of the offense’s breakout since the bye.
— The Packers had a pair of penalties on special teams, including one that backed up the second drive inside the 10-yard line and another (a tripping penalty on Lukas Van Ness) that turned into a 26-yard penalty after a poor punt from Daniel Whelan.
— The Packers also had a pair of penalties handing the Saints a first down. Brenton Cox Jr. was called for a questionable roughing the passer penalty, and Kingsley Enagbare had a hand to the face penalty on third down. Colby Wooden was flagged for unnecessary roughness following a fourth down stop.
What it means
The Packers are playoff bound, officially. Matt LaFleur’s team is now 11-4 and has a legitimate opportunity to get to 13 wins. While the NFC North title is no longer a possibility, the Packers can get as high as the fifth seed — which would mean playing either the NFC West or NFC South winner on the road to open the postseason. More than anything, the Packers look like they are playing their best football as January approaches. Green Bay is 5-1 since the bye and now ranks in the top 10 in both scoring offense (No. 7) and scoring defense (No. 6). This is a complete, well-balanced football team with the postseason nearing.
Highlights
What’s next
Going on the road to play the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on a short week this Sunday. The game — which was flexed to 3:25 p.m. CT — will determine if the Packers have a shot at getting the No. 5 seed. The Vikings have won eight straight games and are 13-2, in contention for the NFC North and fighting to be the No. 1 seed.