Packers Secure Playoff Spot with Dominant Shutout Against Saints
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers delivered a performance to remember on Monday night, securing their place in the playoffs for the second consecutive year with a commanding 34-0 victory over the New Orleans Saints. This game marked the first shutout of the NFL season, a feat that was achieved with a mix of defensive prowess and offensive efficiency. However, the night wasn’t without its concerns, as wide receiver Christian Watson suffered a knee injury that left fans and the team holding their breath.
The injury occurred during a 14-yard gain on an end around in the second quarter. As Watson went out of bounds at the Saints’ 6-yard line, he was tackled by New Orleans defensive backs Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry, landing awkwardly on his left knee. Packers coach Matt LaFleur expressed concern post-game, stating, “There’s some concern there, certainly. We’re going to get some more testing done tomorrow. Hopefully, I’ll have an answer for you tomorrow.”
Despite the injury, Watson returned to the field for seven more snaps, including four in the third quarter, before ultimately deciding to sit out the remainder of the game. “It definitely hurt right away, but it felt like it was good enough to go back in, so I went back in and it was feeling all right,” Watson explained. “But it was just kind of lingering a little bit and I just couldn’t play the type of football I wanted to play, so I just had to shut it down.”
While Watson did not record a catch, he contributed with two rushes for 23 yards. Beyond Watson’s setback, the night was a triumph for the Packers. It was their first shutout since the 2021 season, and they clinched a playoff spot with two games remaining in the regular season. Although the Packers (11-4) are unable to win the NFC North, they are still in contention for the top wild-card seed. Their remaining schedule includes two division games: at Minnesota (13-2) on Sunday and a home game against the Bears (4-11) in Week 18.
According to ESPN Research, this was the latest into a season for the first shutout, maintaining the league’s history of never having a season without one. Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon, who had a strip sack in the second quarter, praised the defense, saying, “The defense played ball. A shutout in the NFL is the hardest thing to do, and to do it on prime time is even harder, and to clinch a playoff berth doing that is a helluva deal.”
This victory marks Jordan Love‘s second playoff berth in as many seasons as the Packers’ starting quarterback. It is also the fifth time in six seasons that LaFleur’s team has qualified for the playoffs. For veteran free agent additions Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs, who had only played in one playoff game each before joining the Packers this past offseason, this achievement is particularly meaningful.
- “It’s kind of hard to put into words, man,” said Jacobs, who rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown before resting for most of the second half with the Packers comfortably ahead. “It’s the main reason why I came here.”
- McKinney added, “I was telling [Nixon] … before I had to scratch and claw to get into the playoffs …”
- Nixon interrupted with a smile, “Welcome to Green Bay.”
On the other side of the field, the Saints, now 5-10, were starting Spencer Rattler at quarterback in place of the injured Derek Carr. They were shut out for only the second time since 2002. Despite the loss, Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi remained positive about his team’s effort. “The day I took over we were on a seven-game losing streak,” Rizzi said. “It would’ve been easy for a lot of players and veteran guys especially, to kind of check out and I’ve never ever felt that. I didn’t feel that today. I thought, to be honest with you, I thought we had a great prep week, we had a great walk-through last night. I felt like we were locked in. We didn’t perform. Sometimes in this league, it’s going to happen.”
Rizzi continued, “We didn’t have a very good performance. I never felt like our guys are looking down the road and not giving effort because of our playoff status. I never felt like that one time during this time I’ve taken over. I didn’t feel like that tonight. I feel like we got outcoached and outexecuted. That’s the way it is.”
ESPN’s Katherine Terrell contributed to this report.
Originally Written by: Rob Demovsky
