PACKERVILLE, U.S.A.: 2024 Week 16

Packers continue their push toward playoffs as they host the injury-riddled Saints

Associated Press

New Orleans (5-9) at Green Bay (10-4)

Day / Time / TV: Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ABC, ESPN

Series record: Packers lead 18-10

Last meeting: Packers won 18-17 at Green Bay on Sept. 24, 2023.

Last week: Saints lost 20-19 at home to the Washington Commanders. Packers won 30-13 at Seattle.

Saints offense: overall (15-T), rush (11), pass (20), scoring (18)

Packers offense: overall (4), rush (4-T), pass (11), scoring (7)

Saints defense: overall (30), rush (27), pass (28), scoring (13-T)

Packers defense: overall (10), rush (9), pass (15), scoring (8)

Turnover differential: Saints plus-1, Packers plus-10

Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers don’t want to have to wait as long as they did last season to clinch a playoff berth. The Packers (10-4) have performed well enough that a little help could enable them to earn a postseason invitation on Sunday. If that doesn’t happen, the Packers still can wrap up a playoff spot by beating the injury-riddled New Orleans Saints (5-9) on Monday night at Lambeau Field. Last season, the Packers sneaked into the playoffs only after beating the Chicago Bears on the final Sunday of the regular season. “It definitely is a better position than having to try and win every game and fight for that last position not knowing what might happen,” Love said. “I think we did a better job this season winning some games early on and putting ourselves in a better position.”

The Packers have won eight of their past 10 games, with the only two losses in that stretch coming against the Detroit Lions. Green Bay remains behind Detroit and Minnesota in the NFC North. A loss or tie by the Atlanta Falcons coupled with a loss or tie by either the Los Angeles Rams or Seattle Seahawks would lock up a playoff spot for the Packers before Monday night’s game. The Falcons host the New York Giants, the Rams visit the New York Jets and the Seahawks host the Vikings on Sunday.

New Orleans’ long-shot chances of reaching the playoffs could vanish by the time Monday’s game begins. The Saints’ only path to the postseason is to win all their remaining three games while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Falcons lose their final three games. Tampa Bay plays at Dallas on Sunday night. The Saints could be playing this game without usual starting quarterback Derek Carr and five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara. Carr has an injury to his left (non-throwing) hand that prevented him from playing in the Saints’ most recent game — a 20-19 loss to the Washington Commanders — though Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi hasn’t yet ruled him out for Monday. Kamara left the Commanders game with a groin injury that likely will sideline him for this matchup. If Carr is unable to play, the Saints would turn to Spencer Rattler, who came off the bench and led four straight scoring drives in the loss to the Commanders. “We have the players that we have,” Rizzi said. “Everybody across the league right now is dealing with injuries, some more than others. I think the best teams in the league are the teams that are able to overcome those, regardless of the position. That’s really how we’ve been approaching it.”

Love’s recovery

After struggling to protect the football during the first half of the season, Love has thrown seven touchdown passes without an interception over his past four games. Love had thrown 11 interceptions in his first eight starts of the season.

On the edge

Saints defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon could make his 2024 season debut on Monday night. He has been back at practice for about two weeks since recovering from an offseason Achilles tendon rupture. Rizzi said Kpassagnon was nearly activated for last week’s game against Washington. Kpassagnon, 30, is in his eighth NFL season. He played in all 17 games in a reserve role in 2023 and had 3½ sacks.

Cooper coming up big

Packers rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper’s performance in a 30-13 victory at Seattle on Sunday earned him NFC defensive player of the week honors for the second time this season. The second-round pick from Texas A&M had a sack, intercepted a pass and had two tackles for loss and two passes defended. Cooper is the first Packer since Clay Matthews in 2010 to be selected as the NFC defensive player of the week multiple times within the same season.

Ground reinforcements

With Kamara’s status up in the air, the Saints signed former LSU star running back and Louisiana native Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Edwards-Helaire recently was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs, with whom he has spent his entire NFL career since being drafted in 2020. Edwards-Helaire, who hasn’t played this season, started the week on the practice squad. He joins a position group with the Saints that also includes Kendre Miller, former Packer Jamaal Williams and Jordan Mims on the active roster.

Jacobs’ fast starts

The Packers are outscoring opponents 95-34 in the first quarter, thanks in part to Josh Jacobs’ productivity early in games. Jacobs has run for 688 yards in the first half of games, which represents the most first-half rushing yards by any NFL player. Kamara ranks second with 601 first-half yards rushing. He has 235 yards rushing in the opening drive of games, the most by any Packer since at least 2000. Jacobs has rushed for 1,147 yards overall to rank third in the league, behind Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley (1,688) and Baltimore’s Derrick Henry (1,474) entering Week 16.

Saints player to watch

DE Chase Young is coming off a two-sack performance against the Commanders, who selected him out of Ohio State with the second overall pick in the 2020 draft. Green Bay’s offensive line has done a nice job of pass protection this season, but Young is talented enough to cause Packers QB Jordan Love plenty of headaches.

Packers player to watch

LB Edgerrin Cooper was the NFC defensive player of the week for the second time this season after getting eight tackles, picking off a pass and forcing a fumble with a sack against Seattle. The rookie second-round pick from Texas A&M is the first Packer to be the NFC defensive player of the week twice in the same season since Clay Matthews in Green Bay’s 2010 Super Bowl championship season.

Key matchup

Saints offensive line vs. Packers pass rush: Green Bay’s pass rush has been inconsistent, but the Packers are coming off a seven-sack performance against Seattle. Kingsley Enagbare led the way with two sacks. QB Spencer Rattler could start for New Orleans in place of an injured Derek Carr and the Saints won’t have much of a chance if he doesn’t have time to throw. The Saints are allowing just two sacks per game, putting them in a tie for eighth in the league.

Key injuries

Carr has an injury to his left (non-throwing) hand, although the Saints have said he will not be placed on injured reserve and that his status will be updated day to day… RB Alvin Kamara has a groin and adductor injury. Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi updated Kamara’s status Thursday by saying, “to be honest, it doesn’t look great for this week… Packers CB Jaire Alexander (knee) has missed four straight games, but he practiced fully Thursday… Packers S Javon Bullard (ankle) didn’t play against the Seahawks. … Packers LB Quay Walker left the Seahawks game with an ankle issue.

Series notes

The Packers rallied from a 17-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Saints last season in Love’s first home start. Green Bay made its comeback after Carr left with a shoulder injury. New Orleans’ Blake Grupe missed a 46-yard field goal that would have put the Saints ahead with 1:05 remaining. Green Bay’s Rashan Gary had three sacks in that game… This is the first time the Packers and Saints have met at Lambeau Field in December or later. The Packers’ lone December home game against the Saints came in Milwaukee in 1973. … The Packers have won three of their past four home matchups with the Saints. Six of the past seven Packers-Saints matchups at Lambeau Field have been decided by single digits.

Stats and stuff

The Packers have won eight of their past 10 games and can clinch a playoff berth before Monday’s game with a loss or tie by the Atlanta Falcons coupled with a loss or tie by either the Los Angeles Rams or Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Even if the Packers don’t get that help on Sunday, they can clinch a playoff spot by beating the Saints… Rattler came off the bench and passed for 135 yards and a TD without an interception during the second half of last week’s game and led New Orleans on four straight scoring drives totaling 19 points… Rattler went 0-3 as a starter earlier this season… Saints QB Jake Haener made his first-career start last week but was replaced after the first half… Kamara had his 25th TD receiving last week to become the fourth player in NFL history (joining Marshall Faulk, Lenny Moore and Christian McCaffrey) with at least that many TD receptions and 50 or more TDs rushing (Kamara has 60). Kamara left last week’s game 7 scrimmage yards short of his fourth-career 1,500-yard season… Saints WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling had team-high 64 yards receiving last week and has 50 or more yards receiving in four of his past five games. Valdes-Scantling had 123 receptions for 2,153 yards and 13 TDs in 59 games with Green Bay from 2018 to 2021… Saints DE Cameron Jordan had two sacks last week, his 25th career multiple sack game. Jordan ranks second among active players with 120½ sacks… Saints DE Carl Granderson had a sack last week and has 5½ sacks in 2024… Saints DL Bryan Bresee has a sack in three of his past four games… LB Demario Davis led the Saints with a season-high 14 tackles and had two tackles for loss and a sack in Week 15. Davis has 104 tackles in 2024, his eighth straight 100-tackle season… Saints S Tyrann Mathieu had his seventh career forced fumble last week… This is the 32nd straight year the Packers have played on “Monday Night Football.” That represents the longest such streak in “Monday Night Football” history… Love has thrown seven touchdown passes without an interception over his past four games. Love was picked off 11 times in his first eight starts of the season… The Packers have scored at least 30 points in each of their past four games… Green Bay has allowed only five sacks over its past seven games. That’s the first time the Packers have yielded so few sacks in a seven-game stretch within the same season since 2007… Packers S Xavier McKinney has seven interceptions to tie Detroit’s Kerby Joseph for the NFL lead. His seven interceptions are the most by a Packer since Hall of Famer Charles Woodson had seven in 2011… Packers RB Josh Jacobs has rushed for 1,147 yards to rank third in the NFL entering Week 16, behind Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley (1,688) and Baltimore’s Derrick Henry (1,474)… Packers TE Tucker Kraft has seven touchdown catches. The only tight ends with more are Baltimore’s Mark Andrews and San Francisco’s George Kittle, with eight each… Gary has had a sack in four of his past five games.