The Green Bay Packers secured their second consecutive postseason berth following a 34-0 Monday Night Football win over the injury-riddled New Orleans Saints.
The time of possession and rushing totals were wildly imbalanced. Green Bay held onto the ball for 37:13. Meanwhile, the Saints had the ball for just 22:47. Simultaneously, the Packers picked up 188 yards on the ground while New Orleans only accumulated 67 rushing yards.
CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/Q0Ec6lYZIW
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 24, 2024
Packers quarterback Jordan Love continued his recent stretch of excellent play by completing 16 of 28 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. He opened the game a perfect 4/4 for 24 passing yards and a two-yard passing touchdown to Dontayvion Wicks to take a 7-0 lead on the first possession of the game. That was Love’s 24th TD pass of the season.
Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs has also been on a tear. The former Las Vegas Raider amassed 107 total yards and a touchdown in the game. He accounted for 68 of the Packers’ 104 first-quarter yards. Jacobs’ second-quarter touchdown to go ahead 14-0 was his sixth in as many games. He would eventually leave the game with an arm injury but was later deemed “fine,” according to ESPN’s Lisa Salters.
:SpongeBob voice:
“Scoring TDs… at night.”#ProBowlVote + #JoshJacobs pic.twitter.com/ygynveb6Kr
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 24, 2024
Packers running back Chris Brooks scored a touchdown to take a 21-0 lead, which is how things stood at halftime. That was the first career rushing touchdown for the 2023 undrafted free agent out of BYU.
Saints quarterback and third-stringer Spencer Rattler looked shakey in his fourth career start. The 2024 fifth-round draft pick was held to 153 passing yards. He was also sacked three times, threw an interception, and lost a fumble. Rattler did make use of his legs though, rushing for a team-high 28 yards.
New Orleans looked like it might’ve been able to get something going on the first drive of the second half when Spencer Rattler completed an eight-yard pass to rookie running back Kendre Miller, but that series stalled out, leading to a New Orleans punt four plays later.
Green Bay kicker Brandon McManus hit a 55-yard field goal, his longest made kick of the season, to extend the lead to 24-0 on the next possession. He would connect on one more field goal to make it a 27-0 game.
FROM 55 OUT!#ProBowlVote + #BrandonMcManus pic.twitter.com/plpxZteJi0
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 24, 2024
Jordan Love’s night would end after that drive as he would be relieved by backup QB Malik Willis. In his first series, Willis orchestrated a seven-play, 48-yard drive capped off by a one-yard touchdown run to close things out with a final score of 34-0 for the first shutout of the 2024-25 NFL season.
Unfortunately, the Saints’ loss doesn’t change their draft position in any way. They’re still the only five-win team in the NFL, meaning they are currently slated to have the tenth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft being held in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Up next, the Packers face the Minnesota Vikings on the road in a game that could be the difference between the fifth seed and the sixth seed in the NFC.
