Green Bay Packers fans had to wait until the final slot of Week 16 to see their team play. What they got was an incredibly boring game, in the best way possible.
The Packers pulled ahead with a touchdown on their first drive and never looked back. Against a depleted New Orleans Saints team, Green Bay scored 34 unanswered points, an almost perfect game and the first shutout of any NFL team in the 2024 season.
Thanks to New Orleans’ sad state, the Packers entered the game favored by two touchdowns. The Saints were down their starting quarterback and most of their top skill-position players and were led by an interim head coach. The Packers should have, and did, handily win, leading to the second playoff berth of the Jordan Love era.
Beating a depleted opponent with little to play for isn’t, in itself, a major accomplishment. The Packers absolutely should have won on Monday night. However, it’s notable that Green Bay played to the level they should have. They dominated their opponent.
The Packers have a habit of playing with their food, leading to closer games than one would like. Green Bay’s tests are tougher in the coming weeks, with the Minnesota Vikings and the postseason on the horizon (though they get to play the Chicago Bears in Week 18). Still, handling a not-very-good opponent in a tyrannical fashion is good for the soul of this Super Bowl-hopeful team.
The 2024 Green Bay Packers are a very good football team. They might only be in third place in their division, but if every team could win 11 games at this point in the season, they would. In most of their games, the Packers looked like the better team, eclipsing their opponents in most categories.
That hasn’t always led to controlling the scoreboard, though. A disjointed offense, a lack of competent kicking in the first half of the season, and some conservatism by the coaching staff kept opponents in games longer than they should have been. And let’s not forget the self-inflicted errors like pre-snap penalties that kept the Packers from scoring.
Take the Packers’ Week 2 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Green Bay’s offense had its way against Indianapolis’ run defense, and Malik Willis showed what made the Packers trade for him before the season. But the Packers won by only six points, making the game look much closer than it was.
In Week 8, Green Bay took on a Jacksonville Jaguars team featuring one of the league’s worst passing defenses and a not-great offense. It was a recipe for victory, and the Packers won. But it took a time-expiring field goal because Green Bay couldn’t take advantage of the weak secondary, and the defense let Trevor Lawrence have his best game of the season thus far.
Even in Week 15, a game where the Packers had almost full control over the Seattle Seahawks (a potential playoff opponent), the Packers had multiple times they could have pushed a final dagger into their opponent but struggled to do so. It’s a nitpick, especially considering Sam Howell was the QB for much of the game, but it would have been nice to see the Packers decisively put the game away.
But last night, everything came together in a beautiful coalescence as Green Bay played complementary football to not just shut the Saints out but destroy them.
Love and the offense controlled the first half. Love continued the Toyotathon glory and Josh Jacobs battered his way through the New Orleans defense. Green Bay’s passing offense was more disjointed in the second half, the game’s lone “weak” spot. However, it roared back to life in the fourth quarter. Even Willis got in on the fun, showing off his best deep throw of the season.
Even down some of their best defensive backs, the defense more than did its job, posting their first shutout since 2021. The Saints only had two plays in Packer territory, and both resulted in turnovers. The defensive line generated constant pressure on rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, leaving him (wait for it) rattled.
Special teams did their job, with a nice opening kickoff return by Keisean Nixon and Brandon McManus nailing Green Bay’s longest field goal of the season (55 yards).
The Packers should have done well against this struggling Saints team. But they did so handily, never even giving New Orleans a chance to sniff a comeback. It’s not the biggest test with playoffs so close, but it is good for the team’s culture.
By reigning over a bad team on the primetime stage, the Packers sealed their fate as a playoff squad. Green Bay has something to play for, which not every team can say.
That victory also showed what the Packers can do when firing on all cylinders. Seeing is believing, and the Packers know they can control a game. It won’t be easy against playoff opponents, but they know what a complete statement over a foe looks like.
The Packers are battle-tested, but they’re still a young team learning what they are capable of. Winning in different ways is valuable experience for a team looking to win it all. And this was a fun, culture-building lesson. The Packers can put away an inferior opponent in a way they haven’t always managed. That’s worth celebrating, even if their remaining games won’t be nearly as easy.