Playing during primetime has not worked out for the New Orleans Saints this season, and this week’s edition of Monday Night Football was no different.
The Saints traveled to Green Bay to take on the Packers, and amid frigid temperatures at Lambeau Field, New Orleans was no match as it lost its second game in a row by a score of 34-0 – the first shutout of the 2024 NFL season.
The Packers (11-4) held the Saints (5-10) to 196 yards of total offense as the Green Bay offense exploded for 404 yards behind a balance of success on both the ground and through the air. Green Bay secured a playoff berth with the win while New Orleans’ hopes to win a weak NFC South were virtually eliminated with the loss.
Here’s a quick recap of the game:
Scoring summary
New Orleans rookie Spencer Rattler made his fourth start of the season as starter Derek Carr continues to deal with a left-hand injury. With most of the team’s playmakers out due to injury, Rattler did not have much help and was unable to find his first win as a starter.
Rattler, going 15 of 30 passing for 153 yards with an interception and fumble, could not make any magic happen as New Orleans failed to score in a game for the first time since 2022.
Green Bay, on the other hand, couldn’t stop scoring. On its first three possessions, the Packers scored behind a connection between Jordan Love and Dontayvion Wicks, a Josh Jacobs rushing touchdown, and a Chris Brooks rushing touchdown.
Coming out of the locker room at halftime with a 21-0 lead, Green Bay kicker Brandon McManus hit two, deep field goals to make the score 27-0. An Emmanuel Wilson rushing touchdown with a little over two minutes left to play was the cherry on top as Green Bay walked off the field with its most lopsided win in nearly a decade.
What the coach said
New Orleans interim head coach Darren Rizzi, who is 3-3 since taking over after Dennis Allen’s firing, pointed to a lack of offensive production and what he called “self-inflicted wounds” as two of the primary reasons his team looked uncompetitive on Monday night.
“Self-inflicted wounds dug ourselves into a hole in the first half,” Rizzi said. “When you come away with zero points, there is no way you can win a game. Overall, we were not good enough. But I didn’t see a lack of effort on the field. There were some good moments, but we made some really bad decisions.”
In terms of preventable mistakes, New Orleans was penalized seven times and turned the ball over twice, compared to Green Bay’s zero turnovers.
Numbers never lie
New Orleans went into the game without nearly every statistical leader, and it was apparent in the final box score. Without running back Alvin Kamara, tight end Taysom Hill, and receivers Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Marques Valdes-Scantling, the Saints managed just 67 yards rushing and 153 yards passing.
The Green Bay defense also managed to make Rattler uncomfortable for most of the night, sacking the rookie three times for a loss of 24 yards while pressuring him into making costly decisions throughout the game.
For the Packers, Love went 16 of 28 passing for 182 yards with one touchdown as he was able to get some rest late in the game when backup Malik Willis was given some playing time. Running backs Josh Jacobs, Emmanuel Wilson, and Chris Brooks combined for 144 yards and three touchdowns. Jayden Reed led the receiving corps with three receptions for 76 yards.
Next up
The New Orleans Saints will be back in action on Sunday, Dec. 29 when they host the Las Vegas Raiders (3-12) for the last home game of the season. Kickoff is set for noon CT and can be watched on FOX.
