FULL BOX SCORE

1. The Packers defense continues to dominate. Green Bay has played pretty darn good football over the last five weeks, and a lot of that is directly related to the improvement of their defense. First-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has this team playing with fireworks, putting up an absurd 52.6% pressure rate Monday night, allowing the Saints to gain less than 100 yards of offense in the first half while their own offense managed 21 – point lead. Their front seven hunts down opposing quarterbacks, and the results can be seen in the total points allowed since their bye. Green Bay has allowed an average of 15.5 points per game defensively since the Week 10 bye, and if you eliminate Detroit’s 34-point performance in Week 14, that number drops to an incredible 11.8 points per game. They peaked on Monday night, posting the first shutout of the 2024 season in a game that resembled the 2012 BCS National Championship Game – you know, the game in which LSU only went beyond the 50-yard line once – more than an NFL competition. If the Packers can be like this in January, the rest of the NFC should be on guard.
2. Rattler can’t overcome the Packers’ defensive avalanche. With Alvin Kamara When the Saints are down and have a receiving corps full of players you’ve probably never heard of, it’s clear that these Saints are shorthanded. An experienced, competent quarterback could propel such a team beyond the low expectations that come with an undermanned roster, but that, too, is not available to the Saints. Input Spencer Rattlera freshman whose athleticism allows him to move the ball, such as when he completed a jump pass over the middle to move the chains on third-and-long. However, after such an impressive completion, the same quarterback attempted to fire a pass through a window on the sideline and didn’t make the throw go fast enough, resulting in an easy (and somewhat ugly) interception. This Saints offense totaled 81 yards in the first half and finished with over 200 yards just because they made some unnecessary time-wasters, and it really wasn’t Rattler’s fault. He played with a deck that certainly wasn’t full, which shouldn’t be held against him as the Saints evaluate his first NFL season.
3. Green Bay’s offense is incredibly dangerous. Despite the attention he draws, this Packers unit doesn’t rely solely on the quarterback Jordan love. You can hammer the barrel with Josh Jacobsthe best tackle-breaking running back in the NFL, and can cast his spell on him Emanuel Wilson And Chris Brooks. All three scored a touchdown on Monday night. They will also turn to their speedsters to win on the edge in the running game by handing off to them Christian Watson, Bo Melton And Jayden Reed. Even love can break away, and I haven’t even gotten to the passing game yet. Reed, Tucker Kraft, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion wicksWatson (when he’s healthy because he was off again Monday night) and even Jacobs can hurt you through the air, and the mad scientist himself, coach Matt LaFleur, is the one who moves all the chess pieces in real time. Many people have reported on how Buffalo can beat teams in various ways, but the Packers aren’t far behind.
4. Khalen Saunders That’s fun. If your team is left out, it will be difficult to find positives. But wow, Saunders is a sight to behold. He’s been productive all season and, for whatever reason, saves his best moments for prime time. He chose one Patrick Mahomes Pass in a preseason game against the Chiefs on a Monday night and delivered one of the most gratifying big man returns you’ll ever have Leonard Williams‘ Pick-Six against the Jets. Saunders almost earned a second Monday Night Pick in 2024 if his teammates hadn’t knocked him out of his hands as they wrestled for possession. He also intercepted a pass at the line of scrimmage intended for Wicks that had a good chance for a touchdown, and finished his day with four tackles (one for a loss) and two QB pressures. The Saints face a very uncertain offseason, a time in which Teflon-heavy general manager Mickey Loomis will take stock of the entire roster, but he won’t have to think twice about keeping Saunders in the defensive tackle’s final year of an affordable contract . He makes the difference.
5. Malik Willis is in the perfect situation. Yes, I’m writing about the backup quarterback who only got garbage time during a blowout. It was such a night. But Monday night’s performance also made me reflect on the Packers’ entire season, which many will forget hit a crossroads incredibly early in the season when Love suffered a knee injury in Week 1, forcing the Packers to retire to add recently signed Willis to the starting lineup. They promptly won both games with Willis as the starter before Love returned to action. Coming into Monday night’s game, Willis only threw two passes, but the one he completed – a 34-yard dime to Reed on the sideline – reminded me of how far Willis has come in his short time with the Packers. He evolved from a quarterback who looked so overwhelmed by the speed of the game in the preseason that the Titans decided to go for it Bricklayer Rudolph about him, to a QB who is a perfect fit for LaFleur as his leader. Hopefully the Packers never have to use him this season except in garbage time. Still, it warms my heart when I see a talented player end up in the right place and have his talents properly nurtured.

Saints-Packers Next Generation Stats Insights (via NFL Pro): On a hugely successful night for the Packers’ pass rush, eight different defenders created multiple QB pressures on Spencer Rattler, led by Brenton Cox Jr.’s six pressures. Green Bay also held the Saints to 2.6 yards per carry on designed rushes, the second fewest they have allowed in a game this season.

NFL Research: Monday night was the 240th game of the 2024 regular season and the first shutout of the season. It was the first shutout in an NFL game since Week 18 of the 2023 season, when the Buccaneers eliminated the Panthers 9-0.