The good, bad and ugly of the Packers’ 34-0 win over the Saints in Week 16

The Green Bay Packers are 11-4 in the playoffs and dominated the New Orleans Saints with a 34-0 prime-time victory Monday night at Lambeau Field.

Matt LaFleur’s team jumped out to a 21-0 lead on three straight possessions in the first half, and Jeff Hafley’s defense did the rest, with two takeaways and two fourth-down stops for the NFL’s first shutout of the 2024 season.

As heavy betting favorites, the Packers did what was expected: They dominated an undermanned opponent from start to finish.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ win over the Saints:

The good

The beginning: The Packers scored touchdown drives of 63 yards, 96 yards and 67 yards to open the game. Josh Jacobs was dominant, Jordan Love made explosive plays and the Packers’ offense regularly converted on third or fourth down and in the red zone. This was the Packers at their best. For the second week in a row, the Packers scored three or more possessions in a row to open a game and build a three-point lead.

The Defense: Jeff Hafley’s group did not allow a point or a trip into the red zone against nine Saints possessions, marking the Packers’ first shutout of the 2024 season and their first since 2021. And while the Saints were shorthanded on offense, the Packers were shorthanded by four preferred starters. New Orleans finished the game with 196 total yards and just 67 rushing yards.

Another playoff spot: The Packers will be in the postseason for the second straight year under Jordan Love and fifth time in six years under Matt LaFleur. Is this the year Titletown’s Super Bowl drought ends? The Packers are 11-4 overall, but will have to do it the hard way as a wild card team in the loaded NFC. This looks like a balanced football team that can win in a variety of ways and starts playing its best football late in the season.

The evil

The beginning of the second half of love: The Packers’ passing game cooled off significantly at the start of the second half. Love completed just two of his first seven passes for a total of six yards before hitting Jayden Reed for a 37-yard gain with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Despite a strong start, Love completed 16 of 28 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t have a turnover, but the Saints dropped a pick on a batted ball. Love’s passer rating was just 88.1, snapping a five-game streak of 100.0 or better.

The ugly

Christian Watson injury: Watson injured his knee at the end of a first-half run and had to leave the game after returning briefly and trying to play through the problem. Coach Matt LaFleur admitted there are concerns about the severity of the injury, but further testing will be needed Tuesday. Watson ran twice for 23 yards and was open several times Monday night. Losing him before the postseason would be a major blow to an offense that has been in turmoil with explosive plays from Watson since the bye.