The Green Bay Packers will look to clinch a playoff spot when the short-handed New Orleans Saints arrive at Lambeau Field for a Week 16 matchup on “Monday Night Football.” With the victory, the Packers will officially be in the NFC playoff field.
Can the Packers improve to 11-4 by winning their fifth game in six tries since the bye?
Here are five things to watch and the forecast for Week 16:
Josh Jacobs’ next game?
The Saints can be stingy in pass defense, but all statistics suggest that the Packers could gain a significant advantage by playing football on Monday night. Expect another huge dose of Josh Jacobs, who has made at least 20 touches in four of the last five games. This is a game where the Packers need to set the tone early and operate the running game to outpace a talented pass-rushing unit.
Can Love extend his streak to 6 games?
Packers quarterback Jordan Love has scored 100.0 or better in five straight games. Can he maintain his six-game streak against the defense, giving him an overall passer rating of 83.0 this season? Love doesn’t have to set the world on fire on Monday night, but another effective performance – especially outside the game and creating explosive plays on the court – would be a good sign for the upcoming postseason. The Packers prove arduous to beat when Love doesn’t turn the ball over, and he hasn’t thrown an interception since Nov. 17.
An encore for Cooper?
The Packers will be without Quay Walker as he deals with an ankle injury, so rookie Edgerrin Cooper, who was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week last week, will once again be in the spotlight. Can the rookie build on his impressive return to the field in Monday’s game against the Saints? Sending Cooper on blitzes could be one way for Jeff Hafley to wreak havoc against a rookie quarterback. And you can bet the Saints are building their offensive scheme around getting the ball out of Spencer Rattler’s hands quickly. Cooper may have a chance to fly from the sideline on Monday night.
Jaire’s return?
His status is yet to be determined, but Jaire Alexander (knee) has practiced fully all week and could return after missing most of the last six games (he only played 10 snaps in Chicago). Bringing him back three weeks before the season could provide a nice period of preparation before the postseason. If Alexander is unable to go, Monday night will be another opportunity for Carrington Valentine and Eric Stokes to build on an encouraging performance in Seattle. Expect the rotation between Valentin and Stokes to continue, even if Alexander returns as one of the main bench players.
Test offensive attacks
The Saints have two pass rushers with at least 50 pressures in Carl Granderson and Chase Young, which provides quite a challenge for Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom – one of the best pass-blocking duos in football. It’s challenging to imagine Saints winning this game without defensive dominance, and Darren Rizzi’s side may need a pressure-forced turnover or two to threaten an upset. If Walker and Tom play well on Monday, the Packers could be successful.
Prediction: Packers 24, Saints 10 (8-6)
Saints cannot be overlooked, especially after winning three of their first four games under Darren Rizzi and then giving the Commanders a huge scare last Sunday. But when you play someone makes a huge difference, and the Saints will be severely undermanned on Monday. Derek Carr is out. Likewise Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Taysom Hill, Rashid Shaheed and Paulson Adebo. The Packers defense could dominate against a combined attack led by rookie quarterback Spencer Ratter, who has been sacked 10 times on just 140 drops and is 0-3 as a starter. Add in the potential for the Packers to run wild, and this game should never be in doubt. It’s possible that the 30-point streak will continue, but I’m not betting on it. The Packers still win by two touchdowns in a mostly stress-free home victory.
