GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — With a dominant defense leading the way, the Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff berth by producing their most lopsided win in a decade.
Josh Jacobs gained 107 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown for a sixth straight game as the Packers recorded the first shutout of the NFL season, 34-0 over the hapless New Orleans Saints on Monday night.
“Obviously the goal is Super Bowl,” said quarterback Jordan Love, who went 16 of 28 for 182 yards and a touchdown. “That’s the first step right here, to make the playoffs. Obviously this was a big-time game, to clinch that spot. I’m proud of the way we came out there and handled business.”
Green Bay (11-4) secured its fifth postseason appearance in six years with its first shutout since beating Seattle 17-0 on Nov. 14, 2021. The Saints (5-10) were blanked for the first time since falling 13-0 to San Francisco on Nov. 27, 2022.
New Orleans played without injured quarterback Derek Carr and running back Alvin Kamara. Rookie Spencer Rattler started at quarterback and went 15 of 30 for 153 yards with an interception and a fumble.
“We dressed the 48 guys that we dressed,” Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi said. “We’re not going to make excuses. You guys know me well enough by now. I’m not going to make excuses about that. We didn’t perform well enough.”
Green Bay’s margin of victory was its largest since a 55-14 blowout of the Chicago Bears on Nov. 9, 2014.
“A shutout in the NFL is the hardest thing to do, and to do it on prime time is even harder,” Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon said. “To clinch a playoff berth doing that is a hell of a deal.”
The Packers have won nine of their last 11 games, with their only losses during that stretch coming to the NFC North rival Detroit Lions. They will enter the playoffs as a wild card after being eliminated from NFC North title contention Sunday.