Packers attempting to continue their surge as they host the Saints on Monday night

 

[December 20, 2024]  By STEVE MEGARGEE

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers don’t want to have to wait as long as they did last season to clinch a playoff berth.

The Packers (10-4) have performed well enough that a little help could enable them to earn a postseason invitation on Sunday. If that doesn’t happen, the Packers still can wrap up a playoff spot by beating the injury-riddled New Orleans Saints (5-9) on Monday night at Lambeau Field.

Last season, the Packers sneaked into the playoffs only after beating the Chicago Bears on the final Sunday of the regular season.

“It definitely is a better position than having to try and win every game and fight for that last position not knowing what might happen,” Love said. “I think we did a better job this season winning some games early on and putting ourselves in a better position."

The Packers have won eight of their past 10 games, with the only two losses in that stretch coming against the Detroit Lions. Green Bay remains behind Detroit and Minnesota in the NFC North.

A loss or tie by the Atlanta Falcons coupled with a loss or tie by either the Los Angeles Rams or Seattle Seahawks would lock up a playoff spot for the Packers before Monday night’s game. The Falcons host the New York Giants, the Rams visit the New York Jets and the Seahawks host the Vikings on Sunday.

New Orleans’ long-shot chances of reaching the playoffs could vanish by the time Monday’s game begins. The Saints’ only path to the postseason is to win all their remaining three games while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Falcons lose their final three games. Tampa Bay plays at Dallas on Sunday night.

The Saints could be playing this game without usual starting quarterback Derek Carr and five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara.

Carr has an injury to his left (non-throwing) hand that prevented him from playing in the Saints’ most recent game — a 20-19 loss to the Washington Commanders — though Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi hasn’t yet ruled him out for Monday. Kamara left the Commanders game with a groin injury that likely will sideline him for this matchup.

If Carr is unable to play, the Saints would turn to Spencer Rattler, who came off the bench and led four straight scoring drives in the loss to the Commanders.

“We have the players that we have,” Rizzi said. “Everybody across the league right now is dealing with injuries, some more than others. I think the best teams in the league are the teams that are able to overcome those, regardless of the position. That's really how we've been approaching it.”

Love’s recovery
After struggling to protect the football during the first half of the season, Love has thrown seven touchdown passes without an interception over his past four games.

Love had thrown 11 interceptions in his first eight starts of the season.

Green Bay Packers' Romeo Doubs celebrates his touchdown catch with Jordan Love during the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

On the edge
Saints defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon could make his 2024 season debut on Monday night.

He has been back at practice for about two weeks since recovering from an offseason Achilles tendon rupture. Rizzi said Kpassagnon was nearly activated for last week’s game against Washington.

Kpassagnon, 30, is in his eighth NFL season. He played in all 17 games in a reserve role in 2023 and had 3½ sacks.

Cooper coming up big
Packers rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper's performance in a 30-13 victory at Seattle on Sunday earned him NFC defensive player of the week honors for the second time this season. The second-round pick from Texas A&M had a sack, intercepted a pass and had two tackles for loss and two passes defended.

Cooper is the first Packer since Clay Matthews in 2010 to be selected as the NFC defensive player of the week multiple times within the same season.

Ground reinforcements
With Kamara’s status up in the air, the Saints signed former LSU star running back and Louisiana native Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Edwards-Helaire recently was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs, with whom he has spent his entire NFL career since being drafted in 2020.

Edwards-Helaire, who hasn’t played this season, started the week on the practice squad.

He joins a position group with the Saints that also includes Kendre Miller, former Packer Jamaal Williams and Jordan Mims on the active roster.

Jacobs’ fast starts
The Packers are outscoring opponents 95-34 in the first quarter, thanks in part to Josh Jacobs’ productivity early in games.

Jacobs has run for 688 yards in the first half of games, which represents the most first-half rushing yards by any NFL player. Kamara ranks second with 601 first-half yards rushing.

He has 235 yards rushing in the opening drive of games, the most by any Packer since at least 2000.

Jacobs has rushed for 1,147 yards overall to rank third in the league, behind Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley (1,688) and Baltimore’s Derrick Henry (1,474) entering Week 16.
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AP Sports Writer Brett Martel contributed to this report.

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