Packers clinch playoff berth with first season shutout

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Packers clinch playoff berth with first season shutout

With a dominant defence 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 their fifth post-season appearance in six years with a first shutout since beating Seattle 17-0 on November 14, 2021. The Saints (5-10) were blanked for the first time since falling 13-0 to San Francisco on November 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 their largest since a 55-14 blowout of the Chicago Bears on November 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 NFC North rivals Detroit Lions. They will enter the playoffs as a wild card after being eliminated from NFC North title contention Sunday.

Jacobs ran for 69 yards and a two-yard touchdown on 13 carries to lead Green Bay’s 188-yard rushing attack. He also caught four passes for 38 yards.

Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson had one-yard touchdown runs, Dontayvion Wicks had a two-yard TD catch, and Brandon McManus kicked field goals from 55 and 46 yards.

“What’s really cool is we’re getting contributions from a lot of different people,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think that’s usually the mark of a good team.”

The Packers scored touchdowns on each of their first three possessions.

Love found Wicks on third-and-goal to cap the game’s opening drive. Wicks’ touchdown was his fifth of the season and first since October 20 against Houston.

Jacobs’ touchdown capped a 17-play, 96-yard drive that lasted 8:55. It was the Packers’ longest possession of the season in terms of plays and time. The Packers also had a 96-yard march in their 24-19 triumph over the Los Angeles Rams.

The drive included two fourth-down conversions. Love had a two-yard sneak on fourth-and-1 from the New Orleans 45 to open the second quarter. Love then threw a 14-yard completion to Tucker Kraft on fourth-and-2 from the 35.

Jacobs has rushed for a touchdown in six straight games, putting him one away from the longest such streak in Packers history – Paul Hornung had a touchdown run in seven consecutive games in 1960.

“We finally put a complete game together,” Jacobs said. “That’s something that we’ve been hunting since the beginning of the season. It just feels like our ceiling just keeps going up.”

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