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The Green Bay Packers might be the best third-place team in NFL history.

The Packers can’t win the division despite an 11-4 record, because the Detroit Lions or Minnesota Vikings are each 13-2 and one of them has to win (or they tie) when they meet in Week 18. But the Packers are on the short list of teams that can win a Super Bowl.

Green Bay didn’t have a tough challenge on Monday night against a depleted New Orleans Saints team, but they did what elite teams do and thoroughly dominated a bad team. The Packers scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives and it was practically over after that. A Saints team that had Spencer Rattler, Kendre Miller and Foster Moreau as their top playmakers wasn’t coming back from a 21-0 hole. Green Bay throttled down in the second half and cruised to a 34-0 win.

The Packers’ shutout was the first in the NFL this season. The Saints came in having been shut out just once in their previous 369 games, according to ESPN.

The Packers have been good all season. They haven’t lost to a team all season with worse than a 12-3 record. They’ve just been overshadowed in their own division. But with QB Jordan Love looking as healthy and sharp as he has all season, and Josh Jacobs on a tear scoring touchdowns, the Packers aren’t a team anyone will want to face, even if they’re a No. 6 seed in the NFC.

It’s sad watching the Saints late this season. Against Green Bay they were without Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Taysom Hill on offense. It’s hard to compete while missing that many key players on one side of the ball.

On Monday night, the Saints looked like a team that was not enjoying the Lambeau Field cold, knew it couldn’t compete and just wanted to get things over as soon as possible.

There were some clock management issues at the end of the first half. The Saints were slow to call a timeout with less than a minute left, then lost 24 seconds when they didn’t realize the clock was running after a fumble out of bounds. That’s on interim coach Darren Rizzi. Then Spencer Rattler took a 14-yard sack when he held the ball too long, which cost New Orleans a chance to at least get a field goal.

Not that the mishandling of timeouts mattered much. The Packers were up 21-0 with more than six minutes left in the second quarter. There’s no mercy rule in football, but the only thing keeping the Saints from getting beat by 50 was that Packers coach Matt LaFleur had no reason to rub it in.

The Packers’ offense has been adjusting as the season has gone on. They seem to have finally settled on their identity.

Love has been good but he hasn’t been a high-volume passer lately. The Packers are funneling a lot through Jacobs, who scored again Monday. He has a touchdown in six straight games. Love is perfectly capable when the Packers need to lean on him, especially now that he looks completely over some early-season injuries. He was 12 of 18 for 127 yards in the first half on Monday night.

Green Bay is mostly tuning up for the playoffs, since the only real intrigue left for the Packers is what wild-card seed they end up with. It’s helping, because as each week passes the Packers look more and more like a serious threat in the NFC.

The Packers weren’t really tested on Monday. The Saints are nowhere near a playoff-level team. But Green Bay has been showing the past few weeks that it’s capable of beating anyone in the NFL.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER38 updates

  • Packers secure first shutout of NFL season, clinch playoff berth

    The Packers stopped the Saints one last time and finished the game in victory formation to complete the 34-0 shutout, the first in the NFL this season.

    With the win, Green Bay has clinched a wild-card berth at 11-4 with two weeks remaining in the regular season. A dominant effort on both sides of the ball secures Green Bay’s fifth playoff berth in six seasons.

  • Saints G Lucas Patrick is hurt

    Tough to see. Saints guard Lucas Patrick went down in pain in the throes of garbage time. Held his left knee after contact and was eventually able to limp off the field.

  • Packers pile on

    With Malik Willis at QB, the Packers added another touchdown on a seven-play, 48-yard drive for a 34-0 lead. Emanuel Wilson punches it in from 1 yard.

    Nine Packers players have carried the ball for 191 yards and three touchdowns on 5.1 yards per carry.

    The only flaw on that last drive: Green Bay left 2:41 on the game clock.

  • Saints fail on 4th down; Jordan Love’s night is done

    A Packers shutout is in reach. The Saints just failed to convert on fourth down, and backup quarterback Malik Willis has replaced Packers starter Jordan Love. Green Bay leads, 27-0 with 5:44 remaining and the ball.

  • Packers add a FG

    The Packers extend their lead to 27-0 with a 46-yard field goal. 7:13 remains in regulation.

  • Packers fans are feeling it — and not adhering to protocol. Earlier, the wave broke out. Now, they break out a “Bears still suck” chant. Both times with Green Bay on offense.

  • Saints punt again

    The Packers have the ball back after a Saints punt with a 24-0 lead and a clear mission: Run the clock.

  • Josh Jacobs taking it easy on the bench

    Packers running back Josh Jacobs has remained on the sideline after a hot start. No reports of an injury. Makes sense for Green Bay to rest their starting running back in a blowout. Eight different players have carried the ball for the Packers tonight.

  • Packers punt

    The Packers failed to gain a first down near midfield, and the Saints will go for their first points on a drive starting from their own 34.

  • Packers take 24-0 lead into the fourth

    The third quarter’s over, and the Packers have a 24-0 lead and the ball heading into the fourth. Will they keep their shutout intact?

  • Everything continues to go wrong for the Saints. Their best drive of the night (to the Green Bay 22) ends with a Spencer Rattler interception to Zayne Anderson near the end zone. Green Bay keeps the shutout intact and takes over with a 24-0 lead at its own 20.

  • Christian Watson now questionable

    Packers receiver Christian Watson returned to the game after a first-half visit to the sideline medical tent. But Green Bay is now listing him as questionable with a knee injury. Here’s guessing that his night is done in a blowout.

  • Brandon McManus is good from deep

    Brandon McManus is good on a 60-yard field goal extend Green Bay’s lead to 24-0. The only drama left in this one is whether or not the shutout holds.

  • Saints punt again

    New Orleans punts after gaining 14 yards on its the first possession of the third quarter. New Orleans is still seeking to crack the scoreboard.

  • Saints start second half with ball

    The Saints have the ball to start the second half. Will they score this time — or at all, tonight?

  • Halftime stats: Packers 21, Saints 0

    This is about as dominant as one NFL team looks against another.

    Jordan Love: 12 of 18, 127 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 turnovers
    Spencer Rattler: 4 of 8, 56 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 lost fumble

    Josh Jacobs: 10 carries for 53 yards; 4 catches for 38 yards, 1 touchdown
    Kendre Miller: 5 carries for 12 yards

    Tucker Kraft: 3 catches for 63 yards
    Foster Moreau: 2 catches for 33 yards

    Packers total yards: 222 on 6.2 yards per play
    Saints total yards: 81 on 3.5 yards per play

    Packers first downs: 15
    Saints first downs: 6

    Packers turnovers: 0
    Saints turnovers: 1

  • Saints bungle clock, best scoring chance

    Saints head coach Darren Rizzi was not aware that the game clock restarts after a fumble out of bounds. Saints receiver Kevin Austin Jr. fumbled out of bounds after a gain to the Green Bay 34 with 39 seconds left in the half.

    Officials stopped the clock, then started it again after the ball was put back in play, as they’re supposed to. The Saints apparently expected the clock to remain stopped and didn’t call one of their two remaining timeouts until 15 seconds remained on the game clock.

    Spencer Rattler took a sack on the next play, and the Saints came away scoreless after a Hail Mary on third-and-22 hit the turf. A terrible half of Saints football ends in complete mismanagement with Green Bay leading, 21-0.

    The Saints also wasted a bunch of time earlier in the drive that started with 1:49 remaining in the half. Complete mismanagement by New Orleans.

    Rizzi eplained the gaffe to ESPN as a “miscommunication with officials” on his way to the halftime locker room.

  • Saints finally get a stop

    The Packers just punted after scoring touchdowns on each of their first three drives. The Saints have a chance to salvage some respectability with the ball back inside the 2-minute warning.

  • Christian Watson is back

    Packers wide receiver Christian Watson is back on the field after spending some time in the sideline medical tent.

  • Spencer Rattler gives the ball away

    This is brutal. Spencer Rattler just dropped the ball on a hit by Keisean Nixon, and Rashan Gary jumped on it for a Packers takeaway. Rattler was holding the ball carelessly and unaware of the pressure from his right side when he got hit.

    Packers take over with a 21-0 lead in a Monday night laugher.

  • 3 Packers possessions, 3 TDs

    The Packers are now up, 21-0. Backup running back Chris Brooks capped a 67-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Green Bay’s offense is in peak form with the playoffs around the corner. The touchdown is the first of Brooks’ career in his second NFL season.

  • Christian Watson in the medical tent

    This is one of the last things the Packers want to see. Oft-injured receiver Christian Watson is in the sideline medical medical tent after a catch to put the Packers inside the 10-yard line. The nature of his injury isn’t clear. He was able to limp to the tent on his own.

  • This is going as expected

    The Saints punt again, and the Packers have the ball and a 14-0 lead seeking their third touchdown in three possessions.

    The NFL expanded flex scheduling to Monday nights this season, but the league apparently couldn’t work this matchup of a playoff team against a 5-9 opponent out tonight.

  • Packers convert 2 4th downs, extend lead to 14-0

    This time, Josh Jacobs got the touchdown. After setting up Green Bay’s first score, the Packers running back scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to extend Green Bay’s lead to 14-0.

    The Packers converted twice on fourth down en route to the touchdown, including a 21-yard catch-and-run by tight end Tucker Kraft from Jordan Love.

    That’sTwo touchdowns in two possessions for Green Bay. This one went for 96 yards and 17 plays and ate 8:55 off the clock.

  • Packers convert fourth down

    The Packers ended the first quarter facing fourth-and-1 near midfield. The started the second with a Jordan Love sneak to pick up the first down. They’re over midfield seeking their second touchdown in two possessions.

  • Football guy Troy Aikman with some thoughts on NBA flopping inspired by Ugo Amadi’s blatant flop on Green Bay’s first touchdown:

  • Saints punt

    New Orleans’ first possession ended with a punt after gaining 21 yards. Packers have the ball and a 7-0 lead with 5:38 remaining in the first quarter.

  • Refs don’t bite on Ugo Amadi flop

    Here’s Wicks’ touchdown catch, complete with a flop from Saints safety Ugo Amadi in coverage. Amadi collapsed with minimal contact from Wicks at the line of scrimmage, allowing Wicks to run free for the touchdown.

    Refs weren’t buying Amadi’s weak acting job. No flag.

  • Expect a lot more from Josh Jacobs tonight against a middling Saints run defense.

  • Packers feed Josh Jacobs, score TD on pass to Dontayvion Wicks

    Josh Jacobs touched the ball six times on Green Bay’s opening drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Dontayvion Wicks. Jacobs tallied 40 of Green Bay’s 63 yards, including a 20-yard run to set up the touchdown.

  • Green Bay starts with good field position after a kickoff return to the Packers’ 38-yard line.

  • The Saints will kick off, and the Packers will have the ball first.

  • It’s a relatively balmy night in Green Bay for this time of year. There’s snow on the ground outside of the Lambeau Field and the temps are in the low 30s, per the “Monday Night Football” broadcast.

  • The 5-9 Saints, of course, have nothing at stake but draft positioning.

  • Packers’ playoff scenarios

    The Packers are all but a lock to make the playoffs at 10-4, but would mathematically clinch a wild-card berth with a win against the Saints Monday night.

    There’s no chance that they’ll win the NFC North, though. A win by the 13-2 Lions knocked the Packers out of contention for the division title on Sunday. The Packers can finish no better than tied with the Lions, who hold the tiebreaker thanks to a sweep of their regular-season series.

    In addition to clinching, the Packers are playing to remain in the No. 6 seed ahead of the 10-5 Washington Commanders, who project as the No. 7 seed in the NFC. The No. 7 seed faces a likely playoff path with games against the Eagles and the eventual NFC North champion, whether that’s the Lions or the Vikings, a difficult road to the Super Bowl.

    The Packers are also seeking to avoid the disaster scenario that would knock them out of the playoffs. This would require Green Bay to lose all of its remaining three games and the Falcons (8-7) and Bucs (8-7) to win out to put two NFC South teams alongside the Commanders in the playoffs with the Packers left out. The Falcons, Bucs and Commanders would all have the tiebreaker advantage if they each finished 10-7.

  • Jaire Alexander remains out for Packers

    Pro Bowl Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander will miss a fourth-straight game with a lingering knee injury. The Packers previously listed Alexander as questionable before ruling him out prior to Monday night’s kickoff.

    Packers inactives:

    • 7 LB Quay Walker

    • 18 WR Malik Heath

    • 20 S Javon Bullard

    • 23 CB Jaire Alexander

    • 33 S Evan Williams

    • 62 OL Jacob Monk

  • Saints inactives include Alvin Kamara, Derek Carr

    Alvin Kamara and Derek Carr are among the Saints’ inactives for “Monday Night Football.” This is no surprise. The Saints listed both as out for the game on their Saturday injury report. Wide receiver Chris Olave also remains sidelined on injured reserve for Monday’s game.

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