The Green Bay Packers didn’t get any help on Sunday, but a win over the New Orleans Saints on “Monday Night Football” from Lambeau Field will still clinch a playoff spot in the deep NFC field.
Can Matt LaFleur’s team take care of business at home against a 5-9 team that is eliminated from playoff contention and missing several key contributors?
Here’s how the staff at Packers Wire believes the Week 16 showdown with the Saints will go down:
Zach Kruse: Packers 24, Saints 10 (8-6)
The Saints can’t be overlooked, not after they won three of their first four games under Darren Rizzi and then gave the Commanders a big scare late last Sunday. But when you play someone matters so much, and the Saints are going to be severely shorthanded on Monday. Derek Carr is out. So is Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Taysom Hill, Rashid Shaheed and Paulson Adebo. The Packers defense could dominate against a patched-together offense led by rookie quarterback Spencer Ratter, who has been sacked 10 times on just 140 dropbacks and is 0-3 as a starter. Add in the potential for the Packers run game to go wild, and this game should never be in doubt. While it’s possible the streak of 30-point games continues, I’m not betting on it. The Packers still win by two touchdowns in a mostly stress-free victory at home.
Brandon Carwile: Packers 31, Saints 13 (11-3)
This is not only a game the Packers should win but one they should dominate. At 5-9, the playoffs are a pipe dream for a Saints team with basically nothing to play for and without three of their top offensive players: Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Derek Carr. Moving the ball will likely be a challenge for rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, especially without Kamara there to hand or dump the ball off to. New Orleans’ defense also doesn’t match up particularly well against Green Bay. They enter Week 16 with the 27th-ranked run defense about to face the fourth-ranked rushing offense. I could easily see Josh Jacobs leading the charge in a monstrous day for the Packers’ offense.
Brennen Rupp: Packers 27, Saints 10 (13-1)
The Saints are without their starting QB. They’ll get without their best offensive playmaker in Alvin Kamara. They have been without the services of Chris Olave for most of the season. They’ll be without the legend that is Taysom Hill. Last year around this time the Packers dismantled a short-handed Minnesota Vikings team in prime time. This feels like another game where Jordan Love and the offense will do whatever they want, whenever they want and the Saints won’t have the horses to keep up. Give me the Packers winning comfortably at home.
| Writer | Prediction | Score | Record |
| Zach Kruse | Win | 24-10 | 8-6 |
| Brandon Carwile | Win | 31-13 | 11-3 |
| Brennen Rupp | Win | 27-10 | 13-1 |