GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Even though their long-shot hopes of winning the NFC North have vanished, the playoff-bound Green Bay Packers believe they can make a legitimate run at their first Super Bowl appearance since their 2010 championship season.
A rapidly improving defense gives them ample reason for confidence.
The Packers (11-4) followed up a seven-sack performance in a 30-13 victory at Seattle by producing the first shutout of the NFL season, a 34-0 playoff-clinching blowout of the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.
Green Bay delivered its first shutout since a 17-0 triumph over Seattle in 2021 and its most lopsided victory since a 55-14 rout of the Chicago Bears in 2014.
“We’ve noticed all along that the defense is a lot different this year, and they’ve been making some big-time plays all along,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “But any time you can hold anybody to zero points in the National Football League is pretty awesome.”
The Packers were seeking to produce a championship-caliber defense to go along with their dynamic offense when they fired Joe Barry as coordinator in the offseason and replaced him with former Boston College coach Jeff Hafley. Green Bay switched from a 3-4 scheme to a 4-3, with Hafley emphasizing the need to produce more big plays.
Green Bay has done just that by collecting 28 takeaways — 10 more than it had all of last year — to match the NFL’s third-highest total. The Packers haven’t forced this many turnovers since 2011, when they had 38 takeaways.
That’s not the only area in which the defense has made strides.
Green Bay is allowing just 19.1 points per game to rank sixth in the league in scoring defense. The Packers haven’t finished a season among the top six teams in scoring defense since their 2010 title run, when they yielded just 15 points per game to rank second.
The Packers are giving up 312.1 yards per game for the league’s seventh-best total. That also puts them on pace for their highest season-ending rank since 2010, when they finished fifth in total defense.
“We’re all working together, and we’ve just got some nice playmakers,” linebacker and rookie second-round pick Edgerrin Cooper said.
The Packers have given up as many as 20 points just once in their last six games, a 34-31 defeat at Detroit on Dec. 5. That is the only time Green Bay has lost during that stretch.
Whether this kind of success can carry over to the playoffs remains uncertain.
The Packers’ shutout performance came against a New Orleans offense that was starting rookie fifth-round draft pick Spencer Rattler at quarterback in place of the injured Derek Carr and was missing five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara.
Green Bay’s defense faces a much tougher task Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings (13-2), who beat the Packers 31-29 at Lambeau Field on Sept. 29. This will mark the first time in the series' 64-year history that both teams had at least 11 wins when they face off.
The Packers are eager to see what they can do against another team headed for the playoffs as their defense gears up for another postseason.
“We can do whatever we want to do,” defensive lineman Kenny Clark said. “We write our own story at the end of the day. We’ve just got to keep on building.”
What’s working
Green Bay outrushed New Orleans 188-67 and improved its season total to 2,209 yards rushing. The Packers haven't rushed for that many yards in a season since 2003, when they had 2,558. … The pass rush has produced 16 sacks over Green Bay’s last four games. … Green Bay is outscoring teams 102-34 in the first quarter. ... The Packers didn't give up a sack Monday and have allowed just five over their last eight games. That represents the fewest sacks the Packers have given up over an eight-game stretch within a single season since 2004.
What needs work
Penalties remain a bit of an issue. The Packers were penalized six times for 60 yards.
Stock up
Love has thrown eight touchdown passes without an interception over his last five games. … RB Josh Jacobs has run for a touchdown in six straight games. His 13 TD runs this season are a career high. … K Brandon McManus made field goals from 55 and 46 yards to improve to 16 of 17 this season. His 55-yarder was a season long. … S Zayne Anderson had his first career interception in his first career start. … DL Brenton Cox Jr. has three sacks over his last four games.
Stock down
There really aren't any candidates for this category, considering the Packers produced their biggest victory margin in a decade.
Injuries
Packers coach Matt LaFleur offered an encouraging update on WR Christian Watson, who hurt a knee against the Saints. “We got good news on him, so more just a bruise. ... So we'll see how he practices this week and see where we're at," LaFleur said Tuesday. … CB Jaire Alexander (knee) missed a fifth straight game. S Javon Bullard (ankle), S Evan Williams (quadriceps) and LB Quay Walker (ankle) also didn’t play.
Key number
30 – The Packers have scored at least 30 points in each of their last five games. That represents the second-longest string of games with 30-plus points in franchise history. Green Bay had seven such straight games in 1963.
Next steps
The Packers close the regular season with two divisional games, visiting Minnesota on Sunday before hosting the Bears (4-11). Green Bay is 1-3 against NFC North opponents this season.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
