Packers clinch playoff berth with dominant win over Saints - ESPN

GREEN BAY, Wis. — All Matt LaFleur does is make the playoffs. Well, most of the time anyway. Green Bay clinched a playoff spot with Monday night's 34-0 win over the New Orleans Saints, which means the Packers are going to the postseason for the fifth time in LaFleur's six seasons as their head coach.

The only time the Packers have missed the playoffs under LaFleur was in Aaron Rodgers' final season, 2022, when they went into their final game needing a win to qualify and lost at home to the Detroit Lions.

If the Packers (11-4) win their remaining two regular-season games — at the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday and at home against the Chicago Bears in Week 18 — it would give LaFleur his fourth 13-win regular season.

The Saints — with backup Spencer Rattler starting at quarterback in place of the injured Derek Carr (hand) and without several of their top players, including running back Alvin Kamara (groin) — didn't put up much resistance early on.

Green Bay got out to a 21-0 lead, scoring touchdowns on its first three drives for the first time since Week 17 of the 2020 season at the Bears.

Promising trend: At this point, it's gone beyond a trend. Josh Jacobs scoring a rushing touchdown is now an expectation. Jacobs' 2-yard scoring run in the second quarter made it his sixth straight game with a rushing TD. That ties the second-longest streak in Packers history, behind only Paul Hornung (seven, in 1960). Jacobs finished with 13 carries for 69 yards and the one score, plus four catches for 38 yards.

Promising trend II: When Keisean Nixon got home on his cornerback blitz late in the second quarter and strip-sacked Rattler, with defensive end Rashan Gary recovering the fumble, it gave the Packers their 27th takeaway of the season.