NFL Week 16 Live Saints Updates: Follow All of the Action For the Packers Matchup

Can Spencer Rattler pilot an upset for the Saints? We're going to find out soon enough.

John Hendrix | 12 Hours Ago

Dec 23, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; General view of trees decorated for Christmas outside of Lambeau Field prior to the game between the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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New Orleans Saints

There's only three games left in the Saints season, and Monday night's matchup against the Packers brings plenty of uncertainty to the table. New Orleans is a heavy underdog and they're down several key starters in this one. Green Bay needs a win to get into the postseason, and the odds sure do look favorable for them. However, Spencer Rattler could make things a little interesting.

Welcome to our Week 16 Saints game thread. I'd encourage you to hop on over to our live stream to interact with Ross Jackson (LockedOn Saints and Louisiana Sports) and me throughout it. However, we'll keep all the notes, scoring and more all updated in here.

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Pregame Notes

Not having Marquez Valdes-Scantling tonight certainly takes a ton of experience away on the field for the receivers. Cedrick Wilson Jr. looks like the most stable option, but remember in training camp that Mason Tipton and Spencer Rattler had some really nice chemistry.
Tough blow being down Nathan Shepherd, who popped on the injury report extremely late with an eye injury. He won't play, and neither will Khristian Boyd. Boyd is a healthy scratch. This could mean that Payton Turner or Tanoh Kpassagnon will play more inside, but we'll see plenty of Bryan Bresee and Khalen Saunders for sure. John Ridgeway III is the other defensive tackle.

First Quarter - Packers 7, Saints 0

Little resistance on the first drive from the Saints defense. I don't know if it's the footing or just the Packers executing, but that was tough.
That was a nice play by Khalen Saunders on the shovel pass.
Ugo Amadi got contacted on the Wicks touchdown and ended up falling. They set a pick there.
Good first few plays for Spencer Rattler. Liked his first decison to take off and use his legs. That's also a really good first run for Kendre Miller and awesome play design getting the tight end screen to Foster Moreau.
Quite the fastball from Rattler to Kevin Austin Jr.
Shane Lemieux is in at center for Erik McCoy. I'm not sure what that's about.
Saints were going to be aggressive on the 4th-and-7 call, but Lucas Patrick got called for a false start.
Saints had a great opportunity on the 3rd-and-6 but Tanoh Kpassagnon was flagged for a neutral zone infraction. That's been the epitome of this team this year.
That's a good pass breakup by Alontae Taylor.
Josh Jacobs is killing the Saints right now. He's clearly the featured player in this one.

Second Quarter - Packers 21, Saints 0

Just a casual 17-play, 96-yard drive for the Packers.
That's a tough one on 4th-and-2 with Jordan Love connecting with Tucker Kraft for 21 yards. Saints defense looks lost.
The Saints go to a three-and-out to counter the long drive from Green Bay. Predictably, they went backward and now the Packers are on the move again. This is ugly.
Heck of a throw from Rattler to Foster Moreau to pick up 21.
3rd-and-5 to 3rd-and-10 because of too many men. The discipline has to be there and it hasn't been.
That's a great run by Kendre Miller on 3rd-and-10 to get a first down.
You have to protect the ball better than that. Costly turnover by Spencer Rattler to negate a potentially good drive.
Erik McCoy doesn't look like someone who is coming back into the game.
I didn't really like the roughing the passer call on Spencer Rattler.
Really nice throw from Rattler to Kevin Austin Jr. but what was that clock management?
Just a horrendous half of Saints football.

Third Quarter - Packers 24, Saints 0

Erik McCoy is out the rest of the game with an elbow injury.
Saints offense goes one step forward and takes five steps back. That's super frustrating after the big hookup to Juwan Johnson.
That's not a particularly good decision by Rattler on the pick. I just don't know how this team continues to make progress and shoots themselves in the foot.
Can't even get a Thick Pick. That would have been a big play for New Orleans, but looks like Alontae Taylor might have interfered with Khalen Saunders on it.

Fourth Quarter - Packers 34, Saints 0

That's a nice hookup from Rattler to Dante Pettis.
Can the offense even get points before the end of the game?
From 3rd-and-12 at the Packers 14-yard line to the Saints 49-yard line for 37 yards.
This has been a completely embarrassing performance from New Orleans. Probably don't need them in primetime late in the year again.

Saints-Packers Week 16 Game Preview

Saints-Packers Week 16 Coverage

Published 15 Hours Ago|Modified Dec 23, 2024

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net