The Green Bay Packers are hosting the New Orleans Saints to wrap up Week 16, as Monday Night Football will be trekking up to Lambeau Field for a chilly night game. Just needing a win to lock up their playoff spot, the Packers are hoping to keep pace in the NFC playoff race with a victory.

Welcoming the Saints into Lambeau Field, the Packers are two-touchdown favorites in what should be a cold, cold game. With injuries knocking the Saints offense down a few pegs, it’s fair to say it could be an uphill battle for New Orleans on the road.

Offense

Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler is the starter for the Saints, as Derek Carr will likely miss the rest of the season due to injury. Between Rattler and Jake Haener, the QB position for the Saints has been quite a disaster, and Carr struggled quite a bit even when he was healthy.

Alvin Kamara has been the only consistent player for the Saints on offense this year, but he has been ruled out with a groin injury, paving the way for Kendre Miller and Jamaal Williams to pick up the snaps at RB.

Chris Olave is still out recovering from a head injury, putting Cedrick Wilson and Marquez Valdes-Scantling the top weapons in the passing game. That group certainly doesn’t instill a ton of confidence in that part of the offense, but their big-play abilities make them sneaky.

The team is working under interim head coach Darren Rizzi, who was elevated after Dennis Allen was shown the door earlier this season. Allen’s job security has been a frequent topic of conversation even into last season, and he was finally let go after the Saints struggled once again this year.

Defense

The Saints bleed yards on defense, as they rank near the bottom in both passing and running the ball. They don’t force a ton of turnovers either, only having a plus-one turnover differential so far this year. 

Linebacker Demario Davis and safety Tyrann Mathieu are the big names on the defensive for New Orleans, a unit that does not have a ton of firepower on. Sack-wise, there are only three players who have at least five sacks, as Carl Granderson and Chase Young each have five-and-a-half sacks, while Bryan Bresee leads the way with seven-and-a-half.

The weather and playoff circumstances put the ball in the Packers court in their MNF matchup, but they absolutely cannot overlook the Saints, who are on the hunt for an upset win in Green Bay. Getting to Rattler and putting pressure in his face will dictate how this game goes, as defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley needs to be aggressive right out of the gate.

A win-and-in scenario awaits Green Bay in Week 16, one that, if they can take advantage of, will make the final two weeks of the season easier on them.

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Mike Johrendt has been an avid fan of the Packers ever since he can remember. He is now a writer at PackersTalk and you can follow him on Twitter at @MJohrendt23

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