The Saints will travel to Green Bay late December.
The New Orleans Saints are set to travel to Lambeau field for the second consecutive season, but this time, instead of getting it out of the way in September, they’ll be playing in likely-below freezing temperatures in December.
I’ve actually been to Lambeau Field in December, and if I remember correctly, it was the warmest game ever played at Lambeau in December (at least at the time)… and it was still absolutely freezing and raining.
Needless to say, even if they get “good weather,” it’s going to be cold, and this team plays in a dome pretty much all season, so that just adds another difficult layer to an already difficult game.
Alright, enough of that, let’s hop into breaking down the Green Bay Packers.
Let’s start with the obvious. Jordan Love broke onto the scene in 2023 and it looks like he’s only going to get better. In his first season as a starter, Love threw for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The Packers receiving core, built of a whole lot of young players, had some struggles last season, but as they gained more experience, they were much improved by the playoffs. Right now, their receiving core consists of Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks. The secondary is the least of my concerns with the Saints, so while I think they’re good enough to do some damage, I think Marshon Lattimore and company can keep them under locks pretty well.
As for the Packers rushing attack, things are looking a bit different in Green Bay. Aaron Jones, longtime Packers running back, is gone, and they replaced him with the NFL’s leading rusher in 2022, Josh Jacobs. Jones had a history of injuries, so Jacobs should give them more stability and continuity at the RB position. Plus, he’s a pretty dang good rusher, so that doesn’t hurt.
The offensive line is where the Packers suffered their biggest loss. David Bahktiari, who’d spent his first 11 seasons in the NFL with the Packers, is a free agent and hasn’t signed anywhere as of today (though he’ll probably end up on the Jets), but leaves a gaping hole at LT, which led to the Packers selecting Jordan Morgan in the first round. As a team, the Packers weren’t super great in pass protection last season, and now they lose their best offensive lineman, which could allow for some teams, including the Saints, to get some pressure on Jordan Love.
On defense, it’s a lot of the same for the Packers. Their defensive front of Preston Smith, Deonte Wyatt, Kenny Clark and Rashaan Gary stays intact, and they keep their rising star in Quay Walker on board as well. They added Edgerrin Cooper through the draft to help bolster a weaker linebacker room, so they should be slightly improved at that position.
In the secondary, the Packers did lose Darnell Savage to free agency, but they turned right around and signed Xavier McKiney to replace him. They also retained Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, but there’s still a bit of a hole at the third cornerback position.
The Packers boasted a top-15 scoring defense last season, and they’re pretty much keeping the same roster while adding a bit of talent. The Saints only could muster 17 points in their matchup with the Packers last season, but with a new offensive coordinator, maybe things can change for the better this year.
I don’t see the Saints winning this game on the road in Lambeau, but I also don’t think it’s completely out of the realm of possibility. If the Saints defense can find a way to slow down the Packers offense and the Saints offense can get a few touchdowns on the board, maybe they can steal one on the road.
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