GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers don’t want to have to wait as long as they did last season to clinch a playoff berth.
The Packers (10-4) have performed well enough that a little help could enable them to earn a postseason spot on Sunday. If that doesn’t happen, the Packers still can wrap up a playoff berth by beating the injury-riddled New Orleans Saints (5-9) on Monday night at Lambeau Field.
Last season, the Packers sneaked into the playoffs after beating the Chicago Bears on the final Sunday of the regular season.
“It definitely is a better position than having to try and win every game and fight for that last position not knowing what might happen,” Love said. “I think we did a better job this season winning some games early on and putting ourselves in a better position."
The Packers have won eight of their past 10 games, with the only two losses in that stretch coming against the Detroit Lions. Green Bay remains behind Detroit and Minnesota in the NFC North.
A loss or tie by the Atlanta Falcons coupled with a loss or tie by either the Los Angeles Rams or Seattle Seahawks would lock up a playoff spot for the Packers before Monday night’s game. The Falcons host the New York Giants, the Rams visit the New York Jets and the Seahawks host the Vikings on Sunday.
New Orleans’ long-shot chances of reaching the playoffs could vanish before kickoff. The Saints’ only path to the postseason is to win all of their three remaining games while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Falcons lose their final three. Tampa Bay plays at Dallas on Sunday night.
The Saints will be playing without starting quarterback Derek Carr and five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara.
Carr has an injury to his left (non-throwing) hand that also prevented him from playing in last weekend's 20-19 loss to the Washington Commanders. Kamara left that game with a groin injury.
Spencer Rattler is expected to start in Carr's place. Rattler came off the bench and led four straight scoring drives against the Commanders.
“We have the players that we have,” interim coach Darren Rizzi said. “Everybody across the league right now is dealing with injuries, some more than others. I think the best teams in the league are the teams that are able to overcome those, regardless of the position. That's really how we've been approaching it.”
Love’s recovery
After struggling to protect the ball during the first half of the season, Love has thrown seven touchdown passes without an interception over his past four games.
Love threw 11 interceptions in his first eight starts of the season.
On the edge
Saints defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon could make his 2024 season debut on Monday night.
He has been back at practice for about two weeks since recovering from an offseason Achilles tendon rupture. Rizzi said Kpassagnon was nearly activated last week.
Kpassagnon, 30, is in his eighth NFL season. He played in all 17 games in a reserve role in 2023 and had 3 1/2 sacks.
Cooper coming up big
Packers rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper's performance in a 30-13 victory at Seattle last Sunday earned him NFC defensive player of the week honors for the second time this season. The second-round pick from Texas A&M had a sack, intercepted a pass and had two tackles for loss and two passes defended.
Cooper is the first Packer since Clay Matthews in 2010 to be selected as the defensive player of the week multiple times within the same season.
Ground reinforcements
With Kamara hurt, the Saints signed former LSU star running back and Louisiana native Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Edwards-Helaire recently was waived by the Kansas City Chiefs, the team that drafted him in 2020.
Edwards-Helaire, who hasn’t played this season, started the week on the practice squad.
He joins a position group with the Saints that also includes Kendre Miller, former Packer Jamaal Williams and Jordan Mims on the active roster.
Jacobs’ fast starts
The Packers are outscoring opponents 95-34 in the first quarter, thanks in part to Josh Jacobs’ productivity early in games.
Jacobs has run for 688 yards in the first half, the most rushing yards before halftime by any NFL player. Kamara ranks second with 601 first-half yards.
He has 235 yards rushing on opening drives, the most by any Packer since at least 2000.
Jacobs has rushed for 1,147 yards overall to rank third in the league, behind Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley (1,688) and Baltimore’s Derrick Henry (1,474) entering Week 16.
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AP Sports Writer Brett Martel contributed to this report.
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Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
