Packers looking to make deep playoff run

NFL REPORT

Green Bay clinched wild-card berth Monday night

Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (11) is pushed out of bounds near the goal line by New Orleans cornerback Will Harris (5) and linebacker Pete Werner (20) during the first half of Monday night’s game in Green Bay, Wis. MATT LUDTKE — ASSOCIATED PRESS

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From news service reports

Even though their long-shot hopes of winning the NFC North have vanished, the playoff-bound Green Bay Packers believe they can make a legitimate run at their first Super Bowl appearance since their 2010 championship season.

A rapidly improving defense gives them ample reason for confidence.

The Packers (11-4) followed up a seven-sack performance in a 30-13 victory at Seattle by producing the first shutout of the NFL season, a 34-0 playoff-clinching blowout of the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.

Green Bay delivered its first shutout since a 17-0 triumph over Seattle in 2021 and its most lopsided victory since a 55-14 rout of the Chicago Bears in 2014.

“We’ve noticed all along that the defense is a lot different this year, and they’ve been making some big-time plays all along,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “But any time you can hold anybody to zero points in the National Football League is pretty awesome.”

The Packers were seeking to produce a championship-caliber defense to go along with their dynamic offense when they fired Joe Barry as coordinator in the offseason and brought in former Boston College coach Jeff Hafley to replace him. Green Bay switched from a 3-4 scheme to a 4-3, with Hafley emphasizing the need to produce more big plays.

Green Bay has done just that by collecting 28 takeaways — 10 more than it had all of last year — to match the NFL’s third-highest total. The Packers haven’t forced this many turnovers since 2011, when they had 38 takeaways.

That’s not the only area in which the defense has made strides.

Green Bay is allowing just 19.1 points per game to rank sixth in the league in scoring defense. The Packers haven’t finished a season among the top six since 2010.

The Packers are giving up 312.1 yards per game for the league’s seventh-best total. That also puts them on pace for their highest season-ending rank since 2010, when they finished fifth in total defense.

“We’re all working together, and we’ve just got some nice playmakers,” linebacker Edgerrin Cooper said.

Briefly

Jets >> Aaron Rodgers is dealing with an injured knee that has the New York quarterback’s status uncertain for the game Sunday at Buffalo, but interim coach Jeff Ulbrich expects he’ll play.

Giants >> Drew Lock is likely going to start at quarterback for New York against Indianapolis on Sunday when they try to end a franchise-record 10-game losing streak.

hall of fame >> Longtime assistant coaches Dick Hoak, Elijah Pitts and Jim McNally will be honored with the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Awards of Excellence for the 2025 class.