It was almost the perfect night for the Green Bay Packers. They dominated against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football to punch their ticket to the postseason, winning 34-0 at Lambeau Field.
The Packers can no longer win the NFC North, but they will finish with no worse than the No. 7 seed, while winning out will give them a shot at the No. 5 spot. Head coach Matt LaFleur has now guided his team to five playoff appearances in six seasons.
The one negative from the game was an injury to Christian Watson.
Green Bay's star wide receiver briefly left the field in the first half and had to go into the blue medical tent, but he returned soon after. However, Watson took another awkward hit in the second half and exited with a knee injury. He didn't return.
The Packers may have taken the cautious approach given their big lead in the game, but it's concerning, nonetheless.
Packers can't afford to lose Christian Watson with playoffs nearing
Watson is so important to the Packers' offense, both for what he brings with the ball in his hands and how he forces defenses to adapt their coverages.
The official word from the Packers is that he has a knee injury. It's unclear whether he had any chance of returning to the game had it been closer. If there's a positive, it's that Green Bay has clinched a playoff berth and can get by without him over the next two weeks.
Overall, it was a great night for Green Bay. It always felt like a mismatch once the Saints ruled out Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, and Chris Olave, and it proved to be the case.
The Packers dominated from the first possession, taking 10 plays and a little over six minutes off the clock before Jordan Love found Dontayvion Wicks in the end zone. Green Bay then wiped another nine minutes off the clock on an impressive 12-play, 96-yard touchdown drive that blended the run and pass, capped off by a Josh Jacobs 2-yard score.
Jacobs had 17 total touches for 107 yards and a touchdown, continuing to be the focal point of the Packers' offense. LaFleur had the chance to reduce his workload in the second half once they built a big lead. Green Bay will need him on Sunday afternoon against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Packers got the big win they needed, but Watson's injury is the concern. Hopefully, he is OK.