Heads up to Packers: Saints ain’t all that bad
By GERY WOELFEL
Nobody should be more excited to be playing for the Green Bay Packers tonight than Jordan Love.
Love, one of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL, will be facing a New Orleans Saints secondary that, to put it charitably, isn’t very good. The Saints rank a dismal 28th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game at 242.2.
Based merely on that statistic, Love should carve up the Saints and continue his torrid play of late. Entering tonight’s game at chilly Lambeau Field – the temp is supposed to be about 30 degrees at kickoff – Love is coming off four straight eye-popping performances.
In that stretch, Love has thrown seven passes for touchdowns and hasn’t had a pass picked. His passer ratings in that four-game span accurately reflect the heater he’s on. To wit:
- 123.8 vs.. the Seahawks.
- 111.7 vs. the Lions.
- 129.2 vs. the Dolphins.
- 107.7 vs. the 49ers.
Yes, it should be a Love-ly night for the green and gold.
Then again …
While all indicators point toward Love registering another five-star performance, it would be foolish to believe the Packers are going to skate past the Saints on the frozen tundra.
That’s because the Saints are actually darn stingy at giving up points. In fact, they rank 12th in average points allowed per game at 22.3.And get this:
The Saints haven’t allowed more than 21 points in their last five games.
So, while it’s easy to see why the Packers have been installed as whopping 14-point favorites in this game, the Packers simply can’t afford to take their opponent lightly if they intend on a sealing a playoff berth.
Prediction: Packers 27, Saints 20.
