Packers (5-5) at Saints (5-5)
The Green Bay Packers are coming off their most dominant performance of the season, a 37-3 rout of Chicago, but that Packer defense will get a much bigger test on Monday night in New Orleans, with the Saints 1-point favorites on WagerWeb.com.
Actually, the Green Bay defense has been a great offense: That unit has seven touchdowns in only 10 games this season; no other team has more than four. The Packers also are on pace to score the most touchdowns in a season since the 1998 Seahawks’ defense, which scored 10. Packers CB Nick Colllins has returned three interceptions for touchdowns this season.
All those scores obviously come courtesy of turnovers, and the Packers’ record no doubt would be much worse if they weren’t plus-7 in turnover margin. The Saints, meanwhile, are a dismal minus-5.
Records are a funny thing: Whereas the 5-5 Saints are in last place in their division and barely clinging to hopes of a postseason berth, the 5-5 Green Bay Packers entered Week 12 locked in a three-way division tie with Chicago and Minnesota. Both the Bears and Vikings won Sunday, so the Pack need to win tonight to stay in first.
New Orleans is unmatched on offense in the NFL this year. Through the first 10 games of the season, they led the league with an average of 411.5 yards per game. Drew Brees has thrown for more yards than any quarterback in league history through 10 games. Brees will not have Reggie Bush again tonight, as he reportedly will sit out one more week injured. Deuce McAllister and Pierre Thomas will share most of the touches at running back.
The over/under for tonight’s game on WagerWeb.com is 51.
As usual, the Saints are a fairly bad unit on defense, ranking 24th overall and 26th against the pass. The Green Bay pass defense, on the other hand, is allowing just 176.3 yards per game, third-best in the NFL heading into the weekend.
Coach Sean Payton’s Saints have has alternated wins and losses in their last six contests; they are coming off a win against the Chiefs. Since beating Oakland in the Superdome on Oct. 12, New Orleans has played three road games, had its bye week, and was designated as the home team in a win over San Diego that was played in London.
Green Bay, meanwhile, is 2-3 away from home this season, and looks to avoid its first three-game road slide since Nov. 27-Dec. 19, 2005.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is averaging 235.1 yards passing, while RB Ryan Grant had 25 carries for a season-high 145 yards — the seventh 100-yard performance of his career and his second in 2008 — and a TD last weekend.
The Saints have won two of the past three meetings including the last one, 34-27 in Week 2 of 2006.
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