PACKERS AT SAINTS SCOUTING REPORT
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Monday
WHERE: Superdome, New Orleans
TV: ESPN, RADIO: WJBO-AM (1150)
RECORDS: Packers: 5-5, Saints: 5-5
LAST WEEK: Packers: Defeated the Chicago Bears , 37-3; Saints: Defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 30-20
COACHES: Packers: Mike McCarthy, 3rd season (27-17); Saints: Sean Payton, 3rd season (23-21)
NFL RANKINGS
Offense (league rank in parentheses)
Points: Packers, 27.4 (4); Saints, 26.6 (5). Total yards: Packers, 330.3 (16); Saints, 411.5 (1). Rushing: Packers, 108.3 (T19); Saints, 91.8 (28). Passing: Packers, 222.0 (11); Saints, 319.7 (1)
Defense (league rank in parentheses)
Points: Packers, 20.9 (12); Saints, 24.9 (T24). Total yards: Packers, 323.7 (16); Saints, 346.2 (24). Rushing: Packers, 147.4 (27); Saints, 111.0 (19). Passing: Packers, 176.3 (3); Saints, 235.2 (26)
KEY PLAYERS
Packers: QB Aaron Rodgers, RB Ryan Grant, WR Greg Jennings, DE Aaron Kampman, S Nick Collins, CB Charles Woodson.
Saints: QB Drew Brees, WR Marques Colston, RB Deuce McAllister, DE Will Smith, DT, Sedrick Ellis, MLB Jonathan Vilma.
Packers REPORT
Offense: Rodgers appears to be getting over a sprained right (throwing) shoulder injury that has hampered him in recent weeks. Last week he completed 23-of-30 for 227 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He connected with nine different receivers and completed a total of nine passes to three different tight ends. The offensive line didn’t allow Rodgers to be touched last week after he was sacked four times in each of the last two games. Grant also is coming on strong, having gained a season-high 145 yards on 25 carries last week, just his second 100-yard game of the season, as Green Bay rushed for 200 yards against Chicago’s fourth-rated rush defense.
Defense: The defense has a franchise-record seven returns for touchdowns, including end Jason Hunter’s 54-yard fumble return last week. A.J. Hawk played well last week in his first NFL start at middle linebacker, moving from the outside to replace Nick Barnett, who suffered a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago. Green Bay allowed season-lows last week in points, yards (234), and first downs (nine). After allowing an average of 199 yards rushing the previous two weeks to drop to 28th against the run, the Packers held the Bears’ ninth-ranked rushing offense to 83 yards. Collins and Woodson are tied for the NFL lead with five interceptions each among Green Bay’s league-leading 16.
Special teams: Only two teams have a lower kickoff return average than the Packers’ 20.2, but Green Bay is fourth in punt return average (13.0). … Only two teams have downed fewer punts inside the 20 than the Packers’ eight. … Green Bay is tied for the sixth-most field goals made (19). … PK Mason Crosby tied his career-long when he made a 53-yard field goal last week. … The Packers contained Bears standout returner Devin Hester, who averaged 22.8 yards on five kickoff returns (with a long of 31) and had just two punt opportunities, fair-catching one and returning the other for seven yards.
Packers FACTS
The Packers are in a three-way tie with the Bears and Vikings for first place in the
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