Dope Sheet: Packers face Saints in home opener

The Green Bay Packers welcome the New Orleans Saints to Lambeau Field for the first home game of the regular season.

• It is the first time since 2011 that Green Bay's home opener has come against the Saints.
• The Packers have won 17 of 27 regular-season matchups (.630) against the Saints.
• Green Bay is 10-3 (.769) at home against New Orleans with a point differential of plus-126 (9.7 ppg).
• Five of the last six games between the two teams at Lambeau Field have been decided by single digits.
• The Packers have scored 27-plus points in 11 home games against the Saints.
• It will be the seventh time the Packers have played at home against the Saints in September.
• This will be the third meeting between Green Bay and New Orleans over the last four seasons (2020, 2021) with each team winning one game.
• It is the first time since 2016 (1-1) and just the third time (1924, 0-2) in franchise history that the Packers' home opener has come in week 3.
• Since the Packers used to play some home games in Milwaukee, it will be the eighth time in franchise history that the Packers will play their first game in the Green Bay area in Week 3 or later (2016, 1982, 1979, 1978, 1975, 1966, 1965, 1924).
• Green Bay has started 1-1 for the third straight season and for the eighth time in the last 12 years. The Packers have recorded at least one win in their first two games for the 17th straight season. 
• Under LaFleur, the Packers are 5-3 (.625) against NFC South teams. 
• The five regular-season wins are tied for the third-most wins against the NFC South since 2019 by an out-of-division team (Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers are both 7-3).
• The Packers stay at home for a short week to host the Detroit Lions on a Thursday for the first time.

WITH THE CALL

FOX Sports, now in its 30th season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game.

• Play-by-play man Kenny Albert joins analyst Jonathan Vilma and sideline reporter Shannon Spake.
• The game is also available through NFL Sunday Ticket by YouTube.
• Sports USA Radio will be broadcasting to a national audience with Larry Kahn (play-by-play) and James White (analyst) on the call. 
• All Packers games can be heard on the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 51 stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and North and South Dakota. 97.3 The Game – WRNW-Milwaukee begins its second season as the flagship station of the Packers Radio Network. For a map and full listing of radio affiliates, go to packers.com/video/radio-network.Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 29th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 25th season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
• The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (Packers Radio Network feed is on SiriusXM 109 or 229 and on the SiriusXM App).

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT

Packers vs. New Orleans:

• All-time, regular season: 17-10
• All-time, postseason: 0-0
• All-time, at home: 10-3 (4-2 at Lambeau)
• Streaks: New Orleans has won three of the last four meetings.
• Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 12, 2021, TIAA Bank Field, Saints won, 38-3

COACHES CAPSULES

• Matt LaFleur: 48-20-0, .706; (2-3 postseason); 5th NFL season
• Dennis Allen: 17-38-0, .309; (0-0 postseason); 5th NFL season
• Head to Head: LaFleur 0-0 vs. Allen
• vs. Opponent: LaFleur 1-1 vs. Saints; Allen 0-0 vs. Packers

MATT LaFLEUR…In his fifth season as the Packers' 15th head coach.

• Enters his 15th season in the NFL, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington Redskins, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
• In his first four seasons leading the Packers, has authored one of the greatest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, his 47 wins are the second most in league history by a head coach in his first four seasons in the NFL, trailing only George Seifert (52 in 1989-92). Green Bay's 47-19 regular-season record since 2019 ranks No. 3 in the NFL and No. 1 in the NFC.
• Became the first coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons and his 39 wins from 2019-21 passed Seifert (38) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons in the league (Elias). His 39 wins are also tied for the second most by a coach over any three-season span in league history, trailing only Andy Reid's 40 wins with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2020-22 and Mike Ditka's 40 wins with the Chicago Bears from 1985-87 (Elias).
• Guided the Packers to a 27-6 record (.818) in the regular season from 2019-22 at Lambeau Field, the top home mark in the NFL since 2019. His .750 win percentage (18-6 record) against NFC North opponents in his first four seasons also ranks as the best in the history of the NFC North/Central (min. 10 games).
• In his first season leading the Packers in 2019, became the first coach in club history to lead the team to the playoffs in his debut season. Also led the largest one-year win improvement in team history (plus-seven wins).

DENNIS ALLEN…In his second season as the Saints' 17th head coach.

• Enters his 14th season overall with the Saints, having served as an assistant defensive line coach (2006-07), secondary coach (2008-10), senior defensive assistant (2015) and defensive coordinator (2015-2021) prior to being named head coach.
• As defensive coordinator, helped the Saints record five consecutive winning seasons and capture four straight division titles (2017-20).
• In his first season as head coach, the Saints rallied to win three of their last four games, finished in the top 10 in five major defensive categories and improved at least nine spots from the previous year in both total offense and passing offense.
• Also spent time with the Atlanta Falcons (2002-05), Denver Broncos (2011) and Oakland Raiders (head coach, 2012-14).

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE PACKERS-SAINTS SERIES

• The series began on November 17, 1968, when former Vince Lombardi assistants Phil Bengston (Packers) and Tom Fears (Saints) faced off in Milwaukee. The Packers defeated the Saints, 29-7, in what was the Saints' second season as a franchise. 
• Green Bay has played three home openers against New Orleans, going 3-0. The Packers won back-to-back home openers against the Saints in 1978-79, both in Milwaukee, and defeated them again in 2011 in Green Bay.
• The last meeting between these squads, originally scheduled for the Superdome, was moved to TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., while the New Orleans area continued to clean up wreckage left by Hurricane Ida.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Packers players from Louisiana: WR Dontayvion Wicks (Plaquemine) and OL Zach Tom (Baton Rouge)...Packers P Daniel Whelan entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Saints in May 2022...Packers LB Eric Wilson was with New Orleans in 2022 and was signed by Green Bay off of the Saints' practice squad in October 2022...Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements spent three seasons (1997-99) with the Saints as their quarterbacks coach...Packers defensive line/running game coordinator Jerry Montgomery spent 2002 training camp with the Saints…Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst started his NFL career as a training camp coaching intern with the Saints in 1995…Packers executive V.P./director of football operations Russ Ball spent six seasons (2002-07) with the Saints, his final two seasons as V.P. of football administration, prior to joining the Packers in 2008…Saints LB Zack Baun is from Brown Deer, Wis., and played college football at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2015-19)…Saints T Ryan Ramczyk is from Stevens Point, Wis., and played two seasons at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (2013-14) and one season at Wisconsin (2016)…Saints RB Jamaal Williams was drafted by Green Bay in the fourth round (No. 134 overall) of the 2017 NFL draft and went on to play four seasons with the Packers (2017-20)…Saints TE Jimmy Graham played two seasons in Green Bay (2018-19)…Saints QB Taysom Hill began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with Green Bay…Saints CB Isaac Yiadom spent the 2021 season with the Packers, appearing in 16 games with one start…Saints offensive assistant Jahri Evans played in 14 games on the offensive line for the Packers in 2017…Packers tight ends coach John Dunn was an offensive graduate assistant/intern at LSU from 2008-10…Packers strength and conditioning assistant Grant Thorne played two seasons of college football at Nicholls State (2006-07)…Packers assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia and assistant special teams coach Byron Storer held the same positions for the Raiders, with Bisaccia also serving as interim head coach (2021), when Packers special teams quality control coach Kyle Wilber, CB Keisean Nixon, S Dallin Leavitt, Saints QB Derek Carr and TE Foster Moreau all played for the team (2019-21)...Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry and Bisaccia were on the coaching staff with Saints defensive coordinator Joe Woods in Tampa Bay (2004-05)...Packers pass rush specialist Jason Rebrovich was on Saints offensive line coach Doug Marrone's staff with Syracuse (2011-12), the Buffalo Bills (2013-14) and Jacksonville Jaguars (16-20)...Packers wide receivers/passing game coordinator Jason Vrable was on Marrone's staff at Syracuse (2009-10) and the Bills (2013-14)...Packers passing game coordinator (defense) Greg Williams was the defensive backs coach for the Broncos during the 2018 season when Yiadom played for Denver…Packers G/T Elgton Jenkins and Saints DB J.T. Gray played together at Clarksdale (Miss.) High School before both attending Mississippi State…Former college teammates include: Packers C/G Josh Myers, Saints WR Chris Olave and LB Pete Werner (Ohio State); Packers OL Zach Tom and Saints WR A.T. Perry (Wake Forest); Packers LB Rashan Gary, G Jon Runyan and Saints C/G Cesar Ruiz (Michigan); Packers WR Romeo Doubs and Saints LB Nephi Sewell (Nevada); Packers G/T Elgton Jenkins, LB Preston Smith and Saints DB J.T. Gray (Mississippi State); Packers RB AJ Dillon, LB Isaiah McDuffie and Saints CB Isaac Yiadom (Boston College).