GREEN BAY – The Packers' defense wasn't actively thinking about a shutout entering Monday night's showdown with the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field.
The goal was to walk out with a victory, which would guarantee Green Bay a spot in next month's NFC playoffs.
It just so happened the Packers' stingiest defensive performance of the year against a battered Saints team not only produced a 34-0 victory but also the first shutout in the NFL this season.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley's unit held New Orleans to just 196 total yards while rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler turned over the ball twice off a strip-sack and interception.
It was good for Green Bay's first shutout since a 17-0 win over Seattle on Nov. 14, 2021. It also was the Packers' largest shutout victory since a 34-0 win over Minnesota on Nov. 11, 2007.
"It's the 'G' way, it's Packer way," cornerback Keisean Nixon said. "If nobody else did it, that means it's a hell of a deal for us and 'Haf.' That's just what we preach, we preach turnovers and swarming to the ball, physicality, and that's how we came and played today."
The Packers came out with swagger following last week's 30-13 road win over Seattle that propelled the defense into the top 10 in both total yards and scoring.
Rattler, starting in place of an injured Derek Carr, was under heavy pressure all evening. Every time the Saints threatened the Packers' territory, the defense responded in a big way.
After forcing punts on back-to-back series to start the game, Green Bay's defense got home for the first time when a blitzing Nixon sacked Rattler and forced a fumble that Rashan Gary recovered at the Green Bay 34.
The Saints worked the ball down to the Packers' 34 on the next series before Devonte Wyatt sacked Rattler for a loss of 12 yards with just 15 seconds left in the first half, preserving a 21-0 Green Bay lead.
"We've been looking for that the whole year, and we finally got it tonight, so I'm excited about it," said Wyatt, who has five sacks this year. "We've just got to really keep that going, keep shutting teams out."
Rattler started to find a rhythm midway through the third quarter, completing a 20-yard pass to Dante Pettis to the Packers' 22. On the next play, however, second-year safety Zayne Anderson recorded his first NFL interception to dampen the Saints' hopes.
Anderson was starting in place of rookie Evan Williams, who was added to the injury report with a quadricep on Saturday and didn't play after being listed as questionable.
"Zayne played his ass off," safety Xavier McKinney said. "The safeties that we have in our room and just the DBs as a whole in our room as a unit, we got some guys – and that's top to bottom, so I think you got a glimpse of that today. Everybody can play in our room, and we all prepare the right way."
New Orleans had three more possessions in the fourth quarter but punted after going three-and-out and turned the ball over on downs twice to end the game.
Playing without running back Alvin Kamara, New Orleans mustered just 67 yards on 20 carries (3.4 yards per carry). Rattler finished as the leading rusher with 28 yards off five scrambles.
"We been getting better and better each week and just proud of the way that we came out and played," McKinney said. "Obviously playing a team that didn't have a winning record, just staying focused the whole way through and just going out there and executing, I think we did a hell of a job today."
Watching Watson: Christian Watson left Sunday's game with a knee injury after initially getting rolled up on by two Saints defenders after an end-around midway through the second quarter.
The third-year receiver returned in the second half but eventually exited. Watson said he thought he was going to score on the play he was injured, wishing he would've "kicked the gear in a little bit sooner" around the corner.
Watson said he's going to get checked out Tuesday and is hoping for the best.
"It was just an awkward fall," Watson said. "I went to the ground and the DB just kind of fell into my legs and felt something with the knee. It definitely hurt right away but it felt like it was good enough to go back in, so I went back in and it was feeling all right. But it was just kind of lingering a little bit and I couldn't play the type of football I wanted to play, so I just had to shut it down."
More on Anderson: A special-teams stalwart, Anderson said he took "a few reps" at safety this week before being pressed into action due to injuries to Williams and rookie safety Javon Bullard (ankle).
Like he did when Williams was out with a concussion earlier this month, Anderson stepped up with three tackles, two passes defensed and his first career INT.
"It feels good. I would say this whole day I was just, do your job," Anderson said. "That was my mentality. Filling in for guys like Evan and Bull, those are some great players and then playing along with 'X,' just do my job and coaches did a great job of preparing us for that play and just went up and made a play."
Always ready: With Quay Walker out with an ankle injury, veteran linebacker Eric Wilson again wore the communication headset for the defense.
Wilson and rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper led Green Bay's defense with eight tackles apiece.
"Eric, that guy right there, he's a guy that loves football like no other," Cooper said. "He takes it very seriously. We have no doubt that he was going to be ready. That's just the type of person he is and we're very appreciative."
