Packers take on Saints on Sunday Night Football

The Green Bay Packers travel to New Orleans to face the Saints in a prime-time matchup. 

• The Packers enter Week 3 on a seven-game regular-season win streak, the longest current streak in the NFC and Green Bay's longest winning streak since 2016-17 (seven games). 
• The Packers have started 2-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2010-11. 
• Marks the third straight prime-time meeting at New Orleans (2008 on Monday Night Football, 2014 on Sunday Night Football). 
• The winning team has scored 34-plus points in seven of the last nine matchups.
• Green Bay last won at New Orleans in 1995.
• The Packers open with two of the first three games on the road for the first time since 2016. 
• Sunday is the first of three games against NFC South opponents for Green Bay over the next four weeks.
• In Week 4, the Packers will have another night game, this time against the Atlanta Falcons, marking the second time in three years (2018) that Green Bay has a Monday Night Football contest going into its bye.

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

GREEN BAY UNDER THE LIGHTS

• The Packers were 4-2 in prime-time contests in 2019, with their .667 winning percentage tied for No. 8 in the NFL, while the four prime-time wins tied New Orleans (4-0) for the second most in the NFL last year (San Francisco, 5-1).
• Green Bay was 3-1 on the road in prime-time games last season. The three wins tied with Kansas City (3-0) for the most in the NFL in 2019 and the .750 winning percentage ranked No. 3 in the league last year among the 14 teams who played multiple prime-time games on the road.
• In prime-time contests in 2019, QB Aaron Rodgers threw for 255.5 yards per game (No. 4 in the league) with nine touchdowns (tied for No. 2 in the NFL) and three interceptions (tied for the third fewest among players with min. 15 pass att.)
• Last year, WR Davante Adams averaged 8.5 receptions per game (No. 3 in the NFL) and 93.8 receiving yards per game (No. 9 in the NFL) in prime-time contests.

WITH THE CALL

NBC will broadcast the game to a national audience. Play-by-play man Mike Tirico joins analyst Cris Collinsworth in the booth with Michele Tafoya reporting from the sidelines. 

• Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 50 stations in four states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play), two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) and three-time Packers Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro John Kuhn (sideline) will call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 25th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 22nd 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 (WTMJ feed).
• Westwood One Sports will air the game on radio across the country. Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play) and Rod Woodson (analyst) will call the action with Scott Graham hosting the pregame and halftime shows.

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

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

Packers at Saints:

• All-time regular season: 16-9
• All-time, at New Orleans: 6-6 (5-6 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome)
• Streaks: The teams have each registered five wins in their last 10 regular-season matchups
• Last meeting, regular season: Oct. 2, 2017, Lambeau Field, Saints won, 26-17
• Last meeting, regular season, at New Orleans: Oct. 26, 2014, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Saints won, 44-23

COACHES CAPSULES

• Matt LaFleur: 15-3-0, .833; (1-1 postseason); 2nd NFL season
• Sean Payton: 132-78, .629, (8-7 postseason); 14th NFL season 
• Head to Head: LaFleur 0-0 vs. Payton
• vs. Opponent: LaFleur 0-0 vs. Saints; Payton 4-1 vs. Packers

MATT LAFLEUR…In his second season as the Packers' 15th head coach.

• In his 12th 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 season leading the Packers in 2019, because 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).
• Became only the fifth coach in NFL history to win 13-plus regular-season games in his first season as a head coach (Jim Caldwell, George Seifert, Jim Harbaugh, Steve Mariucci).
• Guided the Titans' offense in 2018 to a No. 7 league ranking in rushing (126.4 ypg) as Tennessee registered 11 games with 100-plus rushing yards, tied for No. 2 in the NFL.
• Helped the Rams lead the league in scoring with an average of 29.9 points per game in 2017, more than doubling their average from 2016 (14.0 ppg).
• Tutored QB Matt Ryan, who led the league in passer rating (117.1) in 2016 on his way to being named NFL Most Valuable Player by The Associated Press, and QB Robert Griffin III, who became the first QB in Washington franchise history to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012.

SEAN PAYTON…Is in his 14th year as the Saints' 14th head coach.

• Has led New Orleans to eight playoff appearances, six NFC South titles and the franchise's first Super Bowl title following the 2009 season.
• Is the longest-tenured head coach in the NFC and trails only Bill Belichick of New England for the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL.
• Has won eight postseason games with the Saints since taking over a franchise that had won just once in the postseason in the nearly 40 years prior to his arrival.
• Before joining New Orleans, coached for the Dallas Cowboys from 2003-05, serving as the assistant head coach/quarterbacks the first two years and the assistant head coach/passing game coordinator in his last year.
• Began his coaching career in the NFL as the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997-98 and then coached for the New York Giants from 1999-2002, serving as the offensive coordinator his last three seasons.

THE PACKERS-SAINTS SERIES

• These clubs launched their series in 1968, when former Vince Lombardi assistants Phil Bengston (Packers) and Tom Fears (Saints) met in Milwaukee. The Packers, one year after winning Super Bowl II, defeated the second-year Saints, 29-7. Fears, a Packers assistant for five seasons, was New Orleans' first head coach. 
• Green Bay and New Orleans are tied for No. 3 in the NFL with a .629 regular-season winning percentage since 2008.
• Since 2008, Saints QB Drew Brees (117 starts won) and Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (115 starts won) rank second and third in the NFL in QB starts won.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Packers CB Parry Nickerson played at Tulane and is from New Orleans, La. ...Packers vice president of football administration/player finance Russ Ball spent six seasons (2002-07) with the Saints, the final two as vice president of football administration and the first four as senior football administrator...Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst assisted the offensive line of the Saints during training camp in the summer of 1995...Saints RB Ty Montgomery played four seasons (2015-2018) with Green Bay…Saints TE Jared Cook spent the 2016 season with the Packers…New Orleans T Ryan Ramczyk played at Wisconsin and Wisconsin-Stevens Point and is a native of Stevens Point, Wis. …Saints LB Zach Baun played at Wisconsin and is a native of Brown Deer, Wis. …Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi is the grandson of legendary Packers Head Coach Vince Lombardi...Saints QB Taysom Hill was a part of the Packers training camp and preseason roster in 2017…Packers defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery spent the 2002 training camp on the Saints roster…Packers G Elgton Jenkins and Saints DB J.T. Gray played together at Clarksdale (Miss.) High School in 2013 before both attending Mississippi State…Packers defensive backs coach Jerry Gray and special teams quality control coach Rayna Stewart both coached for the Titans during Cook's stint with the team (2009-12)…Saints C Nick Easton and RB Latavius Murray both spent time with the Vikings when Gray coached the team's defensive backs from 2014-19…Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans held the same position for the St. Louis Rams from 2012-15, during which time Cook and Saints DB Janoris Jenkins were on the roster…Packers G/T Billy Turner played with Saints WR Emmanuel Sanders for the Broncos from 2016-18…Saints LB Craig Robertson played alongside Packers LB Christian Kirksey on the Browns defense from 2014-15…Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga and assistant defensive backs coach Ryan Downard all spent time with the Browns organization during Robertson's tenure with the team (2012-15) and Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn was on Pettine's coaching staff in 2014-15…Pettine and Packers outside linebackers coach Mike Smith coached Saints LB Demario Davis when Davis was with the Jets in 2012…Mennenga was a special teams assistant for the Browns when Davis played for the team in 2016…New Orleans LB Michael Burton played alongside Packers S Adrian Amos on the Bears' roster during the 2017-18 seasons…Packers assistant offensive line coach Luke Butkus (2002) and coaching assistant Ruvell Martin (2004) both played for the Chargers during Saints QB Drew Brees's tenure with the team…Butkus coached the offensive line at Illinois during the senior season of Saints DB Justin Hardee (2016)…Former college teammates include: Packers RB Jamaal Williams and Saints QB Taysom Hill (Brigham Young); Packers CB Chandon Sullivan and Saints K Will Lutz (Georgia State); Packers CB Jaire Alexander and Saints DT Sheldon Rankins (Louisville); Packers C Corey Linsley and Saints WR Michael Thomas (Ohio State); Packers LB Rashan Gary, G Jon Runyan and Saints OL Cesar Ruiz (Michigan).