Packers news: Playoff berth clinched, defense earns high marks, Christian Watson goes down, and more

The Green Bay Packers took care of business at Lambeau Field on Monday Night Football with a decisive 34-0 victory over the Saints. Green Bay scored on each of their first three possessions and never looked to be in danger against a New Orleans team whose playoff hopes were on life support heading into the game.

The big win has inspired mostly good feelings surrounding the team. Now the focus in Green Bay has shifted towards preparing for what they hope will be a lengthy playoff run. Packers fans should keep an especially close eye on the following news items heading into their Sunday afternoon clash in Minnesota against the Vikings.

Packers playoff berth is secured

The Packers headed into Monday night's game in great position to secure a Wild Card berth in the NFC. Shutting out the Saints removed all doubt. Green Bay has clinched a playoff berth and can now shift their attention to who they might match up with when the postseason arrives.

One other certainty is that Jordan Love and his teammates will begin their playoff journey on the road. Odds are they will finish in third place in the NFC North behind the Vikings and the Lions. The Packers currently project to finish with the No. 6 seed which should see them match up against the winner of the NFC South or NFC West in Round 1.

Interestingly, there's a reasonable chance that Green Bay could be favored against any division winner they travel to in the first round. They entered the season determined to win the NFC North but failing to do so might not significantly impact their chances of winning a playoff game.

The defense showed out against the Saints

Dominating an offense led by Spencer Rattler is not enough to quiet all questions about coordinator Jeff Hafley's unit. Notching the first shutout of the NFL season was still a nice step forward for the Packers' defense.

The Saints hoped they might be able to protect their inexperienced quarterback by establishing their ground game early on the road. The Packers were prepared for that strategy and suffocated New Orleans' group of running backs. They limited the Saints to just 67 yards rushing on 20 carries as a result.

Predictably, Rattler struggled to play well without any semblance of offensive balance. He completed 15 of his 30 passes for 153 yards and one interception. He missed a number of open throw due to his need to evade oncoming pressure. It was a total effort by the Green Bay defense that should help them build momentum before the playoffs arrive.

Christian Watson suffered a worrying injury

Christian Watson has been playing his best football of the season over the past few weeks. That made the moment when he went down with a left knee injury in the second quarter a major worry for Green Bay's coaching staff.

Head coach Matt LaFleur said there was "some concern" regarding the injury and admitted that his wideout would need more medical testing on Tuesday. Packers fans will be hoping there is no structural damage to Watson's knee. Any sort of meaningful injury might rule him out for the postseason. That would not be a fatal blow to the Packers' aerial attack but it would be a sizeable blow.

Jaire Alexander's injury continues to inspire questions

The Packers defense didn't miss Jaire Alexander against the Saints but his absence is still inspiring a lot of questions in Green Bay. The team's presumed No. 1 cornerback was a full participant in practice for the team leading up to to Monday Night Football but he still didn't manage to make it on the field for a single snap.

The clock is ticking for Alexander to make it back in time to be trusted for the team's playoff run. The lack of established options behind him on the depth chart likely mean he will go right back into the starting lineup the moment he declares himself to be healthy. That could turn into a make-or-break risk for Green Bay when his team needs him the most.

Luke Musgrave returned

Green Bay lost one wide receiver on the night but they did get a tight end to jump back into the fray. Luke Musgrave played for the first time since suffering an ankle injury in Week 4. He wasn't able to catch a pass from Jordan Love but his return this week bodes well for his chances of making an impact against the Vikings on Sunday.

The former second-round pick is not going to pass Tucker Kraft on the depth chart but he has a chance to make an impact in multiple tight end sets for the Green Bay offense. He has reliable hands and also possesses the speed to get down the seam and threaten opposing safeties.

Green Bay isn't blessed with a superstar No. 1 wide receiver they can count on in key moments. The upside to that is that the Packers have a number of pass-catchers who opposing defenders need to keep an eye on. Musgrave's return to the mix will give opposing secondaries one more thing to consider moving forward. He can provide value to his team as a focal point or a decoy down the stretch.