The Green Bay Packers will take on the New Orleans Saints in the preseason home opener this Friday.
- The Packers and Saints will participate in joint practices on Aug. 16-17.
- The Saints last played in Green Bay in the preseason in 2015.
- This will be the 10th preseason meeting between the Packers and Saints, with Green Bay winning seven of the previous nine matchups.
- Green Bay will finish off the preseason in Kansas City next week against the Chiefs. It will be the Packers' first preseason visit to Arrowhead Stadium since 2018.
- This is the second year that the NFL schedule will consist of three preseason games played in preparation for a 17-game regular season.
WITH THE CALL
Flagshipped by Milwaukee's WTMJ-TV and in conjunction with WGBA-TV in Green Bay, Packers preseason games are televised over a 20-station network throughout the state of Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and northeastern Minnesota, Peoria in Illinois, Cedar Rapids-Waterloo and Des Moines in Iowa, Omaha in Nebraska, St. Louis in Missouri, Bismarck, Fargo and Minot in North Dakota, Sioux Falls in South Dakota and Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau in Alaska.
- The top-notch broadcast team includes CBS's Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) alongside former Green Bay fullback John Kuhn (analyst) with Lance Allan of WTMJ-TV serving as the sideline reporter. Allan will also host an informative half-hour pregame show.
- In addition to flagship station WTMJ-TV and WGBA-TV, the games are televised over WQOW/ABC, Eau Claire, Wis.; WXOW/ABC, La Crosse, Wis.; WKOW/ABC, Madison, Wis.; WAOW/ABC, Wausau, Wis.; KQDS/FOX, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis.; WLUC-NBC/FOX UP, Escanaba/Marquette, Mich.; WMBD/CBS, Peoria/Bloomington, Ill.; KCCI/CBS, Des Moines, Iowa; KWWL/NBC, Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Iowa; KTVI/FOX, St. Louis, Mo.; KETV/ABC, Omaha, Neb.; KNDB/BEK, Bismarck, N.D.; KRDK/BEK, Fargo, N.D.; KNDM/BEK, Minot, N.D.; KDLT/NBC, Sioux Falls, S.D.; KYUR/ABC, Anchorage, Alaska; KATN/ABC, Fairbanks, Alaska and KJUD/ABC, Juneau, Alaska.
- All Packers games can be heard on the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 49 stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and South Dakota. This year, the Packers transitioned to a new flagship station in Milwaukee, iHeartRadio Milwaukee's 97.3 The Game WRNW. For a 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 28th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 24th 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 DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
Packers vs. Saints:
- Regular season, all-time: 17-10
- All-time, postseason: 0-0
- All-time, vs. New Orleans (reg. season): 17-10
- Streaks: This will be the third consecutive season where Green Bay and New Orleans have met in the regular season or preseason. Green Bay is 1-1 vs. New Orleans since 2020.
- Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 12, 2021, TIAA Bank Field, Saints won, 38-3
COACHES CAPSULES
- Matt LaFleur: 41-13, .796; (2-3 postseason); 4th NFL season
- Dennis Allen: 8-28, .222; (0-0 postseason); 4th 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 fourth season as the Packers' 15th head coach.
- In his 14th 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 Football Team, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
- In his first three seasons leading the Packers, LaFleur has authored one of the greatest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. With a 13-4 record in 2021, he led the Packers to a third straight NFC North crown while also earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the second consecutive season.
- Became the first coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons and his 39 wins from 2019-21 passed George Seifert (38) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons in the league (Elias Sports Bureau). His 39 wins are also tied for the second most by a coach over any three-season span in league history, trailing only Mike Ditka's 40 wins with the Chicago Bears from 1985-87 (Elias).
- Has guided the Packers to a 22-2 record (.917) in the regular season at Lambeau Field, the top home mark in the NFL from 2019-21 and the best home winning percentage by a Packers head coach in his first three seasons. His 22 wins at home are also the most in NFL history by a coach in his first three seasons.
- 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 first season the Saints' 17th head coach.
- Was promoted to head coach after spending the past six and a half seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Saints.
- During his tenure as an assistant under former head coach Sean Payton (2006-10, 2015-21), was part of staffs that have qualified for the playoffs seven times, captured the NFC South division title six times, reached the NFC title game three times and won the Super Bowl XLIV championship.
- His defenses have ranked in the top 10 in yards per game and in the top five in opponent points per game each of the past two seasons. During his 16 seasons coaching a position, serving as a defensive coordinator and as a head coach, he has coached 10 players to a total of 21 Pro Bowl selections.
- New Orleans' current streak of 22 regular-season/postseason contests without allowing a 100-yard rusher is the longest in the NFL.
- Was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 2012-14.
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 (second; .649) and New Orleans (fourth; .631) both rank in the top five in the NFL in regular-season winning percentage since 2008.
- Since 1986, there have been two instances where either team has won the game in consecutive seasons; Packers (2011-12), Saints (1986-87).
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Green Bay players with connections to Louisiana include QB Danny Etling (LSU), LB Chauncey Manac (UL-Lafayette) and OL Zach Tom (Baton Rouge)…New Orleans players with connections to Wisconsin include LB Zach Baun (Brown Deer, University of Wisconsin), T Ryan Ramczyk (Stevens Point, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, University of Wisconsin)…Packers coaches with connections to Louisiana or the Saints include quarterbacks coach Tom Clements as he coached the same position for the Saints from 1997-99, tight ends coach John Dunn as he coached at LSU as a graduate assistant from 2008-09 and as an offensive intern in 2010, defensive line/running game coordinator Jerry Montgomery as he spent the 2002 training camp on the Saints' roster, special teams quality control coach Micheal Spurlock as he coached wide receivers/special teams for Southeastern Louisiana State University from 2018-19…Packers G/T Elgton Jenkins and Saints DB J.T. Gray played together at Clarksdale (Miss.) High School before both attending Mississippi State…Packers executive V.P./director of football operations 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…TE Taysom Hill originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Green Bay in 2017.
