"Chips Report" from Packers Preseason Loss at Titans

James Starks was a bright spot in a losing effort for the Packers, as they fell to the Titans 20-16 in their first preseason game.

Green Bay Packers running back James Starks by Jim Brown—USA TODAY Sports.

Green Bay Packers running back James Starks by Jim Brown—USA TODAY Sports.

Our weekly "Chips Report" will always include two blue chippers (outstanding, exceptional play), two red chippers (good, though maybe not great) and two cow chips (dud performances). From the Packers' 20-16 loss to the Tennessee Titans Saturday night in Nashville...

Blue Chips

  • Running back James Starks—With Eddie Lacy a healthy scratch, James Starks got the start on Saturday night and picked up where he left off last season when he averaged more than five yards per carry. On the first drive of the game, when the rain was at its heaviest, Starks put he offense on his back, carrying the football six times, covering 49 yards, an average of 8.2 yards per carry and capped off by a 20-yard touchdown run. Starks made good decisions and decisive cuts, helping himself perhaps even more than the offensive line helped him.
  • Running back Rajion Neal—Neal made his best James Starks impression, leading the Packers to a touchdown to open the second half. He carried the football just five times but took them for 39 yards, an average of 7.8 yards per carry. Neal showed determination on his 12-yard touchdown run, putting his shoulder down and crossing the goal line. On special teams, he also cleanly fielded a fourth-quarter kickoff, which is more than can be said about the other Packers return specialists that had four muffs on the night.

Red Chips

  • Quarterback Scott Tolzien—He's not a finished product yet, but Tolzien showed a newfound command of the Packers offense compared to last season, displayed a strong arm and looked better than the rest of the Packers quarterbacks on Saturday night. Tolzien completed eight of 12 passes for 124 yards, good for a passer rating of 100.7. Even when he made a mistake fumbling the football, at least Tolzien grabbed the defender to prevent him from recovering the football and pounced on it himself. 
  • Cornerback Jarrett Bush—Bush was around the football all evening long, making a team-high eight tackles, several of them short of first downs and did so playing less than a half of football. His highlight of the evening came on a sack of quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, blitzing from the secondary, for a loss of seven yards and helping to force a punt. As usual, Bush also took his customary spot on many of the Packers' first-string special teams units as well.

Cow Chips

  • Quarterback Chase Rettig—Rettig was thrust into a difficult situation, being asked to rally the team for a fourth-quarter touchdown. After all, Rettig has rarely gotten an opportunity to lead the offense in practice. But you also understood on Saturday why he's not getting many opportunities in practice. Rettig looked lost, unsure of playcall or his responsibility on a couple plays. He completed just one of three passes for 10 yards, was sacked twice and his fourth-down, fourth-quarter, last-ditch throw to Kevin Dorsey fell incomplete, broken up by the defense.
  • Offensive lineman Aaron Adams—Adams was part of the reason the Packers' second-string offense had trouble moving the football down the field for most of the first half. Giving up pressure in the passing game and getting stonewalled on a running-play pull, Adams was the weak link of the Packers' offensive line.

Brian Carriveau is the author of the book "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," and editor at Cheesehead TV and its "Pro Football Draft Preview." To contact Brian, email [email protected].

 

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Comments (22)

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Nerd's picture

August 09, 2014 at 11:03 pm

Cow Chip for Davante Adams as PR.

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RCPackerFan's picture

August 09, 2014 at 11:49 pm

I was actually surprised to see Adams back returning punts. I don't recall him being mentioned during punt return drills in practice.

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jeremyjjbrown's picture

August 10, 2014 at 09:11 am

That's just the genius of Shawn Slocum.

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Spiderpack's picture

August 09, 2014 at 11:28 pm

Clinton-Dix's breakup at the 2:00min warning 1st half, after he had already been beat, was everything we wanted to see from him as a 1st round draft pick. He's got a long way to go, but that made me so happy. 5 Blue chips just for that one play. No safety did shit like that last year ever, at any point.

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ben's picture

August 10, 2014 at 12:53 am

He was beat that very play by a 2nd rate tightend. A better ball from the QB or a faster tightend and he's giving up a long touchdown. Dix doesn't get a chance to recover like that against real competition.

Sorry homers, Dix and Davonte Adams are pedestrian.

Davon House had a very nice breakup though. Bush has finally become a real defender. Rajion Neal is for real.

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NickPerry's picture

August 10, 2014 at 07:29 am

Hmmmm, and you've come to this conclusion after a few quarters of play in the first preseason game during a driving rainstorm? Then to conclude your comment you claim Bush is a real defender? One can hope Bush is more than a ST ace, but I've seen number 24 3 steps behind a receiver in the endzone to many times to ever claim he's a "Real Defender", especially after a preseason game.

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jeremyjjbrown's picture

August 10, 2014 at 10:55 am

Bush has teased us before in camp and the preseason. I'll never rip on him again because of his Super Bowl int, but I'll also never be tricked into thinking he is more than a replacement player in the secondary.

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gbslapshot's picture

August 10, 2014 at 12:34 pm

Amusing how you run your mouth without looking into what you are saying.... Taylor Thompson ran a 4.56 in the 40 pre draft. Not bad for someone almost 270 pounds. So if hhcd runs into a te who runs like a cb I suppose we should worry.

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4thand1's picture

August 10, 2014 at 08:25 am

Right on Nick, If Bush is for real, why , at 30, is he still a special teams ace?

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DraftHobbyist's picture

August 10, 2014 at 12:36 am

I think Rettig is more of a Red Chipper than a Cow Chipper. Can you really be a Blue Chipper if you get hurt (R. Neal)? Aaron Adams struggling was no surprise. He has been pretty bad every time I have seen him. Bush could have very well been a Blue Chipper as well. OH! A perfect Red Chipper is Harris. He looked quick and shifty but he didn't end up with many yards.

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egbertsouse's picture

August 10, 2014 at 09:08 am

A red chipper? Rettig was one buttfumble away from being Mark Sanchez. Cow chip for him.

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4thand1's picture

August 10, 2014 at 08:28 am

Why is the 1st string o-line not a blue chip? They gashed the Titans on that 1st drive. Starks ran great because he wasn't getting hit in the backfield.

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NickPerry's picture

August 10, 2014 at 08:54 am

Absolutely, they played one series and ran it down the throats of the Titans. The OL looked great that 1st series and that's all they played, one series.

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4thand1's picture

August 10, 2014 at 08:29 am

How much bigger did Starks get? He looked like a brute.

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TarynsEyes's picture

August 10, 2014 at 08:31 am

What is point in placing a guy like Rettig in the 'chip'rankings when we all know he won't make the team and his only hope is the PS.This Chip Report needs to be for those who have a serious chance not camp fodder...HaHa was a cow chip..can't be rated because he is a 1st rd pick.Don't matter how many snaps he played...1st rd guys should always be on the chip report..good or bad.

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DrealynWilliams's picture

August 10, 2014 at 09:03 am

Good points.

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gbslapshot's picture

August 10, 2014 at 12:39 pm

I am sorry but I did not know that there are rules to who these gentlemen put on their chips list.

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TarynsEyes's picture

August 10, 2014 at 01:05 pm

It isn't about making rules,it's just about relevance.Chase Rettig due to the ineligibility of Tolzien to be placed on the PS makes that his only possible.Whether he does or not is not relevant as to who are relevant to possibly being on the 53 roster.There is no upside to his chip report unless both Flynn and Tolzien get lost at sea on the same canoe.Perhaps next season Rettig if a PS member and with a departure of another,his chances and play will be worthy of a chip report...just saying there are other more valued players to be reported on. :)

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4thand1's picture

August 10, 2014 at 09:09 am

MM loved the rain. He treats pre-season as another practice. Vanilla offense and defense and put every player under the microscope on game film. The 1st quarter in St. Louis will be interesting, that front line of the Rams is as good as it gets.

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egbertsouse's picture

August 10, 2014 at 09:18 am

1st team o-line and RB'splayed well. I was disappointed with Flynn but pleasantly surprised with Tolzien. D got some decent pressure but couldn't contain, made Whitehurst and Mettenburger look like Kaepernick on some plays. I thought Clinton-Dix looked like a rookie, made some good and some bad plays as you'd expect in a 1st game.

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Imma Fubared's picture

August 10, 2014 at 10:24 am

Tolzien is god awful. If you watch him closely, he is not (real bad habit) looking off receivers but has his mind made up before the play develop's. Defensive backs need only to look in his eyes to know exactly where the ball is going.
This guy is and will be interception city. Time to say good bye Scott, your not an NFL quality QB.

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4thand1's picture

August 10, 2014 at 04:30 pm

Kinda like yer boy Ponder. you suck.

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