Preseason Game Recap: Texans Top Packers 26-7
Sarah Kelliher recaps the Packers’ first preseason game against the Texans.
It was sunny and 72 at 1265 Lombardi Avenue as the Green Bay Packers kicked off their 2021 preseason slate against the Houston Texans on Saturday. And, even though the Texans beat the Packers 26-7, I think most people were just happy that football is finally back in our lives again.
Historically, the preseason isn’t the most exciting time of the year for NFL fans, however, all eyes were on the Packers Saturday as quarterback Jordan Love suited up in the green and gold for the first time since he was drafted in 2020. After a whole season of waiting and a drama-filled offseason, the Packers didn’t make Love wait an extra moment to make his debut after winning the coin toss and electing to receive to get the night started.
It wasn’t a fairytale first drive for Love, but he still appeared calm and collected. The former Utah State quarterback hit two of his receivers on back-to-back pass plays before throwing a risky incomplete pass over the middle to rookie wide receiver Amari Rodgers on third down, forcing the Packers to punt.
The Texans on the other hand, came out with what appeared to be a very clear plan: target cornerback Josh Jackson.
On their first drive, Houston quarterback Tyrod Taylor targeted Jackson three times and completed all three passes in his direction. As a result, Houston moved down the field with ease after 11 plays for 53 yards before settling for a 37-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
Green Bay linebacker Oren Burks was a clear standout on the defense’s opening drive, plugging the run on multiple occasions and making his presence known.
On their second drive, the Packers’ offense went three and out again, still struggling to find a good rhythm. Then, Green Bay’s special teams gave Packers fans across the world some flashbacks to the 2020 season after they allowed a 43-yard punt return that gave the Texans great field position.
Burks, however, continued to shine. He sacked Houston’s rookie quarterback Davis Mills on second down and, after that, the Texans couldn’t recover and were forced to punt.
From there, Love finally took control of the Packers’ offense. He completed a beautiful 34-yard pass to tight end Jace Sternberger to put Green Bay at mid-field. Then, he connected with wide receivers Malik Taylor and Devin Funchess for back-to back first downs to put Green Bay at Houston’s 22.
To kick off the second quarter, Love connected with rookie running back Kylin Hill off a screen pass and he took it 22 yards to the house for a touchdown and a 7-3 lead for Green Bay.
After that, both teams struggled to find the end zone for a bit. Houston went three and out after Green Bay’s touchdown and, on their next offensive drive, the Packers turned it over on downs after failing to convert on fourth down.
As a result, Houston got decent field position (once again) and drove 42 yards down the field in just two minutes before running back Scottie Phillips rushed for a 5-yard touchdown to give the Texans a 10-7 lead. From there, Houston took control and never looked back.
After forcing the Packers to punt again, the Texans went on a 6:04 drive that consisted of 17 plays for 71 yards. Just when it looked like they were about to find the endzone, Green Bay’s defense came up clutch with back-to-back near goal line stops from Jackson and safety Vernon Scott to force Houston to settle for a 25-yard field goal, extending their lead to 13-7 at the half.
Jordan Love only played the first half of this week’s matchup, so Packer fans then had the opportunity to see former University of Virginia quarterback (and Packers Twitter icon!) Kurt Benkert suit up for Green Bay in the second half.
After failing to make anything of their first drive of the second half, Houston was quickly forced to punt and give Benkert and Green Bay an early shot at a comeback. Benkert came out slinging, throwing 18-yard, 12-yard and 21-yard passes consecutively but his momentum was short-lived after he fumbled a handoff and Houston recovered.
The Texans capitalized on yet another gift of field position from the Packers, extending their lead to 16-7 after drilling a 41-yard field goal.
While Houston was finding success with field goals, the Packers struggled to find anything at all, failing to score any additional points for the remainder of the night.
Later in the game, Green Bay couldn’t convert on another fourth down play and, as they did all night long, Houston took advantage of the turnover and hit a 42-yard field goal to take an even larger lead.
With about six minutes left in the game and still nothing from Green Bay, Houston running back Darius Jackson rushed for a 25-yard touchdown to give us our final score of 26-7.
What we learned: It still isn’t clicking for Josh Jackson
For the last few seasons, it seems like we’ve all been waiting for Josh Jackson to finally emerge and make a big impact for the Packers. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case and his performance Saturday night showed little signs of progress. This preseason was a huge opportunity for him to prove himself and, from the looks of it, his roster spot looks like it’s in jeopardy.
Although he’s been a difference maker on special teams, Green Bay certainly wants more from him defensively than what they’ve been getting.
What went right: Devin Funchess
After opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, Devin Funchess looked strong in his debut for the Packers on Saturday. He led the team in receiving with 6 receptions for 70 yards (ESPN stats) and looked comfortable on multiple occasions for Green Bay. He was certainly Love’s favorite target and quarterback Aaron Rodgers was pumped up on the sidelines after Funchess made a couple of great plays.
While the top three wide receiver spots are pretty much solidified for the Packers, Funchess could bring some great versatility and depth to the wideout room if he can stay healthy and continue to perform at a high level.
What went wrong: Special teams
New year, same special teams. I know it was a preseason game, but watching the Packers give up significant yardages on punt returns all night was painful. That issue was something I’d hoped Green Bay left in 2020 and they can’t afford to lose the special teams battle week after week again in 2021.
Let’s hope something clicks before week one in New Orleans.
Offensive MVP: Jordan Love
After a whirlwind offseason and probably what felt like the weight of the world on his shoulders, Jordan Love did exactly what was asked of him in his NFL debut. He finished the day 12/17 for 122 yards, 1 TD and with a 110.4 passer rating (ESPN stats). In an interview with Packers TV Network, Rodgers mentioned that on the throws where Love was hitting his footwork he looked “efficient” and that he was impressed with the way he handled himself.
Defensive MVP: Oren Burks
Oren Burks stood out the most to me on defense Saturday night, stopping several run plays and looking strong and healthy. He led the team with 7 total tackles, 5 of which were solo and 2 for a loss, as well as the Packers lone sack of the night (ESPN stats).
Similar to Jackson, Burks is a player a lot of Packers fans have been waiting for to breakthrough, and, if he can keep up what he did on Saturday, this might finally be the year for him.
Up next, the Green Bay Packers get a visit from the New York Jets for week two of preseason. Kickoff is set for Saturday, August 21 at 4:25 p.m. EST at Lambeau Field.
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Sarah Kelliher is a contributor for CheeseheadTV and a podcaster with Pack-A-Day Podcast. She can be found via Twitter @sarahkelliher4.
Comments (97)
joejetson
August 14, 2021 at 11:32 pm
Hard to see if Josh Jackson can recover from this performance. Houston picked on him all night.
What was most disappointing was none of the young guys showed any eye catching potential.
Thegravedigger
August 15, 2021 at 01:28 am
What about ento? Or Jordan love? Kid looked pretty damn good to me while running for his life
dobber
August 15, 2021 at 07:56 am
Kabion Ento is going to make this team...much to the chagrin of Josh Jackson and Ka'dar Hollman.
croatpackfan
August 15, 2021 at 08:16 am
I suppose Jordan Love will make this team as well...
fastmoving
August 15, 2021 at 08:43 am
A lot of potential was there, last night. Everywhere. But if I see your profile pic, its clear you have now idea what potential means. You must looking for weak, slow and unsmart players, if nothing catched you eyes.
But at least you are right that the only problem was orange trash.
TarynsEyes
August 14, 2021 at 11:43 pm
The floor of the backups for this team has dropped in separation from the known or expected ceiling of the starters. Yes, it's only one preseason game, but the weakest link was shown to be weaker than perceived before the game. I know many will say the score doesn't matter, and they'd be right, to a point, because the play allowed those points. 26-7 isn't as good as some will say it was.
Thegravedigger
August 15, 2021 at 01:41 am
There kids. 21 22 years old. Still adjusting and learning. And the Packers sat 30. The Texans I doubt sat hardly any. It was pros vs 3rd string. Josh Jackson was not just a backup most of last season, he didn't even suit up. Id say he wouldn't even make the team but he's guteys 2nd ever draft pick so he probably will. It was very sloppy yes. But alot of this was 3rd stringers and street guys. I don't think your comment about the floor of the backups is fair just yet.
fastmoving
August 15, 2021 at 08:31 am
yeah, neadertal......is not so bad as they may you make believe. Where the weakest link is king.
I would say its way worse, but I just like football. Impressive backups in every group. Man, we will have a great team.
justjan
August 15, 2021 at 10:47 am
Please. Please start rooting for a different team.
Thegravedigger
August 15, 2021 at 12:57 pm
she does. its team taryn. she used to be taryn for 12. but now its just team taryn. shes here strictly to fuck with fans who prefer to have green and gold colored glasses. but at the end of the day, what she fails to realize is being a fan of a football team is about escaping reality. its okay to have green and gold colored glasses because whats the point otherwise? this is not life or death. its supposed to be fun for us. i pay enough for the damn sunday ticket you best believe im gonna be glass half full or whats the damn point? its easy to come out here and say the packers arent good enough to win the super bowl because the odds are in your favor. 31 out of 32. thats the odds for the packers. in simplest forms. 31 out of 32 teams dont win the superbowl. i root for the backups, because there people. and there packers and i want them to succeed because thats the team i loved since i was a kid. fans are allowed to just be positive, i got bills and shit to be realistic about. i got fuckin covid to be realistic about. when it comes to the packers, ima try and be positive. and believe me i know who the weak links are. thats why they drafted a corner in the first round. and look. its okay to judge the players when they are playing like shit. but when you come in this damn chatroom and judge the fans just for being positive, it just comes off as smug.
UGDR
August 15, 2021 at 03:47 pm
The Texans played higher tier veteran players since they have like 40 new additions to the roster and want to see what they can all do. The Packers have their core in place and because of that sat their top 30 players and decided to play exclusively 3rd-6th stringers. Tayrn is just grasping at straws for a negative hot take.
Alberta_Packer
August 14, 2021 at 11:45 pm
Impressive re-cap. Not impressive - Josh Jackson - who simply cannot cover quicker, faster players - which is almost everyone he faces. I thought Jordan Love got the second highest score on offense (after Funchess) - which is sufficient for him to level-up for the next game. Also I learned that if the Packers need someone for a 3-play drive - Kurt Benkert is your man. For more than 3 plays - probable disaster looms. On my honorable mention list - Heflin, Hill, Williams, Scott, Jean-Charles, Gaines, Black and (reluctantly) Burks. Although I think that I did discover the secret to Burks - if he's moving forward with a target in sight - he's pretty good. However, if he's being targeted, or having to move laterally or backwards - he becomes persona non grata.
Minniman
August 15, 2021 at 02:16 am
Interesting thoughts on Burks Alberta Packer. He had a couple of good plays schemed up for him by Barry. He seems like the type of player though that will only really prosper as long as the D-line keep him clean (along with your observations of forward linear movement). He did put one good move on to avoid contact through the middle and get penetration into the backfield to disrupt one play.
I hope that he gets a stint of play without injury so we can see his full potential.
Note: He was the only Packer to register a sack or TFL. Galeai, Rivers, Scott and Garvin (OLB's) were pretty well contained by the Texans patchwork o-line most of the match. Injury at OLB could be problematic for the Packers in-season.
dobber
August 15, 2021 at 08:28 am
Big issues at OLB if there are injuries. Few teams have "enough" depth at pass rush, and the Packers have three NFL quality players there, but the dropoff is steep. Chauncey Rivers played a lot and was active, but did he really make any plays? Garvin looked slow. Tipa got pushed around a lot.
murf7777
August 15, 2021 at 10:03 am
In comes Matthews~
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 10:40 am
I actually though Rivers had some good plays. Tipa is a speed rush specialist at best at this point.
Cubbygold
August 15, 2021 at 06:38 am
Texans also have been a disaster on o-line for a long time now. So I'll hit the pause button on any hope that Burks has progressed in any way. Great to see some solid plays, let's see more of it against better teams.
dobber
August 15, 2021 at 08:00 am
I think you're on with Burks: his play probably has less to do with who he is than with how Barry looks to be using that ILB slot. The player in that spot was active all night: Burks, Harris, Summers.
Still, Burks and Harris were in the play all night, whether they were making the play or helping to mop up.
HaroldDrake
August 14, 2021 at 11:48 pm
An incredibly joyous PR spin on a one-sided loss. It also seems charitable to award MVP honors to Love when Funchess was the true standout on offense. Oh, well...
PackerAaron
August 15, 2021 at 12:01 am
Harold - do you even know what you're looking at?
Thegravedigger
August 15, 2021 at 01:51 am
Jaded points of view all over this chatroom
HaroldDrake
August 15, 2021 at 07:35 am
Thanks for the insulting reply given that you rarely if ever comment on some of the more outrageous statements made by other commentators. My point is simple: I don't think that any game report that tries to paint a one-sided loss in fairly glowing terms is very illuminating. By comparison, your coverage struck me as more balanced and less rah-rah. But I suppose you're playing to your base and you felt a need to rush to the defend a CHTV story against a dissenting voice. I stand by my comment and hope that the right to criticise an article is still permissable under CHTV community standards. I believe that your comment could far more easily be applied with far greater justification to so many more comments found on this site than mine. But I'm sure you've made Leatherhead's day! (BTW I would have thought that it was obvious that I was being somewhat mischievous although the story did strike me as being overly upbeat for no particular reason except that Love's performance was encouraging.) Oh, what was the final score again?
egbertsouse
August 15, 2021 at 07:54 am
Just Nagler being Nagler. Besides, he probably pounded too many brews last night. The writers seem to be a little touchy about criticism around here, it appears as though they feel that since they don’t get paid, they should be immune. I was on the city council for a couple years (Before the jokes start; no, nobody was dumb enough to vote for me. My district’s alderman died and I got talked into filling his term.) and you should have seen the crap I took in the media during that time for my $25 a month. Nobody is immune, IMO.
HaroldDrake
August 15, 2021 at 08:42 am
Thank you EBS! I sometimes think I'm the lone pro-mask parent at a PTA meeting who is threatened by lunatic MAGA Proud Boys followers as he exits the building. (This happened to some poor fellow earlier this week as was reported on CNN.) But since I like Nagler and think that he is one of the most astute Packers' commentators out there, I was very disappointed that he rushed to the defense of Kelliher who sugarcoated a pretty bad loss (albeit that pre-season games are meaningless in terms of the score line and the Packers were only down 13-7 at halftime.)
But I'm glad you noticed that CHTV writers are VERY SENSITIVE to criticism and do not take a professional attitude when it comes to pushback on their stories. So many CHTV writers are clearly non-professionals and that's great - I would never criticise any of the writers for lack of writing skill or inability to organise their thoughts in a logical and coherent manner.
But I think it's within the realm of FAIR and REASONABLE criticism to observe that a certain writer - in this case, Ms. Kelliher - seemed to be cheerleading. Leave that to rabid fans who defend Gutekunst and Murphy against Rodgers and still hold on to the highly questionable view that the Love draft pick was a smart strategic move by management. (99% of the TV and print media voices OUTSIDE the Packers' blogosphere enthusiastically condemned the Love pick!!!!)
But it is possible that Nagler feels protective of his writer and chose to single me out rather than the hundreds of truly vicious, rabid comments that have appeared on this site over the past few months. Are only pro-CHTV, everything is wonderful with the Packers type of comments allowed??? Plus Nagler knows me from Patreon Happy Hour chats where I have NEVER tried to be insulting or condescending towards fellow Patreons! Not once. I always respect others and even when I disagree with Nagler I have only once pushed a point - the decision to kick a FG on fourth down in the NFC Championship game - and that is when he shouted at me. I don't mind, it's his programme, but he's never shouted at any other Patreon chat member as far as my experience is any indication. So at least thanks for your comment which helps me make sense of being singled out by The Founder.
I appear regularly on political talking heads shows in Europe and aggressive and heated exchanges are de rigeur on those programmes. So it's slightly silly for Nagler to cheap shot me with that comment. Perhaps I should have added LOL to indicate that I was not treating the matter with great seriousnessness and my comment should not be taken as a blanket condemnation of the writer or the overall quality of CHTV reportage - with the exception of Mr. JennerJohn!!!! (It's a stupid pre-season game and who cares if Jordan Love played well or not!) Just don't be Pollyanna-ish when do a game report. Compare Kelliher's article to Nagler's gut reactions and vidcast - Nagler was far more reserved in his assessment of Love's performance, for example.
Lastly - sorry to ramble on but I am taking a break from having to do work on a Sunday - you are to be commended for trying to do your lowly paid alderman's duties and dealing with media attacks. I regularly take criticism from the right wing commentariat in Europe and I thrive on ripping the right to pieces. It's the best form of intellectual bloodsport. But I did not expect Nagler to incite the mob mentality of so many CHTV fans who cannot abide by any criticism of the party line. God help me if I REALLY wrote a detailed criticism of the Kelliher story!
JerseyAl
August 15, 2021 at 08:37 am
Harold, I would ask you to read the article again more closely. There is plenty of mention of what went wrong, poor play, struggles, etc. The one thing she may have missed was the poor play of the offensive line, but otherwise, I think it was pretty even.
HaroldDrake
August 15, 2021 at 08:45 am
Hi Jersey Al!
1. I was half-joking.
2. The article did strike me as overly upbeat.
Thegravedigger
August 15, 2021 at 01:29 pm
jersey al you cant say is always upbeat. he always tells his truth.
Leland
August 15, 2021 at 09:38 am
99%? 99% of what total number. W/O a base number 99% means nothing. I think you made that percentage up.
dobber
August 15, 2021 at 04:48 pm
Shhh...he's on a roll...
Thegravedigger
August 15, 2021 at 01:28 pm
he probably had too many reingolds. if you did add an lol, itd probably be looked at differently, your comment. id definitely see it differently. i thought love played well, with the help of funchess on that one catch in particular. the mvp of the game was definitley the texans kickers anyway. or tremon smith who was an ex packer returner a few years back. sometimes when people comment in text shit can definitely get misconstrued. i think thats how you spell misconstrued. maybe not. i misunderstood your comment. but now that youve explained i feel like an ass. text is weird sometimes. my bad harolddrake.
JerseyAl
August 15, 2021 at 08:32 am
Harold, you can criticize all you want, as long as it's respectful and I would say that you were. However, I can't agree with you that this article was too "glowing." Sarah laid out what was good and also what was bad. If you care about preseason game scores, that's your prerogative, but most of us don't.
PackerAaron
August 15, 2021 at 08:38 am
Stop making sense, Al.
JerseyAl
August 15, 2021 at 08:41 am
Hey, I'm no talking head...
Minniman
August 15, 2021 at 02:17 pm
“ and when I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed….
…. Say something once, why say it again!”
HaroldDrake
August 15, 2021 at 08:53 am
Dear Mssrs. Jersey Al and Nagler,
My mocking assessment of Ms. Kelliher's article was based on my view that her comments were far too rosy and positive. It is true that I do not believe that pre-season scores matter, but that does not mean that is fallacious to argue that a lopsided loss is NOT the occasion for a story that is generally upbeat. I stand by my comment. I will make a Maoist cultural revolution confession of my sins against the Party Line at a later date.
Go Pack Go!
JerseyAl
August 15, 2021 at 08:59 am
Say three Hail Marys and go home and apologize to Mom.
HaroldDrake
August 15, 2021 at 09:21 am
I'm Protestant, but I will do my best. And upon further reflection, my criticism of Ms. Kelliher was overly harsh although my critique was based on the failure to sufficiently address the Packers' overall failings on both offense and defense rather than her actual number of positive and negative comments. The score is not important, but if you only score 7 points in a game against a middling opponent there is reason to believe that this was a very poor performance and the writer did not come close to making that assessment. But perhaps that was outside her brief and so I am to blame for my failure to take that into account. One Hail Mary.
porupack
August 15, 2021 at 10:21 am
Yep, its fair to dissent, just how one words it can make a big difference. Glad you took note, and I generally like your posts.
HaroldDrake
August 16, 2021 at 01:20 am
Thank you, Porupack. I hope most people realise that this latest comment string is not to be taken too seriously. I was having fun with the give and take and I'm sure Nagler was smiling at the follow up comments. I knew my "origin" comment would provoke some vituperative responses because I was taking an aggressive line. We all need to remember that this is just a football website and even worse we're talking about the a pre-season game that is merely (although not exclusively) the next stage in MLF's player evaluation process. But I watched the SF v KC game and both those teams (albeit they were using many more starters) looked sharper than the Packers did on Saturday. So I do think that sometimes CHTV is not as critical of team decisions and players and game performances as it could be. But I imagine this is the way you build a fan and revenue base and I would never argue with the need to earn a living and take care of one's family.
Go Pack Go!
fastmoving
August 15, 2021 at 08:26 am
LOVE was even better than Funch. Next time you should watch your first game if the PACK plays.......
But I give you the "one sided loss BS"....that was funny like hell.
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 10:45 am
Funchess was the best player on either team. That was clear and not close. Love did a lot better behind a lot less of a line than we had reason to expect, which is probably more important in the long term. Different perspectives.
Burks helped himself but I though he overshot a couple of times and failed to read plays, including departing where he should have been to help on the first rushing TD to get in the back field. We don’t know the assignment, I know, but I’ve still got questions about his instincts.
Minniman
August 15, 2021 at 01:32 am
Thanks Sarah, a couple of other observations from the game:
Jack Heflin (90) had a few good plays as R DE - one in particular he showed good hustle and tripped the RB before he could get outside and make a good gain. One to watch next week.
"Funchess in bunches" - made a number of good catches. One in particular was a mid-range bullet from Love over the middle that was a difficult take and he got the wood layed on him afterwards - but still held the ball. Made a good claim for a WR roster position.
Love - made some good throws. Didn't have the 'a-team' O-line defending him so didn't have super clean pockets to work with, but still did OK under pressure. Still made rookie mistakes though - one play in particular (apart from the fumble) he climbed the pocket and threw instead of sneaking for some easy yards - it will be interesting to see if he continues this pattern in future pre-season games. All in all, a solid start..... no anointing oil though.
TJ Slaton - Had a few snaps as NT and a few at DE. Showed good promise and hustle (340lb guys putting spin moves on OT's is a curious but welcome sight). He could work well together with Kenny Clark when they are both on the field together.
Eric Stokes - Granted that a team doesn't generally use a first round pick for this but with his speed I wonder if he could be used a a gunner on ST. Something needs to be done on ST, it like Josh Jackson, are just going to get picked on on current form.
Ryan Winslow - Punter - had 3 decent kicks (avg 49 yards - vs Scott 47 yards). One "black mark" though was when a punt was getting returned (for more yards than it should) he put out a pathetic chop block attempt to put the runner down ( a la Ha Ha). A spirited shoulder hit in that moment might just have won him a roster spot over Scott.
John Runyan - did I see correctly, he took a couple of snaps at Center and was decent? Either way, Josh Myers was pretty solid there.
Josh Nijman - time looks to be running out on him. Not a turnstile, but not as versatile as other o-linemen.
Minniman
August 15, 2021 at 01:51 am
I specifically wanted to tag this separately to my thoughts on the Packers.
I also watched the Chicago and Vikings games.... yes it was quite the gorge on football........ kind of like Eid for NFL-tragics!
Chicago - Justin Fields HAS WHEELS - he's no Lamar Jackson but he's certainly a Kyler Murray type. Edge discipline needs to be solid with this guy or he's going to hurt the Packers. He only played a series, but looked sharp.
Vikings D - admittedly a number of the starting D were out, but they were exposed a few time by the power sweep or pulling guards by Denver. Be interesting to see how successful they are at plugging this with the 1's.
Vikings - Kellen Mond is not going to unseat Cousins this year.
dobber
August 15, 2021 at 08:42 am
The Bears are going to stagger out of the gate and go 0-3. Fields will get his first start against the Lions week 4 at Soldier Field in an attempt to save Nagy's and Pace's jobs. That 2022 first rounder the Bears dealt to the Giants to move up for Fields will be a top 10 pick.
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 11:13 am
With mostly starters Fields earned a rating a tad lower than Love did playing behind mostly back ups, throwing to backups not named Funchess and with no semblance of a run game against mostly veterans.
I guess it all depends if you are looking down the mountain or up from the bottom.
Either that’s great for Love or not so great as Fields’ plaudits believe (oh, and Love is our back up too). A good first outing, but only a first step.
Minniman
August 15, 2021 at 01:46 pm
Good point about the relative quality of position that Chicago played at times Coldworld. My main point is that Fields has wheels that I don’t remember seeing in the OSU games that I saw, and like Kaepernick before him, could hurt the Packers if they leave running lanes open to him. He also looked sharper than in college. I also liked what I saw in Jordan Love too - he throws a ball like an Abrams tank fires a projectile….. very flat trajectory.
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 11:33 am
Fields played more than a quarter, he did little in the second after coming in and going 2-for-6 with a fumble, then three-and-out on his first three drives, and then got hot in the third, I believe a period when the Bears had more of their roster out there than their opponents.
He was running all over the place in the third quarter, if that was by design, I’d be surprised. I’d prefer to see any QB able to play from the pocket first, where Fields struggled but Love coped despite poor line play. That style of play is going to get Fields hurt pretty fast most likely. Teams will scheme for him getting flushed out if the pocket now.
Love and Fields both showed positives and negatives but one had to play with a lot more adversity and, for both, it’s merely a positive if not perfect first step. Both have clearly got some talent. Watching both, purely in yesterday alone, I like what Love showed a little more.
NickPerry
August 15, 2021 at 07:37 am
"Josh Nijman - time looks to be running out on him. Not a turnstile, but not as versatile as other o-linemen."
Nijman stood out to me too and it wasn't for making a good block or play. You would think, hope. a guy that big who's been here what, going on his 4th season I believe, he would FINALLY show a little something. There were a few plays early where the Packers tried to run to his side and he had his ass handed to him.
With the depth the Packers have and I believe they still have a LOT of quality depth on the O-Line, it's time to give those snaps to someone else.
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 11:17 am
Actually Nijman looked better than most till the sack and was one of the few that can run block. Kelly looked downright awful throughout.
I’d expect Nijman to make errors in his first extended playing time, but what on earth is up with Kelly? The initial problems seemed to start in the middle once Patrick went out. Not good if we were hoping to trade Patrick.
dobber
August 15, 2021 at 08:22 am
Love--this was about as good a start as you could ask for. He was competent, didn't make bonehead mistakes (at least none that ended up hurting him), and made some nice throws. His one TO was not his fault. He looked like he belonged. As a guy who hasn't seen snaps against a team wearing a different-colored jersey in two years, this was something he can build on.
Heflin played a lot, and--for a first game--he showed hustle, energy, instincts. He's going to make a run at a roster spot.
DBs--a mess in general in coverage. I'm on the Ento bandwagon at this point, and not just for that awful, twerking, INT celebration. Vernon Scott looked solid. Did Christian Uphoff even play? He seems to have been passed by Innes Gaines, who had some nice flashes, but looked lousy getting stiff-armed off a tackle on a big run for the Texans.
ILBs--they were active tonight...enough so that even Oren Burks and De'Jon Harris looked good. I think this might be how Barry is going to scheme the position this season. In September, this is what we might be seeing from Campbell and Barnes.
Runyan played almost the entire second quarter at C and was, IMO, better than Hanson who played the entire second half. It's telling that he was the second C up, and not Patrick. Let's not understate how important that could be to how the Packers build their final roster.
Nijman--writing's on the wall. When he comes out of the huddle, he looks the part...maybe even too lean. But he looked over his head and seemed to be flailing around a lot.
Bear
August 15, 2021 at 03:27 pm
Dobber, I agree with you except for Runyan. He got knocked on his butt twice, once by a linebacker at the line of scrimmage. I was surprised by Hanson blocked well and picked up a stunt. Thought Kelly had a bad game….constantly pushed back into the QB.
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 06:35 pm
Runyon, because he might be a starter, was perhaps the most concerning of all, closely followed by Kelly, who was worse than Nijman. Those two should be better. Both surprised, but in the wrong way.
Bearmeat
August 16, 2021 at 07:21 am
I resent you shortening my name. ;)
croatpackfan
August 16, 2021 at 03:33 am
"Still made rookie mistakes though - one play in particular (apart from the fumble) he climbed the pocket and threw instead of sneaking for some easy yards"
Well, I'll say this on your remark, as we do not know instructions Jordan Love get from HC before the game. It may be that MLF firmly instructed Jordan Love not to run, even if there will be good opportunity. This instruction might be given for 2 main reasons (and maybe there is some more I was not able to specify): 1. team wants to evaluate Jordan as pocket passer, not, at this stage what else he can do with specifically observing how he will throw against pressure; 2. MLF was keen to avoid any possible injury, so with avoiding runs chances for that are better.
Of course you can never ever predict what will happen and you have limited possibilities for preventive actions, but cutting risky moves (like stepping back for 7 steps in that strip sack) you are enlarging possibility to avoid injury of any kind a lot.
croatpackfan
August 15, 2021 at 03:14 am
I take few observation from the game:
Jordan Love belongs. He still need work, but it looks he can improve, do not forget, he got very weak OL to protect him. I believe he will be at least very good NFL QB, with possibility to become another great one. For him is now work, some more work and than, as addition more work.
TJ Slaton is not there were many of us hoped he will be, but I noticed that he can sustain double block without moving back. His just OK performance became much better when Heflin joined the line. I did not noticed Lancester, Heflin and Slaton played at the same time.
RB - considering Hill was playing against Packers weak OL combined with "starters" DL from Texans he did very good job, and he scored TD, after all. Taylor played against Texans back ups and was slighty better in the running than Hill. DW yards came against PS players and cuts from Texans roster, so for me Dexter needed to dominate, but his performance was just very good, despite it was statistically the best. At this moment, taking in consideration KR job which was performed very good by Hill, he is No 3 RB for Packers.
Josh Jackson - after we learn that Packers D should play more zone D, I was hoping JJ will finally shows his qualities and find his place in the D. I must say that I am dissapont with his play and his attitude.
What I take from this game is that Packers will not have hard job to construct the 53 and PS. At least 25 players showed that they have a huge gap to prove they belongs...
ST - when I find out that half of the ST unit was basically composed from the players that will not be on the Packers roster at the beginning of the seson, I calmed down and have only 2 observation. Hill is promising KR and Amari is promising PR. Amari muffed the punt, but he nicely recovered it and gain some yards to correct his mistake. Mistake which is better to happened in preseason game(s), than when it counts.
After all I am keen to watch next preseason game. I would like to see improvements. Do not forget that this is for many players first contact with NFL speed and hardness. That might surprised them.
dobber
August 15, 2021 at 08:45 am
"What I take from this game is that Packers will not have hard job to construct the 53 and PS. At least 25 players showed that they have a huge gap to prove they belongs.."
You're right. This is a pretty mature roster and there aren't a lot of spots up for grabs, but the battle for those few spots is going to be furious.
Lphill
August 15, 2021 at 06:04 am
Very little depth at corner , after Alexander it’s a bunch of guys and a rookie with high expectations .
dobber
August 15, 2021 at 10:00 am
Savage, Amos, Alexander, King, Sullivan: total snaps played = 0.
...but, you know, hawt take.
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 11:40 am
I liked Ento, Jean-Charles showed some coverage abilities. I want to see Hollman get more chances, he looked to be more promising than Jackson who I think is just not going to unlock his talent ever. He looks scared and passive on the perimeter. Give Hollman more snaps next time.
Gibsonsupreme
August 15, 2021 at 08:12 am
One thing is clear for me, we have to stop seeing Funchess as a possible cut. EQ, Lazard and MVS are good to excellent players but Funchess has the better hands, better route running ability and he is more explosive in and out of his breaks than i tought. I wouldn't be suprised that by the middle of the season, he's the guy opposite Adams as WR2. I know it's based off Family night and a preseason game againts the Texans, but let's remember that he's a proven performer in the league and he is just proving to everybody that he still has it.
dobber
August 15, 2021 at 08:25 am
LaF has been bullish on Funchess all preseason. IMO, he's pretty close to a lock, especially with Sternberger on the shelf for two games at the start of the season. He looked the part last night.
murf7777
August 15, 2021 at 10:21 am
Dobber, I’ve liked Funchess since they signed him and was sorry to see him sit it out last year. The man is a major mismatch, a TE body in a WR. His catch radius is Hugh. If he can just bring his catch percentage up 10 points he can be a pro bowl type of player. For the money spent, he will be a top addition on this team. He’s unique to this WR group and will make the team.
Only caveat, since the ST sucked, would be if he doesn’t Excell at ST’s they decide to trade him for a mid to late round pick or player. With his past play with Carolina, while showing he still has it, in addition to his low SC number he should have good trade value.
Minniman
August 15, 2021 at 02:24 pm
With Adams future still uncertain, if he puts together performances in the next 2 games like this one, I wonder if he’ll be retained on more than a “1-year rental type agreement”as an insurance policy. Providing of course that he remains consistent.
Looking forward to seeing how ESB plays next. Funchess showed more than Malik Taylor in the Texans game so he’s moving up the depth chart.
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 11:45 am
Did you see Rodgers’ reaction to Funchess’ plays? Add that to LaFleur’s comments and what we saw on the field and I think that debate just ended once and for all among those who matter.
I have to point out that the only other receiver of note on performance was from Taylor who catches everything. He only put up 59 yards to Funchess’ 70, but I think Taylor is making the PS on merit.
jont
August 15, 2021 at 08:42 am
Gibson, I have the same feeling. I shouldn't, it is only one preseason outing, but do any of the three you mentioned make that diving catch? And on the sideline catch, maybe Lazard holds on after that hit, but the others?
Funches was a 2nd round pick and has some postives in the NFL. Is now his time? Is he showing it during the week and giving the coaches reasons to keep him?
Vforrest
August 15, 2021 at 10:36 am
And he’s HUGE!
fastmoving
August 15, 2021 at 08:24 am
Love and Burks played really well. Both can be great some day and both are needed down the road.
stockholder
August 15, 2021 at 08:25 am
This OL Sucked. The Texans finished last in turnovers. Pathetic showing. I'd still search for a 3rd RB. The speed just isn't there. LeFluer needs a Dorsey Levens. The Secondary is to cautious. They face Rodgers in practice. Disappointed!
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 11:50 am
Williams showed speed, Taylor got hard yards. Hill showed neither patience nor vision on the ground. He’s the best catcher but we’d likely use Cobb or Rodgers before him in that role. His returns in kicks were just OK. Early days to draw a conclusion, but I’d say the RB fight is much more open than before the game.
jont
August 15, 2021 at 08:35 am
#1 - I was happy to watch a live game, even a messy scrimmage like this one. It seemed like a long off season.
#2 - My hope for Love was that he'd look good considering his past 20 months, and he did. He got out there and did fine, in this fan's opinion. Now we can look at next week with slightly higher expectations. Let's hope his shoulder "ding" as MLF called it is nothing serious.
#3 - Oren Burks played like a man possessed. Where has this been? Then again, it seemed like it was all going forward, attacking; can he cover as well? Will a few flash plays be enough to earn a roster spot?
#4 - Both punters were booming it. Whichever gets cut will land somewhere if they keep this up.
dobber
August 15, 2021 at 08:56 am
Scrimmage is the right word.
Burks: If you re-watch this game, note how many times the ILB was charging hard through inside gaps at the snap. Opponents will start looking for that...but is it something the Packers are scheming or is it just a look they tried for last night?
flackcatcher
August 15, 2021 at 12:33 pm
Barry's defense was Very Basic last night. As expected for the first preseason game. Also, we know the veterans in the D-line along with the elephants (the Smith's and Gary) were not playing last night. Kind of limited Barry's options throughout the game. (and as you pointed out in another thread, the secondary too)
ricky
August 15, 2021 at 08:37 am
So, apparently the offensive star was Funchess and the defensive star was Burks. Excellent. Josh Jackson continues to disappoint. The team made a mistake. Time to say goodbye. So Love looked pretty comfortable behind a makeshift OL. That is encouraging. But that ST's still apparently stinks needs to be addressed. I've written this before, but the team needs to put some money into getting better coaches for both ST's and defense. Instead, they continue to get second rate guys who do their best, but simply don't have the capacity to do the job. Coaches don't count against the salary cap, and the bottom line for the team is winning games and ultimately the SB, not bragging about how much their bottom line has increased. Of course, all you share owners would probably miss those fat dividend checks you get every month. :)
THESZOTMAN1
August 15, 2021 at 08:40 am
Stockholder is spot on about OL. At one point GB had 17 yards rushing ..... in 17 attempts! Hit Somebody! Gotta be able to run the ball.
Also, please, PLEASE, P-L-E-A-S-E tell me we won't have to hold our breath every time STs go on the field ........... Again!
Hope for better next week.
GPG
The Szotman
fastmoving
August 15, 2021 at 08:48 am
Dont hit anybody. Just dont get injured. No meaningfull wins in August. Pack will be one of the best run teams if it counts.
dobber
August 15, 2021 at 08:57 am
The best protection for the run game is #12 under C.
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 11:55 am
Well, our starting O line would be a big plus too. I really think Taylor or Williams would have made a difference on the ground early last night though. More decisive and patient.
Gman1976
August 15, 2021 at 09:40 am
Years ago when the 49ers were dominating the NFL with Montana and Young, they almost always lost a ton of preseason games, and I could not figure out why. Now I suspect that they sat out 30 of their best players! RELAX. We saw some good things and not so good things as our 2nd & 3rd stringers played for their livelihood.
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 11:57 am
This was exacerbated by playing a team with a vast number of vets on their roster. Huge turnover from last year and I do t think I’ve ever seen so many vets fighting for spots on a team.
murf7777
August 15, 2021 at 10:34 am
Wow, oft injured Burks showed his athleticism and speed last night. As others have stated, can he move like this side to side? Can he defend the pass? If so, he could become the biggest breakout player. There isn’t another player with his size, speed and athleticism on this roster.
Maybe things are starting to click for him and it just took a couple of years. He wouldn’t be the first person for that to happen….Jordy for example took till the mid of his 3rd year.
I’ll get excited if he shows he can cover over the next two games.
Minniman
August 15, 2021 at 02:31 pm
Murf, I too hope that he gets “clean air” on the injury front to show his full potential.
Like Reggie Gilbert and Joe Thomas before him…. Showed potential, just couldn’t keep on the field.
Vforrest
August 15, 2021 at 10:34 am
So they say it’s about players not plays. Even though we might have had all guys that will be cut on the D line and O line, Houston was playing on our side of scrimmage A LOT! Lots of guys losing one on ones and no scheme to help them was telling! Especially the D line 😢…again.
jhtobias
August 15, 2021 at 10:56 am
For all the Super Spreaders of Negativity on this site do you realize that most of the guys playing last night won't even be on the team ? That Yoshi guy who Basically was responsible for every pressure is gone, Josh Jackson who was responsible for every pass completion is gone. If your going to judge a silly preseason game as an indicator to the season your not to bright .
Thankfully none of you are responsible for constructing a roster on this site just responsible for blabbing nonsense from your pie holes ..
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 12:08 pm
Nijman was not responsible for most pressures. We’re he that would be probably better. Not one of the guards not named Patrick, including Runyon looked good and Meyers was the only C who held up well, though Hansen was worse than Runyon who was OK. Kelly was downright awful. That was a horrid and horribly disjointed performance by a line that obviously wasn’t in sync.
Sometimes it’s only possible to judge linemen if they have good players around them. Not sure how much we will learn from that hodgepodge. Better to rotate in the likes of Nijman to the rest of the O Line. Perhaps the Jets will provide an opportunity for that.
STs were just about as bad as could be feared in all phases. Scott likely made the roster as his competition line drives. Discipline and organization were execrable. It’s early, but that should be better by now after camp. Yes these may not be roster players but they are ones Drayton has had time with.
Wilment
August 15, 2021 at 12:03 pm
Good recap. it was what it was, a preseason game to see who is good enough to fill out the roster. Good night for Burkes, Love....not so hot for Josh Jackson. I liked him as a pick, liked how humble and serious he seemed after being picked, but he has never blossomed.....kid needs a change of scenery. Trade him if you can get something for him, or just cut him outright so he has a shot somewhere else. Funchess might hang on for a roster spot after all. Showed good route running and hands. Special teams is still......not special. Next preseason game please. GO PACK GO!!
Archie
August 15, 2021 at 12:11 pm
Yes, Love, Funchess and Burks will be fun to watch over the next two weeks.
RB3 - looks like more of a fight than many thought. Need to see Hill run behind a real line before we can know more. Ditto other two.
TE - lightly used last night. How un-LaFleur-like.
OL - yeah, really bad last night.
DL - so-so.
CB - Ento is obvious keeper. Unfortunately, Jackson is what we thought he was. Waiting to new guy they just picked up. His film looks good.
S - Black & Scott are definite keepers. Gaines is a maybe still.
ST - let's give MD some time. They can't be this bad.
Now we get 5 cuts. Will be interesting to see how ML strategizes his who plays/who sits for the Jets game. Definitely need better from OL.
Stay healthy this week Packer warriors!
Thegravedigger
August 15, 2021 at 03:00 pm
i think with the te play and being un lafluer like there is two reasons. one is the wr room is up for grabs on the margins, the tight end room is not. 2. lafluer does not want to show any of his cards in preseason if he can help it. they wanted to see funchess and malik taylor because they very well could be playing for that 6th and final wr spot. last year they only kept 5. theres 5 locks at wr already with cobb. and watching funchess play its looking pretty tough for malik. the problem with that is it puts a hole on special teams. assuming esb is gone. how do you not keep 6 wrs with funchess playing like that? they kept 5 last year. now you have 6 wrs with no special teams guys.
Archie
August 15, 2021 at 07:48 pm
You are right but it was still weird not to see TEs operating in this offense.
If Funchess continues to play like he did SAT night, he has to make the 53.
Maybe we can trade some of our spare parts at the 11th hour.
dobber
August 16, 2021 at 11:18 am
I think with young QBs, if the TE isn't the first or second read, they aren't going to get the ball.
Packers0808
August 15, 2021 at 12:56 pm
After last night I wouldn't be calling the tailor anytime soon to measure Love for the Gold Jacket, but he did look decent at more times than not!
Thegravedigger
August 15, 2021 at 01:26 pm
that guy tremon smith who got the pick and the nice returns was an ex packer anybody remember him?
Coldworld
August 15, 2021 at 06:45 pm
They tried him as a punt returner, but it didn’t go well. He was released when they picked up Ervin
Thegravedigger
August 15, 2021 at 01:33 pm
everybody judging slaton. lets make one thing very clear. he played 61 snaps. he will NEVER play 61 snaps in a regular season game. EVER. hes a run stuffer. 20 to 30 snaps max. hes too damn big for 61 snaps.
Minniman
August 15, 2021 at 02:43 pm
What a great point!
I must admit, at one stage late in the game the broadcast had a camera on him for an extended period. He had some sweat running and was doing some puffing!
That said, it’s good to put him under some of this duress. I remember watching the last Pats vs Packers game where the packers put a less experienced grouping on the field for the first set from kickoff. McDaniels and Brady promptly sliced them and diced them all the way back down the field with runs and short passes (and no changes of their own in order to keep the same D players on) and basically walked in for the TD and early lead.
If Clark gets injured, it’s good to know that Slaton isn’t going to blow up.
Thegravedigger
August 15, 2021 at 02:51 pm
i remember that very well the packers could not sub out at all the entire drive. it was rough to watch. i honestly think that the packers were just trying to see how much the big man had in him, knowing that it would kick his ass or any big d linemans ass really. gilbert brown for example i highly doubt ever played 61 snaps. but when he was in, well we all know what he did when he was in the game. not saying slaton is gilbert brown of course. only one grave digger. shit we named our yellow lab gil when i was a kid.
Thegravedigger
August 15, 2021 at 02:47 pm
ento. guy had a nice pick. and was also in on multiple tackles. he has to make this team with all these question marks at corner. 6 corners would be imo jaire king stokes sullivan jean charles and ento. can gute cut his 2nd overall ever draft pick if it means its better for this team?? heflin. after this game alone i like him more than freaking lowry. i know i need to chill. but this d line needs new blood man. guy hustles. and hes stouter than lowry. lowry is not fit for the 3 4 he is a 4 3 end. worst gute signing in history and gute doubled down this year by not cutting him. lancaster is what he is. heflin cant be any worse. side note about josh jackson im a little nervous rewatching this game hes starting to make some plays. could be just enough for gute to justify keeping his 2nd overall pick as a gm. had a pass deflection and a nice pushout on 3rd down to cause a punt. my point here is these fringe guys in a perfect world with 0 gm bias would make the team over guys like jackson and lowry just to try and switch it up. but its not a perfect world so we will see. also curious about daffney at te. can he crack the roster with 4 tight ends already? does sternberger count against the 53 during his 2 week suspension? i am not sure. also henry black over will redmomnd would be another nice move i hope this team makes considering they usually only keep 4 safetys. upgrading on the margins is guteys thing. lets see if he sticks to his guns when the margins are now his draft picks and bigger free agent signings. eq also looking to be out the door. maybe? another draft pick vs a guy like taylor for 6th wr if we even keep 6. funchess has to make this team after the way he is performing. as long as he doesnt cancel himself with shit you cant say in 2021. i guess gutey already cut moore last year so esb shouldnt be hard unless they hide him on the ir again. and oren burks man what a surpise? maybe joe barrys d is helping him out a bit? according to blake martinez the ilbs were told to just clean up the mess in pettines d. maybe this new role is what burks needed between that and his health?? looking forward to seeing him next week as well.
Archie
August 15, 2021 at 07:54 pm
For the record, I thought this article was fair and balanced and extremely well written. Anyone finding fault with it must be having a bad night.