After two joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday, the Green Bay Packers will host the New England Patriots in Week 2 of the 2023 preseason on Saturday at Lambeau Field.
For the most part, the Packers looked sharp in last week’s 36-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but the scoreboard is far less important than what is happening on the field.
Players are competing for a spot on the roster or trying to prove to coaches that they are ready for a significant role. In Cincinnati, rookie running back Emanuel Wilson and Green Bay’s young receivers stood out on offense, while rookie corner Carrington Valentine consistently made plays for the defense.
Now as we look ahead to tomorrow’s matchup against the Patriots, there are several players who did not play as well and are hoping to have a bounce-back performance.
OL Royce Newman
Newman hasn’t shown much if any improvement in Year 3. His poor play during one-on-ones in training camp has been well-documented and inevitably carried over into the preseason. In 45 snaps against the Bengals, Newman was the team’s lowest-graded offensive lineman by Pro Football Focus. He surrendered two quarterback pressures and was also called for two holding penalties.
Newman has fallen a long way since starting 16 games as a rookie in 2021. He has never recovered from his benching a season ago, and if he fails to show something soon, the Packers may have to go in a different direction.
TE Tucker Kraft
Kraft had a rough day on Thursday when a big hit from a New England defender caused him to fumble. He was slow to get up slow and even sat out a few plays but sounded like he would be fine for Saturday’s game while talking to reporters after practice.
Green Bay’s third-round pick needs all the preseason reps he can get before the start of the regular season, considering they will have to rely on him even more with the loss of Tyler Davis to an ACL injury.
Tight ends typically have a harder time adjusting to the NFL and we saw this firsthand when a pass intended for Kraft was ripped away by Bengals safety Tycen Anderson for an interception. Hopefully, Kraft will have more toughness with the ball moving forward.
S Jonathan Owens
Despite a dismal showing in the first preseason game, Owens hasn’t lost his starting spot at safety. During Monday’s practice, he was still opposite of Darnell Savage, but Tavarius Moore isn’t far behind as the third option.
Owens is safe for the moment, but he can’t afford to have a repeat performance of last week. PFF handed him a defensive grade of 35.0 after he gave up two huge plays to Cincinnati’s offense. First, he took a bad angle on a tackle that led to a 32-yard catch-and-run for receiver Trenton Irwin. Then, he missed a tackle that resulted in a 33-yard run for running back Chris Evans.
The Packers need someone who is a sound tackler and reliable in coverage to replace Adrian Amos. Last Saturday, Owens struggled to provide either.
K Anders Carlson
The team is trying to weather the storm with their rookie kicker, who has been wildly inconsistent since arriving from Auburn.
Carlson got off to a good start in Cincinnati, making his first three extra points and a 45-yarder in the third quarter. Unfortunately, he couldn’t maintain his steady leg and missed back-to-back extra points in the second half.
The Packers expected these types of stretches from Carlson, but if he doesn’t correct them soon, it will end up costing them when it counts.
