The Packers win, but that doesn’t matter. Preseason is all about evaluation. How did player X, Y or Z look? Coaches keep their play-calling vanilla, so trying to draw inferences on what the offense or defense might look like in total is also, for the most part, an exercise in futility. As such, the spotlight goes almost entirely on player execution. The Packers have played one of their four preseason games, which means they have less than a month to iron out the 53 players who will be a part of this team once the box score matters.
Let’s get to some takeaways from Thursday night’s 28-26 win:
Tackling troubles
Perhaps the Packers under Matt LaFleur will fix the tackling woes that plagued this team time after time under McCarthy. Thursday night, however, was not the night the curse was to be remedied. The Packers struggled, especially on third downs, to secure tackles. Texans third-string quarterback Joe Webb, as mobile as he is, scrambled out of more than a few would-be tackles. To this point, tackling hasn’t been a major emphasis in practice, but LaFleur might want to make it a greater focus in the coming weeks. The Packers need this defense to take a clear step forward, and a big part of that is tackling at a more consistent level.
Sum-mah, Sum-mah, Sum-mers time
Seventh-round draft pick Ty Summers started with a bang. He was everywhere, collecting 10 tackles (nine solo), with the bulk of his stat sheet filled out before the end of the first half. The inside linebacker position was already fairly thin, and then Oren Burks left the game with what appeared to be a shoulder injury (the same shoulder that kept him off the field last year). Summers did well for himself, though. On one particular play, Texans quarterback Joe Webb broke free on a scramble, and Summers demonstrated excellent speed and lateral movement ability to make the open-field tackle. Webb gained a good chunk of yardage, but the preseason is all about seeing evidence of what a player can do, and Summers showed he can move.
Takeaways galore
Last season, the Packers just couldn’t create turnovers. Pettine said this offseason he wanted his defense creating more turnovers, and create more turnovers they did. The Packers started it all off with a booming punt by JK Scott. Texans’ return man Keke Coutee misjudged the distance and got turned around before the ball hit the turf and ricocheted off Coutee, allowing Equanimeous St. Brown to secure the ball in the end zone for the score. Later in the first quarter, rookie defensive back Ka’Dar Hollman jumped a route and undercut a bad throw by Webb. A series later, Texans running back Taiwan Jones popped through the line of scrimmage for what would have been a nice gain, but Packers safety Raven Greene dove at Jones and popped the ball loose with his hands. Will Redmond eventually recovered. It wasn’t always pretty for the defense, but opportunistic teams take advantage of extra possessions, which the Packers did tonight.
J’Mon Moore’s struggles continue
Yes, last year’s fourth-round pick caught a touchdown pass tonight, but J’Mon Moore only raised more questions about his hands than he answered. Moore finished the night catching two passes for seven yards and one touchdown, but he dropped a catchable ball thrown slightly behind him and also couldn’t hang onto a would-be touchdown. Additionally, of the two passes he caught, neither appeared to be clean catches. Moore is quick in and out of his breaks; he gets open. But he just isn’t a natural pass catcher, evidenced by his tendency to secure the ball against his body. Either that, or it’s in his head. One way or another, Moore has an uphill climb to get a roster spot given how well Jake Kumerow and Trevor Davis have looked in camp, not to mention undrafted free agents Teo Redding and Darrius Shepherd.
Backup QB competition still unclear
DeShone Kizer has plenty of physical talent, but he’s wildly inconsistent. He’ll connect 15 yards down the field with a laser beam to Jake Kumerow, but then he’ll miss a simple out or screen. Tim Boyle has accuracy issues of his own, but he also has an impressive arm. It’ll be interesting to follow what LaFleur prefers because Boyle appears to play much more within the confines of the offense. In essence, he gets the ball out on time and in rhythm. Kizer hesitates too often and players who are open on the first look (like Danny Vitale in the flat during the opening drive) get covered up a tick later. In the event Rodgers gets hurt, LaFleur might want to opt for the player who can preserve the offense’s nature.
Rashan Gary, a gem in need of polish
The debut for the Packers first first-round pick was a quiet one. He proved to the viewing audience much of what the reports have suggested about him in practice: he’s very, very fast for a man his size. Even so, when he rushes he’s perhaps not as effective as he could be. He gets great push and he closes space well, but he needs to develop reliable counters to unglue himself from tackles who get their hands on him. His best pass rush came on a third down in second quarter. He didn’t get the sack – it was a three-step drop from the quarterback, after all – but he used his hands to deflect the tackle from latching onto him, allowing him to carry his momentum into the pocket. Had the quarterback held onto the ball or gone to a second read, it would have been a sack. It’s still way early to make any sort of judgment on the player, but he has the tools. It’s just a matter of whether he can learn to use that vast tool chest like a fine woodworker rather than a high school kid in an introductory shop class.
