Two preseason games down, one to go for Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers in 2023. On Saturday night at Lambeau Field, the Packers fell to the New England Patriots 21-17 in a game suspended in the fourth quarter after an injury to Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden.
Jordan Love threw a touchdown pass to Jayden Reed, Kingsley Enagbare had two sacks and Anders Carlson made a 52-yard field goal.
To help put a bow on Saturday’s preseason contest, here are our biggest things to take away from the loss to the Patriots:
Offensive line play
Matt LaFleur mentioned it when meeting with the media on Sunday, but the play of the offensive line was very good against a New England defense that ranked fourth in total pressures in 2022 and that likes to blitz and cause confusion with different personnel looks. Even with some longer developing plays, Jordan Love (and Sean Clifford) had clean pocketed to work from. In fact, PFF didn’t credit anyone on the Packers offensive line with giving up a pressure during that game. Running between the tackles has also not come easy for the Packers offense this summer, but Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon were able to rush for 31 yards on seven attempts behind some nice running lanes the offensive line was able to carve. Understandably so, all attention is on Jordan Love and the young pass catchers, but any potential success the offense is going to have starts with the offensive line. Of course, he needs time in the pocket, but a run game that can’t get going either will put this group in predictable passing situations—none of which is a recipe for success with a young offense. — Paul Bretl
Defensive line will be just fine
The defensive line is going to be just fine. Outside of Kenny Clark, the rest of the defensive line is wet behind the ears. Devonte Wyatt and T.J. Slaton have combined for 557 defensive snaps. All that inexperienced led many to ponder if the Packers would add a veteran to the mix. With the play of rookies, Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden, the room looks more athletic and could be far more disruptive this season. It seems like every day at practice, Brooks and Wooden are disrupting the action in the backfield. They both turned in strong performances against the New England Patriots on Saturday. According to Pro Football Focus, Brooks recorded two pressures and added one tackle for loss. Through two preseason games, Brooks and Wooden have combined for 10 pressures. Wyatt, last year’s 28th overall pick is a prime candidate for a breakout season with more snaps awaiting after the departures of Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed. Slaton’s presence should help shore up the run defense. Even Jonathan Ford, a player that many believed would be an afterthought has played well throughout training camp and preseason. What many viewed as a potential weakness, could be a strong unit for the Packers if the young players continue to progress. There is one certainty, the Packers will be much more athletic upfront this season. — Brennen Rupp
Receivers growing
Romeo Doubs caught both of his targets, including a 42-yarder along the sideline, to continue his strong start to the preseason. Second-round pick Jayden Reed got open on a through route in the red zone and caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love. Malik Heath looked impressive while catching five passes for 75 yards and is inching closer and closer to locking up a roster spot. Even seventh-round pick Grant DuBose got in on the action with a 21-yard catch in traffic after finally returning from a back injury. The Packers are young at receiver, obviously, but every week provides another glimpse at the playmaking potential of the group overall. Doubs appears on the verge of a breakout season, Reed has the slot receiver job locked up and both Heath and DuBose look capable of being productive perimeter players. Love’s arsenel of pass-catching weapons is nothing if not intriguing as Week 1 approaches. — Zach Kruse
Deep at edge rusher
The Packers have to feel very good about their depth and talent at edge rusher. Kingsley Enagbare dominated, tallying two sacks and a forced fumble. First-round pick Lukas Van Ness rebounded in a big way (pressure, two runs stops) after a quiet preseason opener. Undrafted rookie Brenton Cox Jr. tallied a quarterback hit and had other disruptive moments as a pass-rusher. Veteran Justin Hollins also produced a quarterback hit and now has three hits over just 13 pass-rushing snaps this preseason. The depth behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith looks strong at a premium position. The Packers think Enagbare is ready to take a big second-year leap, Hollins is established as a solid rotational edge rusher and Van Ness and Cox Jr. can develop at their own pace. — Zach Kruse
Still no answers at safety
It’s still difficult to figure out what the Packers will do at the safety position. Darnell Savage is going to be one starter, but the other starter is a mystery. Rudy Ford started against the Patriots and had a run stop. Tarvarius Moore played 20 snaps but exited with a knee injury. Jonathan Owens batted a pass. Rookie Anthony Johnson Jr. played 40 snaps and produced a big-time pass-breakup, but he also took a terrible angle on a 42-yard touchdown pass. The guess here is that Ford or Owens starts at safety in Week 1, but eventually the Packers need to see what they have in Johnson, who is playing faster but needs the on-field reps. — Zach Kruse
Malik Heath deserves to be on 53
Malik Heath deserves to be on the 53. Dating back to OTAs, all the undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss has done is make plays. He’d gotten the best of multiple Green Bay corners in practice, and now, he’s done it in the last two preseason games against the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. I honestly believe you can make a case that he is the fourth-best receiver on the roster behind Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed. He runs good routes, has good ball skills, and also brings physicality as a blocker, which will be missing without Allen Lazard. Obviously, Heath is not perfect or he would have heard his name called in April. However, teams overlook players all the time and how can you part ways with a guy who is producing like he is on a consistent basis? I don’t know if the Packers will want to keep six receivers on the initial 53-man roster, but you have to find a way to include him. It would be too risky to try and get Heath signed to the practice squad after what he’s showcased in the preseason. — Brandon Carwile
