Cornerbacks Ka’dar Hollman and Chandon Sullivan both produced interceptions during the Green Bay Packers’ 28-26 win over the Houston Texans in the preseason opener on Thursday night at Lambeau Field.
Both young players took advantage of mistakes by Texans veteran quarterback Joe Webb.
Hollman, a sixth-round pick of the Packers who has impressed throughout camp, cut in front of a Texans receiver and made a sliding interception of Webb in the first quarter, short-circuiting a potential scoring drive for Houston.
The Packers were happy to see a takeaway so early into the preseason.
“Of course, you always get what you emphasize,” secondary coach Jason Simmons said Friday. “A major emphasis is creating turnovers. And it was good to see guys go after the ball.”
Hollman continues to build confidence in his first season. He’s stood out to coaches since the offseason workout program with his ability to press receivers at the line and play man-to-man coverage.
Although it wasn’t a perfect debut, Simmons said Hollman was “competitive” throughout Thursday night’s opener.
“He’s continually improved,” Simmons said. “Ka’dar is willing to learn. He takes hard coaching. That’s what he responds to. He wants hard coaching and he wants to be a good player.”
Sullivan, who spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, baited Webb into another interception on the first drive of the second half. He broke off his coverage in the flat and skied in front of Webb’s intended target to create the pick.
Sullivan’s interception led to a quick touchdown drive from Tim Boyle’s offense.
Earlier in the first half, Sullivan broke off a block and made a tackle near the line of scrimmage. He’s flashed playmaking ability during recent practices.
The Packers are preaching the importance of turnovers on defense in 2019, so grabbing an interception during preseason games can’t hurt a player’s chance to make the final roster. Hollman is well on his way to cracking the 53-man roster, but Sullivan is another player to watch over the final three weeks of the preseason.
