The Green Bay Packers opened preseason play in 2023 with a 36-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday night at Paycor Stadium. Matt LaFleur’s team got a pair of first-half touchdown passes from Jordan Love and Sean Clifford and two second-half touchdown runs from Emanuel Wilson.
Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst performers from the Packers’ preseason win over the Bengals:
Top 5 offense
1. RB Emanuel Wilson: 93.5
2. OL Elgton Jenkins: 85.6
3. OL Zach Tom: 78.5
4. OL Luke Tenuta: 76.5
5. WR Dontayvion Wicks: 76.3
Wilson produced three runs over 10 yards on just six carries, including the 80-yard touchdown. Jenkins, who played 14 snaps at left guard, didn’t allow a pressure and earned the second-best run-blocking grade. Tom played 16 snaps at center and 12 at right tackle without giving up a pressure, earning him the top pass-blocking grade. Tenuta played 10 snaps at right tackle before his injury and was the top run blocker. Wicks caught three passes for 68 yards on 16 routes run.
Top 5 defense
1. CB William Hooper: 90.3
2. CB Carrington Valentine: 89.8
3. DL TJ Slaton: 89.5
4. S Tarvarius Moore: 81.7
5. S Anthony Johnson Jr.: 76.5
Hooper allowed only three catches on eight targets for 18 yards and broke up two passes. Valentine had a run stop, and he allowed only two catches on six targets for 16 yards while breaking up two passes and intercepting one. On just eight snaps, Slaton had two pressures, including a quarterback hit, and two run stops. Moore allowed only nine yards on three targets in coverage and earned the team’s top tackling grade. Johnson had two tackles and a near interception.
Bottom 5 offense
1. QB Alex McGough: 28.1
2. OL Royce Newman: 35.4
3. WR Duece Watts: 43.3
4. TE Tucker Kraft: 44.8
5. FB Henry Pearson: 48.5
McGough turned the ball over on his only passing snap. Newman gave up two pressures, including a quarterback hit, and had two penalties over 45 snaps. Watts had a holding penalty that wiped away an explosive run. Kraft caught one of three targets for four yards, lost out on a contested catch that turned into an interception, and earned poor run-blocking grades. Pearson graded poorly as a run blocker.
Bottom 5 defense
1. DL Devonte Wyatt: 29.1
2. DL Jason Lewan: 34.8
3. S Jonathan Owens: 35.0
4. OLB Lukas Van Ness: 40.8
5. OLB Kenneth Odumegwu: 51.4
Wyatt had a pressure on a stunt but also two missed tackles, including one resulting in an explosive run for Chris Evans. Lewan earned poor run defense grades over nine snaps. Owens, who started, missed a tackle and gave up an explosive passing play over 15 snaps. Van Ness played 20 snaps but delivered just one pressure. Odumegwu played 15 mostly empty snaps.
Special teams
Henry Pearson played a team-high 15 special teams snaps. Tyler Davis, who was lost for the season with a knee injury, led the team in special teams grade, and Kingsley Enagbare and Anthony Johnson Jr. both had two special teams tackles.
Quarterback
Jordan Love: 75.6
Sean Clifford: 71.6
Alex McGough: 28.1
Love’s average time to throw was 2.4 seconds. He didn’t have a turnover-worthy play and was kept clean on all 10 dropbacks. Clifford threw two picks but also completed 76.9 percent of his passes and was effective from clean pockets. He had two “big-time throws.” McGough was strip-sacked on his only passing play.
