Packer Central

Four Downs: Love Starts Preseason With Bang

Jordan Love found Dontayvion Wicks for a 65-yard touchdown on the third play from scrimmage, and the rest of the Packers followed his lead against the Browns. Here is our starters-centric look at the game.

Jacob Westendorf

Aug 10, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) talks to teammates before the game between the Packers and the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 10, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) talks to teammates before the game between the Packers and the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
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Well, that didn't take long.

Jordan Love, after signing his $220 million contract wasted little time in his quest to prove he was worth the money the Green Bay Packers threw at him this offseason.

Facing a third down on the team's first series of the Packers' preseason game at the Cleveland Browns, Love loaded up to throw deep.

When the ball came down, Dontayvion Wicks, who seems to always be open, was open again.

Wicks made the catch and did the rest, sprinting through the goal line for a loud beginning to the 2024 season.

“We had a great play dialed up for that situation, one-on-one with Wicks in the slot,” Love said afterward. “Faking the handoff and he ran a great route, kind of lulled him to sleep at the top and then was able to go past him, and (I) just put the ball out there for him and he made the rest happen. Great play by him.”

Overall, coach Matt LaFleur was pleased with his team as a whole.

"I saw a lot of good things. For the most part, everyone’s competing hard, doing their job and making some plays," he said during a halftime interview on the Packers TV Network.

Here are our four big takeaways from Green Bay's preseason opener.

Jordan Love

This was an easy takeaway, but all eyes are going to be on Jordan Love any time he takes the field. That's the nature of being a quarterback. That's especially the nature of being a quarterback who replaced a franchise legend.

Now, Love added another bit of pressure to his plate, being the quarterback who received a record-setting contract extension.

Love earned it with his brilliant play down the stretch of 2023. Love was one of the best quarterbacks in football to finish 2023. If the season began in November, he might have won the league MVP.

Alas, it did not, and there is more to accomplish in 2024. If Love's preseason debut is any indication for how his regular season is going to go, the Packers can start making reservations in New Orleans for the Super Bowl.

Love's final stat line was simple. 2-of-2 passing for 63 yards and the big touchdown to Wicks.

Love and the offense might need to carry the day early in the year as the defense works out some of the kinks, but more plays like that one should go a long way.

Offensive Line

With Zach Tom and Jordan Morgan not playing, there were some questions to be answered as to who was winning the competition for top backups at guard and tackle.

The answer, for today at least, was Sean Rhyan at guard and Andre Dillard at tackle.

Dillard was the starter at right tackle with the starting offense and moved to left tackle after Love and the rest of the starters left the game.

Dillard had a tough start to camp, but the team clearly still believes in him until they're given more reason not to.

Dillard had some struggles, including being charged with a false start.

Rhyan had a similar problem in practice on Thursday, which led to him being benched in favor of Jacob Monk.

That did not last into the preseason opener. Rhyan started at right guard before moving to center when the second offensive line came on the field after the opening series.

The Packers have to hope that the offensive line can find some stability as they progress toward the end of camp.

Devonte Wyatt/Lukas Van Ness

What a duo this group turned out to be during the first half.

Devonte Wyatt is entering a big season as third-year pro. He has never been a full-time starter, and does not look to be in line to start over Kenny Clark or TJ Slaton this year, either.

There is no question at all about his abilities as a pass rusher. Whether or not he's able to finish plays is another question. Wyatt missed nearly 29 percent of his tackle attempts in 2023. He has to be better than that to find his way on the field more, and to finish impact plays he's often in position to make.

He started with a bang on Saturday with back-to-back plays when he affected the quarterback.

One play led to a incompletion that could have been an interception. The other, led to a sack by Lukas Van Ness, who also had a terrific start.

Van Ness pressured the quarterback on each of the first two series, and set a strong edge on a toss play to Jerome Ford.

Van Ness was ascending by the end of last season, and has had a solid start to camp. If he's an impact player, Jeff Hafley will have a lot of toys to play with in the passing game.

Safety Dance

It certainly looks like Javon Bullard is the favorite to start next to Xavier McKinney when the Packers take on the Philadelphia Eagles on September 6.

Bullard started on the back end with the starting defense on the field, but one interesting wrinkle happened as the starters went to the bench.

Evan Williams and Anthony Johnson Jr were the safeties, but Bullard was in the slot. That is a continuation of what he's done throughout training camp.

Bullard has that versatility that makes him able to play the slot, which could lead to some questions as to whether the Packers would use him there in a regular-season game.

Keisean Nixon struggled in coverage a year ago, and could prove to be more valuable as a kickoff returner with the new rules that we got our first glimpse of on Saturday.

Rookie Evan Williams has made some plays on the ball in camp - and forced a fumble to start the second half - and could prove to be a valuable chess piece in Hafley's defense. The more all of those safeties can do, the more it will be come abundantly clear that the safety spot is the most improved position on the team.


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Jacob Westendorf

JACOB WESTENDORF