Packer Central

How Will LaFleur Handle Packers-Broncos Game?

After playing just three snaps in Saturday’s win at Cleveland, will Packers quarterback Jordan Love and the rest of the starters get more snaps at Denver next week?

Bill Huber

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) throws a pass against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) throws a pass against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday. / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love against Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain?

For Friday’s joint practice in Denver? Yes. Against the Broncos in Sunday’s preseason game? No.

After the Packers drubbed the Cleveland Browns 23-10 on Saturday, Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he was leaning toward not playing his starters in next Sunday night’s second preseason game.

“Too early to tell but, right now, I don’t anticipate those guys playing vs. Denver, the majority of the starters,” LaFleur said. 

“There might be a select few, but I think what we’re going to do just because we have the competitive practice vs. the Broncos, use that as their game reps and let the other guys play for the most part in that second preseason game, then we’ll re-evaluate it for the third one.”

With that, it’s possible Love’s preseason will consist of three snaps and two passes – highlighted by a 65-yard touchdown bomb to Dontayvion Wicks.

The Packers are scheduled to conclude the preseason on Saturday, Aug. 24, against the Baltimore Ravens. Two days earlier, the teams will hold a joint practice. Thirteen days later, the Packers will play the Philadelphia Eagles in the regular-season opener in Brazil.

While it’s certainly possible Love – and the rest of the starters – could get a series against the Ravens, it’s also possible that LaFleur will be thrilled with the practice-field work against Denver and Baltimore and turn his focus to a season-opening game that could be dripping with playoff ramifications.

Love’s predecessor, Aaron Rodgers, famously despised preseason games. Speaking before LaFleur after Saturday’s game, Love said he looked forward to getting more preseason snaps.

“I think we could just jump into the season, but I think maybe getting a couple more snaps here in the preseason would be nice,” Love said. “We only got three plays tonight, so just being able to get back out there, get in that mode, it was nice to get in the game today. But I think getting a longer drive, putting a couple more plays up might be nice.”

Perhaps Love and LaFleur have had the discussion already and the plan is for Love to play against Baltimore at Lambeau Field, with LaFleur being coy to give himself a bit of wiggle room should changing circumstances force a change of direction.

If Love’s preseason really will consist of the best possible three-and-out series, then it ended in spectacular fashion. On third-and-5, Love spotted receiver Dontayvion Wicks matched one-on-one against a safety.

Wicks won the route with ease. Starting in the slot, Wicks ran straight at the defensive back, Ronnie Hickman, then veered outside and stepped on the gas. Love’s pass traveled about 40 yards and landed right in Wicks’ hands. The final 35 yards was no contest.

“We had a great play dialed up for that situation, one-on-one with Wicks in the slot,” Love said. “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.”

Said Wicks: “I seen the coverage and I knew it was man. I just knew I had to get on his toes and win and J-Love was going to give me a chance. That was it.”

And that was that for the No. 1 offense.

Love “liked” the decision to bring in the backups for the rest of the game.

“That was the goal we wanted, was to go out there, get our series in and put up points,” he said. “So, I was happy with the way it went out.”

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.