Is Pratt Gaining Ground on Clifford to be Backup Quarterback?

After Sean Clifford threw two interceptions on Tuesday, Michael Pratt ran the No. 2 offense for the final periods of the day. What does that mean? Coach Matt LaFleur explained on Wednesday.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Sean Clifford (6) throws a pass during the second half against the Cleveland Browns. / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Has the race between Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt to be Jordan Love’s backup tightened?

Coach Matt LaFleur tiptoed around the subject before Wednesday’s practice.

Through the first three weeks of Green Bay Packers training camp, it seemed to be a one-man race, with a clear-cut pecking order of Clifford getting all the No. 2 reps and Pratt working with other rookies with the 3s.

That changed at the end of Tuesday’s practice, though, During the final two periods of the day, a drill in which the offense started at the defense’s 18 with 22 seconds remaining and a 2-minute drill, it was Pratt working behind the No. 2 offensive line and throwing to the second-team receivers and tight ends.

With Clifford throwing two interceptions earlier in practice – a problem he had shaken for the past week-plus of practices – and not getting a single snap in those final periods, has the gap narrowed in the backup battle?

“It can fluctuate on a day-to-day basis,” LaFleur said of which quarterback works with which unit.

When the Packers play at the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Clifford will “get the first crack at it,” LaFleur said.

Both quarterbacks delivered strong performances in the 23-10 victory over the Browns on Saturday.

Clifford was 10-of-19 passing for 111 yards. However, if you turn two drops into completions and ignore the three clock-driven incompletions, he would have been a tidy 12-of-16 for a 75.0 percent completion rate. Clifford was 2-of-3 for 26 yards when under pressure

His 2-minute drill at the end of the first half was a highlight.

“Sean struggled a little bit the first week or so of practice,” quarterback coach Tom Clements said on Monday. “We weren’t protecting the ball as well as we need to; that’s gotten better. Sean did a better job. probably Family Night was one of his better practices, and then he had a good game.

“That was kind of Sean last year. He got in the games, and he practices hard but sometimes in a game you just have that extra little spark to make you play a little better, and everyone else is trying to play as well as they can. He has that quality about him of being a gamer.”

Pratt was 5-of-7 for 46 yards. He was victimized by a drop, as well, so would have been 6-of-7 for 85.7 percent. He was 2-of-2 for 3 yards when under pressure.

“He did good,” Love said on Tuesday of Pratt’s performance at Cleveland. “It was his first NFL game, there’s definitely going to be a lot of nerves and jitters there, but I think he didn’t show any of that. He was locked in and very confident.

“You’ve seen a lot of good things from him in practice, so to be able to transition that to the game, he was able to make a lot of good throws, a lot of dimes, picked up a block on one of the runs, which is really cool. He’s a gamer, he loves it. He’s just going out there and having fun and enjoying this opportunity he’s getting. I love to see it.”

Nothing has been decided, obviously. This week’s trip to Denver, which will consist of a joint practice against the Broncos on Friday and the second preseason game on Sunday, will be huge.

Love will run the No. 1 offense for Friday’s practice but he and most of the starters are not expected to play in Sunday’s game. Thus, the playing time will be divided between Clifford and Pratt.

LaFleur said the team is “working through” how they’ll divide the reps for the game.

Asked if he’d alternate series so each quarterback would have opportunities with similar personnel, rather than having Clifford play the first half and Pratt the second half, LaFleur said: “Yeah, potentially. Typically, we haven’t done that, but we’ve done that in the past.”

Between series, Love will be there as an unofficial assistant coach.

“That’s part of the game we always do,” Love said on Tuesday. “The role of the other quarterbacks who aren’t playing, when the guy comes to the sideline, you get on the iPad, you break down the defense and go through the plays, and just talk to them from the sideline, what you’re seeing out there.

“You’re kind of the eyes for them on the sideline. So, we did a lot of talking, a lot of communication with us, with Tom, and just seeing what we see from the defensive side. Because when you’re out there, things are moving fast. It’s a lot different (and) you might miss some things that, on the sideline, you’ve got that full picture. We’re definitely chopping it up and talking. That’s the same thing they do for me during the season when I come to the sideline, so just keep that communication going.”

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