Five Overreactions From Packers’ Preseason

The Green Bay Packers are down to one week of training camp. Here’s what we (perhaps) know with two preseason games complete and one more to go against the Seahawks.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Aug 20, 2023 3:56 PM EDT

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In exactly three weeks, the Green Bay Packers will kick off the 2023 NFL season and a new era at the Chicago Bears.

Jordan Love looks like he’s at least going to be good enough, especially when he unleashes his running ability. The running game and offensive line will consistently put him in position to succeed. The defense has some teeth and Keisean Nixon and Jayden Reed will provide good field position as returners.

With the exhibition slate wrapping up against Seattle on Saturday and rosters set to be cut to 53 on Aug. 29, here are five preseason overreactions.

1. Sean Clifford Is Better Than Carson Wentz, Etc.

The fifth-round pick used on Sean Clifford was widely criticized by the draft intelligentsia. Heck, even many Penn State fans were glad to be rid of the record-setting quarterback.

Surely, the Packers couldn’t go into the season with a rookie quarterback being the next man up behind a first-time starter. While the backup market had been picked over in free agency, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan and Teddy Bridgewater were available as training camp began.

Not only will the Packers go into the season with a rookie backup, they should go into the season with a rookie backup. Aside from a couple interceptions at Cincinnati – and, yes, those are big asides – Clifford has been really good. This isn’t just a quarterback fattening up his completion percentage with a bunch of dump-offs. Against New England, he had some big-time, downfield completions en route to going 13-of-19 for 137 yards. Clifford is a legitimate NFL quarterback.

“Being able to come out here and protect the football but still push the ball downfield, I was proud of our guys,” Clifford said on Saturday. “First and foremost, I’ve got to give it to the O-line. I was so comfy back there today. It was really nice to be back there with those guys. I thought they did a hell of a job and allowed me to then really feel good, be able to push the ball down the field.”

2. Malik Heath Has Earned More Than Roster Spot

In the NFL, there are a handful of game-changing receivers, another few-dozen difference-makers and then everyone else. That “everyone else” consists not only of all the receivers who round out depth charts but all the receivers who just missed out on a roster spot. In a way, it really is a dime-a-dozen position.

The Packers, like most teams, have had a lot of those guys over the years. Geronimo Allison had a couple decent years, Jarrett Boykin had one productive season and Jake Kumerow and Juwann Winfree made a few plays. And there are the receivers who never quite made it, such as Tori Gurley, Myles White and Max McCaffrey.

Malik Heath is different.

The undrafted rookie from Ole Miss has done nothing but make plays. He’s made them at practice against Green Bay’s defensive backs. He’s made plays at joint practices. He’s made plays in both preseason games.

“I get open, for sure,” he said after catching all five targets for 75 yards against the Patriots. “They can’t cover me.”

Heath has earned his spot on the 53-man roster. He’s earned more than that. He should be on the field in Chicago in Week 1.

Malik Heath (Photo by USA Today Sports Images)

3. Newest Second-Round Stars

The Packers have made a killing with their second-round picks used on offense over the years. Receivers Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams and Christian Watson were selected in the second round, as were Elgton Jenkins, AJ Dillon and Eddie Lacy.

You can add tight end Luke Musgrave and receiver Jayden Reed to the list. They’ve been dominant at times on the practice field and have the tools to do the same when it counts on Sundays.

Musgrave could be a field-tilting threat at tight end. There aren’t many of those in the NFL.

“Luke, he presents a lot of problems for defenses down the field, which has been pretty cool,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said on Friday.

Reed scored a touchdown against New England in the same manner he’s scored them all summer with explosiveness and surprising strength.

“He had excellent hands, body-control, balance, ability to create separation on his own,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said on Friday. “You guys know he’s fast. He’s got very, very good speed. But I think for us, the one thing that kind of separated him was his ability to catch the ball, contested ball. For 5-11, 190, his ability to go up against bigger corners and take the ball away was unique for a guy his size. Certainly, the special teams return ability. Run after the catch stuff was a factor, as well.”

4. Defensive Line Is New And Improved

The free-agent departures of Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry left a black hole on the defensive line. Last year’s backups, Devonte Wyatt and TJ Slaton, moved into the starting lineup. Maybe they'd be fine, but who would provide the depth?

Colby Wooden was picked in the fourth round. Karl Brooks was selected in the sixth. Jonathan Ford was a seventh-round pick last year who was a healthy inactive for all 17 games. Could that young trio really provide credible depth?

They’ll have to prove it for 30 and 40 snaps per game, week after week, but Wyatt and Slaton look legit. They’ll have to prove it against starting offensive linemen, but the young guys have provided a lot of quality snaps in reserve. Ford’s strength should help against the run and Wooden and Brooks were in the backfield enough to exchange phone numbers with Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe.

There might be some growing pains but the guess is Green Bay’s defensive line by midseason will be better than it was last year.

5. Let Anders Carlson Kick

Rookie kicker Anders Carlson has run hot and cold, sort of like going from the sauna to the cold tub and back again.

Carlson made all three kicks against the Patriots, including a 52-yarder at the end of the first half. That doesn’t mean Carlson’s inconsistency has been cured. There will be rough days ahead. It’s all part of what special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia expected.

“I’ve been through the ups and downs with Martin Grammatica. I had ups and downs with Dan Bailey and Nate Kaeding and Nick Novak,” Bisaccia said on Friday. “Daniel [Carlson; Anders’ brother] came in after he had the trouble in Minnesota, took two weeks and then we got him with the Raiders and he had the most prolific year as a rookie [with 94.1 percent accuracy on field goals].

“The next year, we were in the 70s; wasn’t a very good year. But again, stayed patient, corrected some things and he’s gone on to consistently play well. So, I think it’s part of the position to some degree to have a sense of patience, if you feel like the mechanics are all there and the mental makeup is there to keep improving. I think that’s where we are right now with Anders.”

Will Carlson be the worthy successor to Packers career scoring leader Mason Crosby? Who knows. But with a new quarterback, this is a building year. Gutekunst and Bisaccia are taking the right approach. They need to stick with it even if there are some big misses to start the season. The payoff will be immense.