World’s Best Preview: ‘No hard feelings’ for Turner

The Four-Point Stance portion of the preview includes Billy Turner vs. his former team, first-year coaches, pass-rush improvement and ball security on a rainy Sunday.

Billy Turner is not Mr. Sentimentality.

Turner went from being released by Miami in mid-2016 to becoming a starter for Denver to being a $28 million right guard for the Green Bay Packers. On Sunday, he’ll face the team for which he started 11 games last season. However, this game means about as much to him as last week’s game against Minnesota – a border war that his father saw from both sidelines as a running back. Last week’s game wasn’t a big deal to Turner and this one isn’t either.

“Honestly, no. No more than the last two games that we’ve played,” Turner said when asked if there’s any extra meaning behind facing the Broncos. “It’s an interesting game. In free agency, I ended up here. It is what it is. No hard feelings by any means. I had a great two-and-a-half years there and had some great memories. I’m just focused on winning this game.”

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As was the case for safety Adrian Amos before the opening game at Chicago, there are no hard feelings for Turner that the team for which he played last season decided to move on from a capable starter. Last season for Denver, Turner started four games at left guard and the final seven games at right tackle. Rather than keeping Turner, it signed right tackle Ja’Wuan James to a four-year, $51 million contract and used a second-round pick on Dalton Risner to play left guard.

“There’s 32 teams in this league. I promise you that 32 teams don’t like each and every one of us,” Turner said. “With that being said, I ended up here. If they didn’t want me, they didn’t want me. I feel like I’m with a great organization now with a better opportunity to win games.”

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While there’s a new scheme with new coach Vic Fangio, it’s mostly the same group of players on defense. That includes the defensive line of ends Adam Gotsis and Derek Wolfe and nose tackle Shelby Harris. Harris is a Milwaukee native. A seventh-round pick in 2014 by Oakland, he was released six times before finding a home with the Broncos. Since joining Denver in 2016, he’s played in all 34 games and recorded seven sacks.

“A lot of people think he’s underrated but he’s definitely a good nose guard,” Turner said. “I’ve been playing Shelby since I was in college. He went to Illinois State. He was a stand-up outside backer at Illinois State and might have been his first year in the league, too. He’s a good player, man. He’s instinctive and he knows how to use his body weight and play with leverage.”

Class of 2019: Including Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur and Denver’s Vic Fangio, eight coaches were hired this offseason. The standings: LaFleur, 2-0; Cleveland’s Freddy Kitchens, 1-1; Tampa Bay’s Bruce Arians, 1-1; Arizona’s Kliff Kingsbury, 0-1-1; New York Jets’ Adam Gase, 0-2; Miami’s Brian Flores, 0-2; Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor, 0-2; Fangio, 0-2.

“There’s been games over the years that we’ve lost in these situations early in the season that have come down to be tiebreakers late in the year when we need to win games to get into the playoffs,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said of the 2-0 start. “The goals here haven’t changed. It’s winning championship. It starts with winning the North. We’re 2-0 in the North, which is a great start. I said after the game, we won one game in the North last year so we’ve already improved over that. I think for Matt, it legitimizes everything he’s been talking about from Day 1 when he got here. And then the other thing it does, it just really highlights how well our defense is playing.”

Hitting the quarterback: While the Packers finished eighth in sacks last season, the pass rush was feeble. According to league data, they finished 30th with 72 quarterback hits. Through two weeks, the Packers are tied for second with 17 quarterback hits.

Video: Za'Darius Smith on Joe Flacco

The additions of Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith have keyed the pass rush’s production. For Za’Darius Smith, his sights are set on sacking former teammate Joe Flacco.

“Only thing I can say about him is that he is a great quarterback and I love Joe Flacco. Great guy, too,” a smiling Smith said. But, “I get paid a lot of money to go hit quarterback. Great guy but I’m going to try to get him, man.”

Change at returner: With the trade of Trevor Davis, the Packers will have a new face returning punts – perhaps undrafted rookie receiver Darrius Shepherd or second-year cornerback Tremon Smith. When Davis finished second in the NFL in punt-return average in 2017, he did it with perfect ball security. That’s the gamble in trading Davis – especially with rain starting early Sunday and expected to continue throughout the day.

“The No. 1 thing we always talk about it securing the ball and handing it back to the official at the end of a play so the offense can go out there and take over,” special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga said. “Ball security is No. 1. The other one is being able to have that first-step quickness and making a guy miss in open space and be able to see where the return is supposed to take you. Setting up blocks, being able to have guys when they see the window, they can hit it. That may be north and south, may be hitting it on the perimeter. They have to be able to hit all field zones and be able to do that.”

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