Packers Family Night: How to Watch, What to Watch Tonight

The Green Bay Packers will host their annual Family Night practice at Lambeau Field on Saturday night. Here’s what to watch as the Packers take training camp under the lights.

The fireworks and laser show during last year's Packers Family Night. / Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will hold their annual Family Night practice on Saturday night in Lambeau Field.

Tickets are $10. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with warmups starting at 7 p.m. and the 10th practice of training camp beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Can’t make it? Here’s how to watch and six things to watch.

How to Watch Packers Family Night

The game will be televised by Packers TV Network stations. They include WACY in Green Bay, WPXE in Milwaukee, WAOW in Wausau, WKOW in Madison, WXOW in La Crosse, WQOW in Eau Claire, KQDS in Duluth-Superior and ELUC in Escanaba-Marquette. The event will also be televised on KWWL and WHBF in Iowa; KATN, KYUR and KJUD in Alaska; and KSFY in Sioux Falls, SD.

Also, the practice will be streamed on Packers.com.

You're family to us.

For fans outside of our viewing areas who want to follow along, Family Night, presented by @BellinHealth, will be livestreamed on https://t.co/bE19jZCodD.

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 3, 2024

Six Things to Watch at Packers Family Night

1. One-on-Ones

Before team drills begin, coach Matt LaFleur likely will have one-on-ones on his practice script.

Receiver Romeo Doubs vs. Jaire Alexander will be worth the price of admission when receivers and tight ends face cornerbacks and safeties. Doubs is one of the NFL’s premier route-runners and Alexander is one of the league’s top cornerbacks.

Those matchups “definitely” make Alexander better.

“I think Doubs is a close second for being one of my top receivers in the league,” Alexander said. “I always want to go against Doubs. The dude’s freaking really good. He come in his rookie year not catching a single pass on me. Now we’re going up for 50-50 balls now. Dude is really good.”

At the same time, the offensive linemen and defensive linemen will engage in one-on-one pass-rushing/pass-blocking drills. Can anyone stop Rashan Gary? How will first-round pick Jordan Morgan do against the likes of Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt?

Also at the same time, the running backs and linebackers will square off, with running backs running routes against the linebackers and the linebackers blitzing against the running backs.

Said linebacker Eric Wilson: "It’s just you and him. When it’s 11-on-11, sometimes that can get overcast but, eventually, it’ll be just you and someone else. It’s about whooping that guy and winning that rep. I like the 1-on-1s because it really emphasizes that."

2. Jordan Love vs. No. 1 Defense

The defense has won most of the first nine practices. However, quarterback Jordan Love has heated up after sitting out the start of camp. On Thursday, he went 15-of-20 passing with a few big-time throws interspersed.

“I’m definitely getting back in that rhythm,” Love said. “I feel like training camp, the speed is always so much faster. I feel like everybody’s got that energy and they’re flying around, especially at the start. 

“Definitely something I’m just getting back to playing fast and trying to keep myself slowed down in the midst of all it, trying to not get sped up myself with my feet and my reads, which I think is something I’m trying to focus on right now.”

With Love heating up, the offense has been much more competitive.

“We’ve been making some plays,” receiver Dontayvion Wicks said. “I don’t think it’s where we want it to be right now, but we’re getting better every day and that’s what training camp’s for – to get better every day – so when the season comes we’re where we want to be.”

3. Linebackers

One of the under-the-radar storylines of camp has been the play of the linebackers. The starting trio of Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson has been tremendous.

Walker is the middle linebacker and flanked by McDuffie and Wilson. Those two probably are the team leaders in tackles this summer, with many of them coming near or behind the line of scrimmage. Wilson has been so good that second-round pick Edgerrin Cooper has been unable to move past him on the depth chart.

“Our goal is to be the best linebacker room in the NFL,” McDuffie said.

4. New Safeties

Safety was arguably the worst position on the Packers last year. It might become one of the best as it appears general manager Brian Gutekunst did a masterful job of rebuilding that group.

Veteran Xavier McKinney, who was signed in free agency, is one of the top players in the league at the position.

“X is doing a phenomenal job back there,” Love said. “He’s a playmaker. He’s always around the ball, he’s always hunting that ball, so I’m excited to see what he can do this year.”

Rookies Javon Bullard and Evan Williams and second-year player Anthony Johnson are in a fierce competition to be the other starter. Bullard, a second-round pick, has been the other No. 1 safety in four of nine practices. Based on the rotation, Williams, the fourth-round pick, could be with McKinney on Saturday.

“I think we did a really good job drafting those guys,” defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “Credit to Gutey and his group. They’re very smart, very competitive, very instinctual and just the way they’ve worked. They’re in here late at night, they have extra meetings.

“I think early on they’ve done a good job of showing us that they understand the scheme and they have the ability to make plays. It’s a fun group to work with, there’s competition that will be ongoing, and I’m glad we have those two right now.”

5. Kicking Competition

Greg Joseph is hot. Anders Carlson is not.

Joseph, who was signed in free agency, went 7-of-7 on Thursday and has made 14 in a row. Carlson, the incumbent who had a rocky rookie season, went 5-of-7 on Thursday.

Overall, Joseph is 29-of-31 (93.5 percent) while Carlson is 25-of-31 (80.6 percent).

This will be Joseph’s first time kicking in the stadium as a member of the Packers, though he has some dismal history as a member of the Vikings. He went 1-of-3 on field goals last season and 1-of-3 in 2022.

“I just get into a rhythm where, I know it sounds easy to say, me vs. me,” Joseph said on Thursday. “I believe that if I kick to the level that I'm capable of, it's me versus me and I'm going to put my best foot forward, make as many kicks as I can and the rest will take care of itself.”

6. 2-Minute Drills

The highlight of every practice is the 2-minute drills. It’s the most competitive period of the day.

Love hit Wicks with a touchdown pass and 2-point conversion to win on Wednesday. Alexander and Keisean Nixon kept Wicks out of the end zone on the final play to give the defense the win on Thursday.

The Packers fell short in several 2-minute situations last year, including the playoff loss at San Francisco. Including that playoff game, Green Bay was 2-5 in games decided by three points or less.

Love has called the majority of the 2-minute plays during camp.

“I think it’s just really good, No. 1, I want to see what he likes, what he’s thinking and why he’s thinking,” LaFleur said. “I think that will help us moving forward, when we get into games. That’s certainly an area where we’ve got to be better. So, it gives our coaching staff an opportunity to see what he really likes and what he’s calling in those situations.”

Quote to Note

“Just the atmosphere, having that many fans come out, I think it naturally just ups the urgency. It feels truly like a preseason game. That’s why I love it so much. To get all our fans in Lambeau, I think it kind of is a great opportunity for these guys to kind of get that feel without it being a real game, just so that when we get to our first preseason game, it’s not the first time they’ve been there.”

- LaFleur on importance of Family Night

More Green Bay Packers Training Camp News

The #Packers drafted 11 players in the 2024 NFL Draft. Here is a look at where they stand through nine practices and heading into Saturday's Family Night. ⬇️https://t.co/4EUfJj02XD

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 2, 2024

Rookie progress report | Highlights from Practice 9 | Pass rush will be vital | Packers like their whites | Highlights from Practice 8 | The rise of Romeo Doubs | The rise of Grant DuBose | Highlights from Practice 7 | New CB Don Callis | New CB LJ Davis | Highlights from Practice 7 | Seeking best O-line | Three added, three released | Packers pick parade | Week 1 gold, silver, bronze | Week 1 stock report | Highlights from Practice 6 | Highlights from Practice 5 | Highlights from Practice 4 | Highlights from Practice 3 | Highlights from Practice 2 | Highlights from Practice 1