Packers (1-0) Beat The Jaguars in Jacksonville, 27-23

It wasn't the easiest win, as the Green Bay Packers fell behind in the first half, re-took the lead before halftime, and were able to match field goals with the Jaguars in the second half to hold onto the win. As I was watching it, I was thinking about how it would have been a huge let down to lose to an 11 loss team in what might be their easiest road game of 2016. But the Jaguars are better now and one game isn't going to make or break their season.

An early INT by Blake Bortles turned out to be his only turnover of the game, and some big pass plays to Allen Hurns, Marcedes Lewis, and Julius Thomas led their offense. Anyone who plays fantasy football knows the Jaguars have some legitimate offensive weapons. Also the Jaguars have spent a lot of money on their defense in free agency (mostly to Malik Jackson) and used a Top 5 draft pick on Jalen Ramsey (who's feeling a bit cocky at the moment). If they had put more pressure on QB Aaron Rodgers (zero sacks) then they might have had a shot at shutting down the Packers' offense. But they couldn't stop Eddie Lacy (4.4 ypc) and Rodgers finished with the 4th highest QBR in Week 1 (so far).

Aaron Rodgers is unstoppable.
It's that simple.#GBvsJAX https://t.co/KI1rGSLUvG

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) September 11, 2016

Packers offense: So above is one of the plays that'll be on the short list for plays of 2016. His offensive line played great, though they would have been even better with former LG Josh Sitton. Bob McGinn had a great article about how the front office blew it with Sitton, though his loss is still not going to be a season changing mistake. His replacement, LG Lane Taylor, probably had the lowest grade of their five lineman according to PFF by surrendering three QB hurries (I recall one play when ILB Paul Posluszny ran right past Taylor) but his run blocking appeared strong and he didn't allow a sack.

WR Jordy Nelson was back, and Rodgers again focused in on his top three receivers. This time it was Davante Adams joining Nelson and Cobb, and those three were targeted on 24 of his 33 attempts (73%). It was a big surprise that TE Jared Cook was only targeted twice, and he might have been a help early in the game when Rodgers struggled to get the ball to Nelson and Adams (3 straight punts in the first half). Rodgers barely played this preseason, Nelson didn't play at all, and everyone's timing looked bad as they shook off the rust in the first half. I was ready to give up on Adams after he missed two catchable passes on 3rd downs but he redeemed himself later.

Mike McCarthy started the game by calling a lot of running plays, but that faded as the game went on, and Lacy ended up with only 14 carries. I'd like to see a lot more from Lacy but he'll probably just remain a complementary weapon.

Packers defense: Speaking of players who barely played this preseason, the defense featured two of them, with only one of them being a success story in Week 1. The success was ILB Jake Ryan, who was held out for most of the preseason with a hamstring injury. Against Jacksonville, he was second on the team with 7 tackles and he was very active in the middle of the field, usually tackling T.J. Yeldon for a short gain. The entire defense did a great job against the run (Jags only had 1.8 ypc) and Ryan was a big part of it. The bad news was Morgan Burnett, who had an impressive stat line (9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for a loss), but committed two penalties (both led to 1st downs) and he looked a step slow in coverage. While Ryan was able to play in their final preseason game, Burnett's back injury (which kept him out for most of the preseason) might still be bothering him.

The front seven did a great job against the Jaguars offensive line. Bortles did a good job of getting the ball out as quickly as he could before the pass rush came, but the Packers still had 3 sacks and shut down the Jaguars' running game. Nick Perry was great against the run and he spent a lot of time in the Jaguars' backfield (1 sack, 2 tackles for a loss) while Clay Matthews missed a couple tackles and Julius Peppers didn't record a single stat. Joe Thomas grabbed the lone INT and he was in on the final stop to end the game. It was a quiet game for Mike Daniels (hopefully it wasn't an SI cover jinx) but that was mostly because he faced a bunch of double-teams.

The secondary was a mixed bag. Burnett struggled and CB Quinten Rollins allowed a TD pass. On the other hand, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was great and Damarious Randall had the top defensive grade from PFF. I was worried about Randall after a bad playoff game and a poor preseason (in limited playing time) but he's bounced back.

Next up is a big game, Sunday Night Football to open the Vikings's new US Bank Stadium on September 18.

Packers Preseason Game 4, Packers Lose To Chiefs, 17-7

The last preseason game for the Green Bay Packers is usually a downer, with most all the starters sitting, and this one was no exception. It was also the first preseason game this year against a team that made the playoffs last season, which is currently run by former Packer scouting director John Dorsey, so it also featured the best level of competition they've faced so far.

Packers offense:

The problem was the offensive line, which featured the same five backup players throughout, plus some snaps for undrafted rookie Kyle Steuck at guard. When QB Joe Callahan wasn't running for his life, he was getting sacked. The running backs had no where to go (2.4 ypc). The lineman committed multiple holding and illegal blocking penalties. When you can't protect the QB or run the ball, the offense is going nowhere.

RT Kyle Murphy allowed a couple more sacks and showed he isn't ready to pass protect in the NFL. LG Lane Taylor was all-around terrible. C Don Barclay was floating his long snaps to Callahan and didn't prove that he can play inside this season any better than he played tackle last season. Rookie LT Jason Spriggs was again solid, except for a couple plays when he lost his balance and taken out of the play, which has happened to him in every preseason game. However, undrafted free agent Lucas Patrick was impressive, and his only struggles seem to be related to the giant club he's had to play with on his injured right hand. They better stash him on the practice squad.

WRs Davante Adams and Ty Montgomery are on my bubble, and neither one stood out. Both started out strong, Montgomery even blocked a punt on special teams, and then they both did nothing except drop passes in the second half.

Second pick of the preseason for @J_HawKkk! #GBvsKC #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/x9nCPQFuCR

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 2, 2016

Packers defense:

It looked like they were playing with no inside linebackers. Even ILB Blake Martinez struggled during his brief playing time. This was the first preseason game for ILB Jake Ryan and he looked a step behind on every play. Both Chiefs rushing TDs happened when the ILB failed to make the tackle in the backfield. ILB Carl Bradford didn't show the same rush to the ball that he's had earlier this preseason.

There wasn't much of a pass rush either. OLB Reggie Gilbert did nothing, and OLB Kyler Fackrell only stepped up after the bottom of the Chiefs roster started playing late in the game. All the interior tackles played well, and they probably gave GM Ted Thompson something of a good problem to sort out who to keep.

Backup QB Tyler Bray led both Chiefs' TD drives, and after a slow start for him (this was his first preseason game) he took advantage of soft coverage from the Packer defensive backs. The coverage scheme was easy for a veteran like Bray to read, so was it the DBs fault for behind a step behind or was it the scheme? If it is the fault of the scheme, that's not a problem because they won't be playing that the exact same coverage throughout an entire game during the regular season. They did record two INT (Josh Hawkins seen above plus another from LaDarius Gunter) and only had two pass interference/holding penalties. This is still a deep group of backups, and deciding who to keep won't be easy.

Packers special teams:

With no offense from either team for long stretches of the game, it was a punting clinic, and it provided a good opportunity to watch new Packer punter Jacob Schum. He doesn't have a big leg (his 45.5 yard average was 10 yards less per punt than Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt) but he was more consistent than former P Tim Masthay (almost all of Schum's punts were near the sidelines) and he was better at pinning them inside the 10 yard line. Masthay's best punts are probably better than Schum's best punts, but the Packers will probably know what to expect from Schum on each play compared to Masthay's inconsistent punting.

📸 @AaronRodgers12 & Alex Smith postgame.#GBvsKC pic.twitter.com/X5cb3HiR0P

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 2, 2016

It's time to shave the mustache, put the jersey back on, and get ready for the regular season starting in 10 days at Jacksonville. This is going to be a great team, no matter how the final roster cuts work out over the weekend, and they're currently favored to win every, single one of them.

NFL Free Agency Opens With The Usual Silence From The Packers

UPDATE: Actually it looks like the Bears had one of the best free agent signings with Trevathan. Signing a linebacker for $6 million per season who can stay on the field for every down is a good move. He might have been more motivated to work with the Bears and his old HC John Fox than he would have been with the Packers.

It also looks Forte signed for less than I expected but even at $4 million per season, if the Packers were going to make one splash in free agency, I'd rather they spent it on a linebacker or to re-sign Hayward over a backup running back.

Do you remember the good old days of 2014 when GM Ted Thompson made a splash in free agency? The past is in the past, and so far the Packers have only made one free agent move this week.

The #Packers signed G Lane Taylor to a 2-year deal worth $4.15M, source said. He gets $600K guaranteed.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2016

At first, it didn't seem like a good idea to give a backup a two-year deal, but the guaranteed money isn't much and he's currently the lowest paid player on the roster who isn't still playing under his rookie contract. They trusted Taylor to start two games last season, and they obviously liked what they saw. Offensive line depth around the NFL is very shallow, once you get beyond every team's top six lineman your probably looking at a player who's a future revolving door, so keeping a player who's good enough to start is valuable.

The only big name free agent that seemed to be rumored to have drawn any interest from the Packers was RB Matt Forte, but he's going to the Big Apple.

Believe #Jets signed Matt Forte for approx $2M less than Chris Ivory leaving for in JAX and Todd Bowles gets better pass game contributor

— Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) March 9, 2016

That should put Forte's new deal at around $6 million per season. That's not crazy money, Forte wouldn't be in the top 10 cap charges on the Packers' 2016 roster, but adding him would be a luxury if they're planning on sticking with RB Eddie Lacy as the starter next season. The Packers always carry forward some cap space into the next season, so a hypothetical Forte signing would probably only leave the Packers with about $5 million of cap space they'd like to use. That might not even be enough to re-sign NT B.J. Raji and would end any hope of a free agent upgrade at inside linebacker, and those are two positions I'd rather see upgraded before adding an extra running back. Plus, they'd be giving up on the chance to re-sign CB Casey Hayward (which might not be happening anyway).

Unfortunately I don't know who that magical inside linebacker might be that they can use their free agent dollars on. ILB Danny Trevathan is great but he's going to get overpaid by the Bears. After Trevathan, the free agent class features a number of veterans you'd hope could stay healthy (Derrick Johnson, Stephen Tulloch) or you hope can rebound from a disappointing season(s) (Bruce Carter). So basically no one that would look like a difference maker.

So the silence that began the 2016 free agent period will probably continue for a while.

McCarthy's Gotten Paid and Derek Sherrod Is Released

I think it was a gimme that the Packers would extend Mike McCarthy. There's been no reason to let him walk, and there's no obvious replacement in sight either. Two of his possible replacements have left in recent years, Ben McAdoo is off to a great start with Eli Manning and Joe Philbin's Dolphins have been outstanding over their last five games (with only a last second loss to the Packers as the exception), and I have no interest in seeing either of their current coordinators (Tom Clements and Dom Capers) become their next head coach.

ICYMI: The #Packers announced some roster moves on Monday. http://t.co/3H1Yy3tQyA pic.twitter.com/08EEPSqTSH
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 4, 2014

The big roster move was the release of former 1st round pick Derek Sherrod. This was a simple move to make. They needed to open a roster spot for JC Tretter to return from IR and Sherrod was clearly their worst lineman this season. The fact that Tretter played tackle in college, and is more likely to play guard than center at this time for the Packers, probably helped make the move easier because of the flexibility he provides. They could have released RG Lane Taylor instead, who's been just as awful this season as Sherrod in fewer snaps, but I don't have a problem choosing Sherrod over Taylor.

I do wonder what is going to happen with Sherrod. He's still got impressive size and looks like a NFL mauler. In some ways, 2014 is like a rookie season, because he missed 2012 and 2013 due to injuries. He's a developmental project, but he looks healthy and he might have better luck developing with a different franchise.

One side note was the addition of LB Joe Thomas and RB Rajion Neal to the practice squad. Both players were making noise in training camp before they were both injured in the first preseason game. I was very interested in watching Thomas last preseason, but he only got a few snaps on special teams. I'm not expecting to see either of them on the field this season, but I'm glad they're back in the fold for possible returns in 2015.

Preseason Preview: Packers at Chiefs

The Packers played a preseason game against the Chiefs in 2011 and things got a little strange when ex-Chiefs head coach Todd Haley left his starters in. His decision led to a couple injuries, and the Chiefs' starters lost a preseason game to the Packers' backups. I don't expect that to happen again since both Andy Reid and Mike McCarthy shouldn't leave their starters in for long. QB Aaron Rodgers has barely played at all this preseason, and I don't expect to see him on the field against the Chiefs.

The game will be replayed on NFL Network for those outside of Wisconsin.

Though this game, in theory, should be a good opportunity for players to prove they deserve a roster spot, I think the Packers have already made up their mind about most of them. They've already decided to keep Mason Crosby (though I'm not sure about that one). At the positions with some backup question marks (offensive line, running back, wide receiver, defensive line, linebacker) a big game might not help some players. The only position that does seem interesting is the offensive line, where the Packers could go in a couple different directions.

Patrick Lewis. The undrafted free agent looked like a good pickup back in April because he was a four year starter at Texas A&M. He's played a lot this preseason, but not too many people I bet have noticed him. It's generally a good sign when the offensive lineman aren't noticed. While that means he's been solid, it also means he's been unspectacular against other backups. The Packers probably like him, but they wouldn't have a need for him if it weren't for someone Van Roten's problems.

Greg Van Roten. The second year player is probably the most talented of the backup lineman, but the move to center hasn't worked out. He botched a couple shotgun snaps against the Seahawks and they can't trust him during the regular season if they need him to play center. His struggles might open the door for Lewis because I'd trust Lewis to play center ahead of Van Roten. I think he's still eligible for the practice squad, but he may also interest another NFL team, so they may have to put him on the 53-man roster if they want to keep him.

Lane Taylor. He botched a couple plays against the Rams (personal foul, allowed a sack) but his strength is that he's a road grader. Mike McCarthy would love to see more from the running game and Taylor might be able to help them. However, as mentioned above, he might be a liability in pass blocking. He seems like a perfect candidate for the practice squad.

The unknown is how these players might fit in with the tackles. Derek Sherrod and JC Tretter are officially on the PUP list (though I'm not sure why Tretter isn't on I.R. along with Bryan Bulaga). I haven't seen enough from Kevin Hughes or Andrew Datko to feel they need to be kept, and I don't know exactly what they have in mind for Marshall Newhouse. Maybe they can trade him to a tackle desperate team or move him to guard full-time? Maybe he'll just stay as the full-time backup tackle?

The final preseason game might actually make a difference for the offensive line if Van Roten can prove he can play center. Otherwise, it'll be fun to watch, but I don't expect it will shake up the roster.

After Two Preseason Games, The Packers Look All Right

Before the Green Bay Packers next preseason game, when they host the Seahawks on Friday night, I thought I'd take another look back at their win over the Rams.

The starters are playing all right. In two games, the defense hasn't forced any turnovers and the offense hasn't scored a touchdown, but they haven't been outplayed either. The offensive line seems set with Bakhtiari at LT though the coaches are giving Barclay a chance to unseat Newhouse (it hasn't happened yet). S Jerron McMillian has had some trouble with deep coverage, but it must be a little confusing in the secondary when rookie CB Micah Hyde is playing so much alongside inexperience CB Davon House.

The backup offensive and defensive lines dominated the Rams' backups. The backups weren't great when run blocking, which might have been a sign that the backup wide receivers weren't blocking well, but the Rams' pass rush didn't get anywhere near QB B.J. Coleman, which led to his best preseason performance (though too many of his passes were still thrown too high). The only backup lineman without a shot is undrafted rookie Lane Taylor, who picked up two penalties in the second half, including a personal foul for an illegal block.

On the defensive side, it's all about Johnny Jolly, who's making all the plays this preseason like he did in 2009 (hustle plays, tipping passes at the line of scrimmage). I can't make a case that he doesn't deserve to start, considering we haven't seen anything from rookie DE Datone Jones, who's battling an ankle injury, and DE C.J. Wilson hasn't done much.

Who will start at running back against the Seahawks? Despite the strong performance by Eddie Lacy against the Rams, he's still fourth on the official depth chart, and the Packers have started two different backs in two preseason games (Starks and Lacy). With DuJuan Harris back at practice this week, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get the start. The Seahawks have a great defense, and probably some extra motivation to look good against a possible playoff opponent, so no back might stand out on Friday.

The backup wide receivers are getting a lot of work. With Jordy Nelson out and Randall Cobb out, a lot of passes have been targeted at undrafted rookies Myles White and Tyrone Walker. Walker had made the most of it, until a couple of drops against the Rams, and White seems to be a favorite target for Vince Young and Coleman. However, Jeremy Ross and Jarrett Boykin haven't fallen behind either of them, so White and Walker might only be playing for a spot on the practice squad.

Who Are These Guys? Packers 2013 Undrafted Rookie Free Agents - Offense

It's a little hard to find out information on the undrafted rookie free agents signed by the Green Bay Packers because these are not top prospects. But every year, a couple of them find their way into the starting lineup. This post will start with the offense on this list of the 2013 undrafted rookie free agents posted by Jersey Al's:

QB Matt Brown, Illinois State. He tore up Division I (subdivision) and he's got NFL size (6-3, 223 lbs.) I expect he's got a strong arm, which is why they drafted B.J. Coleman last year, but the other backup (Graham Harrell) is a soft tosser by NFL standards, so maybe a strong arm isn't a prerequisite for the Packers. He's not highly regarded even among the undrafted QBs. CBS Sports.com had him ranked below guys like Penn State's Matt McGloin (who signed with the Redskins) but above players like Nate Montana (he was invited to 49ers camp because, of course he was). Unless Brown shows something in training camp, I don't expect he'll beat out Coleman as the practice squad QB.

C Patrick Lewis, Texas A&M. While he played in college on a winning team alongside the No. 2 overall selection (Luke Joeckel), Lewis wasn't expected to be drafted. He started a whopping 52 games in college and was named All-Big 12 in three seasons. Based on his 40 and shuttle times, he seems agile enough, but he's listed at 6-1 so he's a bit short for an NFL center. I can't find his arm length measurement from the combine, but I'm guessing his arms might be a little short too. He'll probably get a chance to prove himself during the preseason, but he's not going to be given too many opportunities.

RB Angelo Pease, Kansas State. He was the change of pace back for the Wildcats, so it's hard to picture him ever becoming an NFL featured back. At 211 lbs. he ran a 4.50 40 at the combine, which isn't quite big enough or fast enough to stand out from the other backs. While he has almost zero chance of making the 53-man roster, he might stick on the practice squad if the Packers want to keep an extra back.

TE Jake Stoneburner, Ohio State. Good receiving tight ends like Tyler Eifert were popular this year, so I'm surprised Stoneburner wasn't someone's late round draft selection. He'll have to move ahead of TEs D.J. Williams and Ryan Taylor to make the roster, but those two haven't exactly set the world on fire. If he can make some tough catches this preseason and show his value on special teams, he's got a shot at earning a 53-man roster spot.

G Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State. He wasn't considered a college prospect but went onto have a great college career. Now he's hoping to do the same though he was ranked as only the No. 35 prospect at guard by CBS Sports.com. The Packers will have room for a lineman on the practice squad, so he'll have a chance at earning a spot on it.

LS James Winchester, Oklahoma. Watch out Brett Goode! Winchester's a little small at 210 lbs. to snap punts, Goode's 255 lbs., so I'm not sure he can take Goode's role on special teams. Winchester had a great workout at Oklahoma's pro day, with better marks then some skill players, so maybe the Packers are just bringing a great athlete into camp and seeing if they can make something of him.

OT Jeremy Vujnovich, Louisiana College. He's an interesting Division III player with a 6-5 frame and he did 35 reps in the bench press, so he's strong too. He's more likely to become the next Allen Barbre than the next Josh Sitton and he's looking at a steep learning curve from Division III to the NFL. He's only got a tryout but the Packers have some room on their 90 man roster, and they need to improve their depth at tackle, so he'll have a chance.