The Green Bay Packers sat 32 players and lost to the New York Jets in Saturday’s preseason clash at Lambeau Field. Matt LaFleur’s team is now 0-2 to open the exhibition slate, with a third and final preseason game scheduled for next Saturday in Buffalo.
Wins and losses don’t matter in August. Once again, the Packers didn’t have a major injury, and a number of young players got a chance to play against veteran opposition.
Here are all the top takeaways from the Packers’ 23-14 loss to the Jets:
Rookie class looks strong
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Two games is hardly a big sample size, but with Matt LaFleur sitting most of the team’s important players during the first two exhibition contests, the Packers rookies have been provided the opportunity to play a lot of snaps. And by and large, the rookie class looks strong. Saturday was another example. First-round pick Eric Stokes knocked away a third-down pass in coverage of Corey Davis, Josh Myers and Royce Newman started along the offensive line, Kylin Hill scored a touchdown for the second consecutive game, Amari Rodgers touched the ball six times as a receiver, runner and returner, TJ Slaton delivered a sack and at least two other pressures, and Cole Van Lanen looked capable at guard and tackle. Even a few undrafted rookies stood out: Christian Uphoff made two excellent special teams plays as a gunner, and Jack Helfin lead the team with two quarterback hits.
Kylin Hill, RB3
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Speaking of rookies, Kylin Hill looks like a near-lock as the No. 3 running back. While Patrick Taylor had a fumble and Dexter Williams had a third-down drop, Hill delivered another touchdown on an explosive run. He beat the unblocked defender with a stiff arm, burst upfield and dove into the end zone. He was also the No. 1 kickoff returner again. The numbers don’t jump off the page (nine touches, 40 yards) but Hill is clearly the third-best back on the team.
Malik Taylor making more noise
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Receiver Malik Taylor was quietly one of the stars of the preseason opener, and he was excellent again on Saturday. On five targets, he delivered four catches for 66 yards, including three third-down conversions. Twice, he made terrific plays to extend scoring drives. On the first, his catch right along the boundary created 23 yards. The second was a spinning catch on a back-shoulder throw for 21 yards. He also made a contested-catch to convert a third down in the second half. Taylor made the most of the opportunity provided by Devin Funchess (hamstring) sitting out. He’s a very strong candidate to be the No. 6 receiver with one preseason game to go.
Benkert operates like a worthy No. 3
(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
Give credit to Kurt Benkert. He delivered a pair of scoring drives against a Jets defense playing a bunch of starters in the first half. The wheels came off in the second half, but his first-half performance was strong. If nothing else, Benkert proved he’s a capable third quarterback worthy of being developed in the Matt LaFleur offense this season and beyond. He has a good arm and a sense of calmness within the chaos. The question now is, should the Packers use a roster spot to keep him? Having Benkert as the No. 3 quarterback on the practice squad is the preferable option.
Punting inconsistency
(AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
The JK Scott experience was on full display. He hit two beautiful punts, both struck high and far, but he also had one 21-yard punt that set up a Jets score. Consistency is such an important part of being a specialist, while Scott has obviously kicking talent, consistency remains elusive. Saturday was a perfect day weather-wise at Lambeau Field for punting. There’s no excuse for a fourth-year punter to be hitting 21-yard punts. The inconsistency has to be maddening.
A.J. Dillon looks regular-season ready
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Dillon touched the football six times and gained 40 yards. The massive second-year running back looks regular-season ready. On an 11-yard run, Dillon cut into the opening, got moving downhill and bowled his way to a first down. He’s going to be a handful for defenses, especially defenses that are already sick of chasing Aaron Jones around. He moves exceptionally well for a man his size.
Special teams blunder, again
(AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
The Packers gave up a 73-yard kickoff return after taking a 14-10 lead, which directly set up the Jets go-ahead touchdown in the first half. The coverage was, in a word, terrible. Overall, Maurice Drayton’s group hasn’t looked strong through two preseason games, but the NFL’s preseason is full of long returns and special teams mistakes. The Bears gave up a long punt return for a touchdown earlier Saturday. Heck, even Reggie Begelton busted a big punt return for the Packers. Teams don’t have their regular players and are often experimenting on special teams with young, inexperienced players. The real tests begin for Drayton’s crew in Week 1. If the long returns continue, then worry.
Quick takeaways
(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
– Overall, the offensive line played much better. Newman, making his first start, was effective for much of the first half, particularly in the run game. Lucas Patrick, on the other hand, committed two penalties and had a bad snap. The arrows for these two players are pointing in different directions. – Linebacker Krys Barnes triggered fast on a third-down run and made the stop short of the sticks. Maybe losing weight will help him play faster. – Linebacker Kamal Martin made the tackle on the opening kickoff but looked out of position on several different plays on defense. – Undrafted rookie Jack Heflin is making a legit run at a roster spot. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Packers see some redundancy in Heflin and Tyler Lancaster and pick the cheaper, younger player.
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