The Green Bay Packers dropped a second consecutive home game to open the preseason, but Matt LaFleur’s team was competitive in the first half against the New York Jets despite sitting 32 players.
Once again, turnovers and a special teams mistake killed an opportunity to win the game. The Packers gave the ball away three times in the second half, and a 73-yard kickoff return by the Jets set up the go-ahead touchdown in the first half.
“We made way too many mistakes to win the football game,” LaFleur said.
For the most part, the Packers’ second and third stringers competed well against a big chunk of the Jets starters. Second overall pick Zach Wilson threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Jets in the first half, but Kurt Benkert led two impressive scoring drives of his own, including a 19-play march in the second quarter.
If anything, the first half provided an ideal setting for evaluating a bunch of young players against NFL starters.
Overall, the offense was strong early. Receiver Malik Taylor caught two third-down conversions over 20 yards, including a terrific catch along the sideline and another spinning reception on a back-shoulder throw. Rookie Kylin Hill finished one scoring drive with an explosive run, likely locking in his spot as the third running back, and third-year tight end Jace Sternberger caught a touchdown on a perfect ball from Benkert in the corner of the end zone.
The offensive line was considerably better, especially in the first half. The Packers ran the ball better – A.J. Dillon carried four times for 28 yards early on – and the protection held up around Benkert for much of the contest. Rookie Royce Newman started at right guard and was solid.
The Packers will be disappointed that Jordan Love missed the contest. It was an important evaluation and development moment for the 2020 first-round pick, but Benkert handled his business well, especially in the first half, and he’ll be an ideal third quarterback in 2021 whether he’s on the roster or the practice squad.
LaFleur and the Packers took the cautious (and smart) route again, sitting just about any player of significance. The Packers starters got two days of work against the Jets during joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday, so risking injury in a preseason game wasn’t necessary.
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Packers vs. Jets recap: Everything to know from Preseason Week 2
