On Saturday night, the Green Bay Packers opened up their 2014 preseason in a nasty, rainy scrap against the Tennessee Titans. Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy and Jordy Nelson all sat out the game as healthy scratches. There were some decent plays made on both sides of the ball, but ultimately the Packers raised some serious concerns. Between fumbles and some shaky line play on offense and some depth problems among the cornerbacks, there are some problems that must be addressed in the coming weeks.
Green Bay Packers Preseason Opener: What We Learned
On offense, the team started out looking fantastic. James Starks, who was impressive last year, proved his worth, rushing for almost 50 yards with 8.2 yards per carry. It may just be exhibition, but the more we see of James Starks, the better he seems to play. On top of that, both Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien showed functionality within the system and managed to get nine receivers into the action, including five wide receivers, three tight ends, including the under-the-radar Justin Perillo, and running back DuJuan Harris. The dropped passes (of which there were a few) can be chalked up to the rain, but still that’s no excuse. Additionally, the injury to Don Barclay was noticeable in the play of the offensive line, who were very hit and miss when opening up rushing lanes and gave up four total sacks.
On defense, the safeties looked good, and both Micah Hyde and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix looked confident and very capable in run support. Unfortunately, the defensive line’s depth has struggled with injuries to Letroy Guion and Jerel Worthy. Additionally, the performances of backup cornerbacks went down throughout the game. While Jarrett Bush made eight total tackles throughout the game and came up with one sack, receivers under his coverage made a concerning number of catches.
The major problems of the game were penalties and fumbles. In the first half alone, there were muffed punts and a mishandled kickoff. Davante Adams was on punt return duty and Dujuan Harris was on kickoff, and while there was a decent amount of rain coming down, such performances are troubling. In terms of penalties, over 60 yards is too much for one game and the Packers will have to work to eliminate such disciplinary issues before they face the Rams later this week. With regard to the offensive line, four sacks throughout the game were not disastrous, but these sacks took place at critical moments during the game and that can lead to a problem if it not locked down immediately.
Looking ahead to the game with St. Louis, Mike McCarthy and his coaching squad will look to further narrow down some roster issues. The defense has few issues at this point, but on offense the issues of wide receiver depth and a starting tight end are still floating around. It will be interesting to see who steps up to take Jared Abbrederis’ place in the wake of his injury. Jeff Janis could have a chance to get in the game if he practices well this week. Additionally, the tight end battle should intensify as Brandon Bostick, Andrew Quarless, Richard Rodgers and Justin Perillo are all hungry for the position and have more opportunity to prove themselves.
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