Official Preseason Week 1 Packers vs Bengals Meaningless Game Day Thread

[texaspackerbacker]

Besides, the NFL forbids the Packers from retiring the number - to punish Hournung for his gambling ordeal.

Seriously? If true, that's really fucked up.

[Joemailman]

How'd love look? I missed the first part of the game but I thought the second string guy actually looked pretty good. This team seems like they going to overachieve if I was playing armchair QB.

He played pretty well. Missed an open Musgrave on one pass. Threw TD pass to Doubs. Had deep pass to Watson broken up. Love and MLF said he needs to do better job of looking off the safety.

[texaspackerbacker]

I got to see the game on NFL Network - thankful for that, but not thankful for having to listen to the damned Bengal commentators and their stupid interviews while seldom naming Packer tacklers. I had to have my roster numbers handy most of the time.

It was a fun and entertaining game with a lot more to be happy about than not.

We got a big load of LaFleur offense and game planning - for better or worse. I was thinking early on that Love and then Casey were throwing into some tight spots and making it work. Then, of course, it bit the team in the ass a couple of times. Questionable whether those throws that Rodgers never woulda tried were a net positive or not. Tonight, they seemed to be, but going forward, who knows.

Similarly, Joe Barry's D was in full bloom and especially noticeable in contrast to the way the Bengals played. From first string all the way to the lowest scrubs, it was all out often blind penetration and pressure - again, for better or worse. After the first play or two, I don't think we had any sacks, but there was a ton of "hurries". We'll see going forward whether that is a net positive as well as whether Barry is any more than a one trick pony. I saw a lot of open space in the middle of the field that the Bengals didn't do a very good job of taking advantage of. Other teams very well might be able too.

Jordan Love looked solid but not great. Casey, you could say, looked great but not completely solid. I'm guardedly optimistic that if the rest of the team is as good as I think it is, the QBs aren't gonna make it a loser.

The receivers looked excellent from top to bottom. Toure, Wicks, Heath, and Reed all looked like keepers, Musgrave is gonna be a star too. The 3rd - 6th RBs all looked good, which means the back up O Line mostly did ok. Ditto that on pass blocking. Either they were very adequate or Love and Casey were mobile enough to make them look good, take your pick - I'd say a lot of both.

On D, the back up Corners did great Valentine and Ballentine especially. Hopper (the other 27) late in the game was decent too. Also, surprise surprise, Jean Charles had a decent game. There was a lot of good team D the whole game with hardly anybody in the front seven or Safetys standing out. Late in the game, Anthony Johnson looked good, but that was against the bottom scrubs of the Bengals.

Duds, if any? Early on, 34 - Simone Biles' husband - looked kinda out of it. Quay Walker didn't do much and was beat at least once. If Tariq Carpenter even played, I didn't even notice him. Engabare, who I really like, was kinda a disappointment. Leavitt, despite lucking into an interception, seemed to be a liability on D. Carlson, after making me think positive early, looked horrible with the two missed extra points.

On O, I saw Rhyan get beat at least once, and of course Newman took a large step toward playing himself out of a job. Caleb Jones and Tedford seemed to do good, but they probably won't be around when the season starts.

All in all, it was a decent start.

[Joemailman]

Nice job by Slaton taking on double team, and Wyatt fighting off block to make play. http://https://twitter.com/BenFennel...68672378810368

A couple nice moves by Karl Brooks. http://https://twitter.com/DaireCarr...62603443249152

Good breakdown by Dan Orlovsky on two misses to Musgrave that Love needs to improve on. http://https://twitter.com/danorlovs...48724562591744

[HarveyWallbangers]

I went to Packers camp for a week with my daughter, and I wish I had time to post about it—because one guy that really stuck out to me was #31. I told my daughter that he looks like how I want my RB to look. He looked like the third best RB on the team to me. He looks how I thought Nichols would look, but with more speed. I like that guy.

[texaspackerbacker]

The Bengals commentators were saying Wilson had a lot of teams after him when Denver cut him, but he thought he had the best chance to stick with the Packers. Him or Patrick Taylor, I hope they keep both.

Rereading my post from last night, I see I screwed up Clifford's name - twice. That could be good luck, though. I remember way way back in his first or second year, I got Aaron Rodgers' name wrong - I think I called him Thompson or something.

[Joemailman]

I went to Packers camp for a week with my daughter, and I wish I had time to post about it—because one guy that really stuck out to me was #31. I told my daughter that he looks like how I want my RB to look. He looked like the third best RB on the team to me. He looks how I thought Nichols would look, but with more speed. I like that guy.

Emanuel Wilson of Fort Valley St. Originally signed with Denver after draft. Had average RAS score hampered by poor agility scores.

Strengths
Possesses the build of an NFL runner.
Scored 14 total touchdowns over his final five college games.
Plus acceleration through the line of scrimmage and to the corner.
Shows off agility for back-side cuts from zone.
Capable pass-catcher out of the backfield.

Weaknesses
Would like to see more physical finishes to runs from him.
Running style can be too upright through the line.
Pass protection lacks knee bend and a functional anchor.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Seriously? If true, that's really fucked up.

That’s the theory floating around the internet. The NFL seems to be saying, Hornung’s lucky he ain’t Pete Rosed; retiring the 5 will only glorify gamblers.

[Joemailman]

Packers best and worst grades from PFF:

Top 5 offense

1. RB Emanuel Wilson: 93.5
2. OL Elgton Jenkins: 85.6
3. OL Zach Tom: 78.5
4. OL Luke Tenuta: 76.5
5. WR Dontayvion Wicks: 76.3

Wilson produced three runs over 10 yards on just six carries, including the 80-yard touchdown. Jenkins, who played 14 snaps at left guard, didn’t allow a pressure and earned the second-best run-blocking grade. Tom played 16 snaps at center and 12 at right tackle without giving up a pressure, earning him the top pass-blocking grade. Tenuta played 10 snaps at right tackle before his injury and was the top run blocker. Wicks caught three passes for 68 yards on 16 routes run.

Top 5 defense

1. CB William Hooper: 90.3
2. CB Carrington Valentine: 89.8
3. DL TJ Slaton: 89.5
4. S Tarvarius Moore: 81.7
5. S Anthony Johnson Jr.: 76.5

Hooper allowed only three catches on eight targets for 18 yards and broke up two passes. Valentine had a run stop, and he allowed only two catches on six targets for 16 yards while breaking up two passes and intercepting one. On just eight snaps, Slaton had two pressures, including a quarterback hit, and two run stops. Moore allowed only nine yards on three targets in coverage and earned the team’s top tackling grade. Johnson had two tackles and a near interception.

Bottom 5 offense

1. QB Alex McGough: 28.1
2. OL Royce Newman: 35.4
3. WR Duece Watts: 43.3
4. TE Tucker Kraft: 44.8
5. FB Henry Pearson: 48.5

McGough turned the ball over on his only passing snap. Newman gave up two pressures, including a quarterback hit, and had two penalties over 45 snaps. Watts had a holding penalty that wiped away an explosive run. Kraft caught one of three targets for four yards, lost out on a contested catch that turned into an interception, and earned poor run-blocking grades. Pearson graded poorly as a run blocker.

Bottom 5 defense

1. DL Devonte Wyatt: 29.1
2. DL Jason Lewan: 34.8
3. S Jonathan Owens: 35.0
4. OLB Lukas Van Ness: 40.8
5. OLB Kenneth Odumegwu: 51.4

Wyatt had a pressure on a stunt but also two missed tackles, including one resulting in an explosive run for Chris Evans. Lewan earned poor run defense grades over nine snaps. Owens, who started, missed a tackle and gave up an explosive passing play over 15 snaps. Van Ness played 20 snaps but delivered just one pressure. Odumegwu played 15 mostly empty snaps.

[Tony Oday]

Love consistently could make it to his second read, I was surprised.