The Green Bay Packers won their week one preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals 36-19 on Friday. While the final preseason scores don’t matter, it provides a good evaluation of the roster. A lot of young players for the Packers are standing out and making plays. The roster looks very promising this year. Here are some important notes from the first preseason game.
Joe Barry Is Being More Aggressive
Last year, Packers’ defensive coordinator Joe Barry faced criticism for not being aggressive. However, during Friday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he showed aggressive play calling with numerous linebacker and defensive back blitzes. It appears that Barry is now allowing his players to play more freely, unlike the last season when they were supposedly handcuffed.
It’s worth noting that the preseason play calling is mostly vanilla, and the real playbook is opened up in the regular season meaning Joe Barry has not even shown his real scheme yet. Based on what we’ve seen against the Bengals, it seems that Barry will be more aggressive this year.
The Green Bay Packers Have A Pretty Deep Cornerback Room
The Packers have a surplus of talent at cornerback, with impressive performances from Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Corey Ballentine (before injury), Shemar Jean Charles, and Innis Gaines against the Cincinnati Bengals. That is very good with Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, and Eric Stokes being the top three corners on the team already. The cornerback room for the Packers could be one of the strongest in the NFL this season with the solid depth they currently have.
Dontayvion Wicks Leading The Packers In Receiving and Was Doing The Dirty Work In The Run Game
During Friday’s game against the Bengals, rookie wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks had an impressive debut. He led the Packers in receiving and also did well in run blocking. Here is a clip showcasing his performance against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dontayvion Wicks! I’m excited for him! #packers @WicksDontayvion pic.twitter.com/lnp62faAaZ
— DKYSports Wisconsin (@dkysportswisco) August 12, 2023
Despite missing the beginning of training camp with a concussion, it’s impressive that he was able to perform well on Friday. If he maintains this level of play, he could have a significant role in the Packer’s offense as a rookie this season.
Defensive Line Was Doing Work
The Packers’ defensive line dominated against the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday. Second-year player Devonte Wyatt was disrupting plays, stopping the run, and was in the backfield consistently on limited snaps. Here is a clip of Wyatt from Friday’s preseason game.
Excited for Devonte Wyatt in Year 2… pic.twitter.com/EsmHBcYMsy
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) August 12, 2023
It’s not just him, T.J. Slaton also had a solid game on limited snaps, taking on double teams and still holding up in the run game. Rookie defensive tackle Colby Wooden was also very disruptive, along with Karl Brooks. Johnathan Ford also had a very solid game as well. This is very good to see, and it looks like the Packers might have a very formidable defensive line this season.
Edge Group Looks Very Good So Far
The Packers revamped their edge room this offseason and it’s paying off. Justin Hollins is getting time with the starters after a strong second half of last season. Rookie first-round pick Lukas Van Ness had a rough performance but showed flashes of his strength and power. Brenton Cox and Kingsley Enagbare were the biggest standouts, leading the team with three pressures each. Cox was constantly in the backfield, splitting double teams, and even caused a tipped pass leading to an interception. With Rashan Gary returning soon, the Packers’ pass rush could be scary this season if these guys can keep it up.
Jordan Love Looked Very Good
Jordan Love performed well in Friday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, finishing 7/10 for 46 yards with one touchdown and had a 112.9 passer rating. Although on the first series on offense, he missed some throws, he bounced back on the next series and led the offense on a touchdown drive. He continues to show improvement each week, which is very encouraging. With a little bit more consistency from Jordan Love, he could surprise many this year.
Packers Have A Surplus Of Talent At Offensive Tackle
The Packers had strong good offensive line play on Friday, especially from the offensive tackle position. Both Yosh Nijman and Zach Tom performed well in the starting lineup. However, the backups also did very well. Caleb Jones was a brick wall in pass blocking and was just moving people in the run game. In this clip watch how Jones number 72 helped open up a hole for running back Tyler Goodson to score a touchdown.
.@tgood1110 takes it in for the TOUCHDOWN!#GBvsCIN | #GoPackGo
📺: Packers TV Network + NFL Network pic.twitter.com/tSoVCm80DX
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 11, 2023
Rasheed Walker is also continuing his impressive preseason from last year with another solid showing from him. Luke Tenuta also had a strong game, showcasing the Packers’ depth at offensive tackle. Now this is interesting as this could lead to a tough decision on David Bakhtiari that is coming up next year. However, until that time comes, the Packers should be very pleased with all the talent they have at offensive tackle.
The Defense Did Not Allow A Touchdown
The Packer’s defense did not allow any touchdowns from the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense on Friday. The Bengal’s points consisted of field goals and a pick-six thrown by rookie quarterback Sean Clifford. Although the defense gave up some big plays, especially against the run, they never let the Bengal’s offense come near the endzone throughout the game. This is a significant achievement for the Packers’ defense, and they will look to improve in the next two preseason games.
Competition For The Third Running Back Spot Is Wide Open
The Packers currently lack a clear front-runner for their third running back position behind Aaron Jones and AJ Dillion. Tyler Goodson is a candidate, but his performance against the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday was not strong. Additionally, Lew Nichols is still out, and Emmanuel Wilson has emerged as a potential option with his impressive stats on Friday having six carries for 111 yards, scoring two touchdowns, and averaging 18.5 yards a carry. Here is a clip of the 80-yard touchdown scored by Wilson that ultimately sealed the win for the Packers.
.@1kEmanuelWilson showing off the speed 🔥
📺: #GBvsCIN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/bBFpXewtKp pic.twitter.com/ls44nPa5bc— NFL (@NFL) August 12, 2023
It was a really impressive run by Wilson and that now makes him a strong contender for the third running back spot. The Packers have a good problem on their hands, and it will be hard to decide who will back up Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.
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