Nobody wants to start the season talking about silver linings, but the Packers found at least one in Week 1: rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse.
Justin Jefferson beat him on one memorable play, and that’s the kind of thing Jefferson does to a lot of corners. Even so, Cisse held up well the rest of the way. In his first NFL game, he played 49 snaps, the most of any Packers defender who didn’t play every snap in Week 1.
That matters because Green Bay’s secondary has been under a microscope all offseason. If Cisse keeps giving the Packers competent snaps, some of that pressure starts to ease. He and Keisean Nixon are going to have their rough patches, sure, but solid work from one defensive back makes life easier for everyone else in the back end.
That’s the bigger story from Cisse’s debut. He took some hits, but the Packers’ defense mostly got the job done.
Elsewhere around the Packers, the question of why Donovan Jennings started over Jager Burton in Week 1 still doesn’t have a satisfying answer.
Tucker Kraft also had a noticeable role change against the Vikings. He was described as a YAC machine who then came back as a downfield threat.
And maybe the Packers should consider any luck they can get. Some around APC have joked that the team has been lightly cursed since removing the Horse Collar Brat from the menu.
There’s also the matter of Kevin Zeitler, who is being viewed as about as close to a hometown prospect as you’re likely to find right now. The question is whether Green Bay would make the call.
In Other News...
Packers O-Line Issues Just Turned Into A Bigger Coaching Debate
The Packers opening-week loss quickly pushed the offensive line into the center of the conversation, and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich tried to frame the problems as more about communication than anything structural. He said the choice to start Donovan Jennings at left guard came down to what the staff saw in practice, and he also left open the possibility of moving Anthony Belton back to guard as Green Bay continues to search for the right mix up front.
What makes the issue linger is that the discussion has started to bleed beyond the line itself. Stenavich and Matt LaFleur offered different explanations about how Tucker Kraft was used on one particular play, a small detail that points to a larger question about how cleanly the offense is being coached and executed. For a unit already under pressure after Week 1, those kinds of differences matter because they can reveal whether the problem is simply timing, or something deeper. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Jacobs Update Leaves Packers Facing A Serious Off-Field Question
Josh Jacobs has already played a central role in Green Bays offense, but his latest legal resolution puts the Packers in an uncomfortable spot off the field. The running back entered a no contest plea to two misdemeanor charges tied to a domestic disturbance case, resulting in a battery conviction and a $1,000 fine, while the property damage charge was handled through a deferred judgment arrangement.
The remaining issue now centers on what happens with the evidence from the incident itself. The victims legal team has asked to seal surveillance footage related to the case, and the Packers are left monitoring a situation that has moved beyond the courtroom but not fully out of the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Rodgers Sent A Message Steelers Fans Will Love After Week 1
After Week 1 in Pittsburgh, Aaron Rodgers took a moment to reach across the aisle and salute a familiar face. The former Packers quarterback sent ZaDarius Smith a handwritten note after the Steelers game against the Falcons, praising the veteran pass rushers energy and the way he worked his way back into the action.
Rodgers and Smith spent three seasons together in Green Bay, so the message carried the kind of respect that usually comes from shared locker rooms and a few battles together. Smith had only recently signed with Atlanta after a brief retirement, and he played through a shoulder issue in the opener, a detail Steelers fans will appreciate even if the note itself was aimed at an old teammate. [Read more 🡒]