The Packers didn’t need the preseason opener to be pretty. They needed it to be useful. And for stretches, it was exactly that: a night for reps, evaluations and a few encouraging flashes, even if the final result went the wrong way.
Matt LaFleur got his starters on the field to open the game, Jordan Love included, before turning the rest of the night over to the backups. Green Bay stayed relatively healthy, which matters more than the score in August. But the performance still came with plenty to sort through.
The best individual showing belonged to Trey Smack, who had the cleanest night of anyone in green and gold. The rookie drilled all three of his field goals, including a 58-yarder, and he also knocked through another 58-yard attempt that was wiped out by a Steelers penalty. That’s the kind of outing that gets noticed fast.
There were some positive signs from the pass rush, too, especially with Micah Parsons absent. Lukas Van Ness got home for a sack on Pittsburgh’s first drive, and Brenton Cox Jr. added one of his own. For a unit trying to establish itself early, that was a solid opening statement.
Not everything was sharp, though. Keisean Nixon had a rough moment when he missed a tackle on a 25-yard catch by Steelers rookie Germie Bernard, and the effort level on the play stood out for the wrong reason.
On the other side of that coin, second-round rookie Brandon Cisse continued what has already been a strong summer. His best moment came when he saved a touchdown with a tackle on former Packers back Lew Nichols at the 3-yard line.
At quarterback, Tyrod Taylor didn’t exactly force anyone to reconsider the depth chart. He finished 4 of 8 for 21 yards.
Kyle McCord, meanwhile, may have made the strongest case for QB3. He went 12 of 16 for 102 yards, and Kyron Drones barely saw the field, which suggests McCord has likely separated himself in that battle, probably for the practice squad rather than the 53-man roster.
The ground game was another mixed bag. MarShawn Lloyd flashed explosiveness, but the offensive line didn’t consistently create room. Green Bay averaged just 2.6 yards per carry, which only deepens the concern around a run game that was already an issue last season.
At receiver, Isaiah Neyor and J. Michael Sturdivant each had moments, combining for six catches and 56 yards.
That’s a useful start, but probably not enough on its own to crack a receiver room that’s already six deep. They still have time, but the climb to the 53-man roster is steep.
The night also brought injury concerns. Anthony Campbell kept showing the kind of promise he’s flashed all camp, then left early with an apparent knee injury.
Mark Perry was another standout, finishing with six tackles, four of them solo, before he also exited with an injury. Green Bay will be hoping both situations are minor.
Perry wasn’t the only safety who popped, either - Murvin Kenion III came up with a touchdown-saving pass breakup in the end zone.
The biggest concern may have been what happened on the back end of the defense. Even with backups on the field, the Packers gave up 27 completions on 33 attempts to Steelers quarterbacks for 313 yards and two touchdowns, good for a 128.8 passer rating. That kind of production is hard to ignore, even in the preseason, and it raises real questions about the depth in the secondary.
In Other News...
Zaire Franklin Got A Fast Introduction To Lambeau Pressure
Zaire Franklin got his first real taste of Lambeau Fields atmosphere during the Packers annual Family Night on Aug. 7, and the veteran linebacker came away with exactly what Green Bay wanted from the showcase. Recently acquired from the Colts, Franklin stepped into an event built to feel like a game without actually counting as one, with music, entertainment and a fireworks show helping turn training camp into something closer to Sunday.
For Franklin, the night was less about a routine summer workout and more about getting a preview of the noise and intensity that will come with the season. He described the experience as energizing and said it helped him prepare for the crowd pressure he expects to face once the games start to matter, a useful early read for a player still settling into his new surroundings. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Have A Tough Trade Decision In Their Secondary
The Packers cornerback room has quietly turned into one of the more crowded spots on the roster, and that kind of depth can create a harder conversation than a shortage ever would. With rookies Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson adding to the group, Green Bay suddenly has enough young options that it does not need to keep every piece in place just because it can.
A 24-year-old corner whose play dipped last season is now the sort of player teams have to evaluate differently when a future contract timeline is in the background. For the Packers, the question is whether to keep betting on a bounce-back or use the chance to gather draft capital while opening more room for the younger defensive backs to grow. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Keep Getting Doubted In A Division Race That Feels Open
Even with the NFC North looking like one of the more interesting division races in the conference, the Packers are still getting slotted behind Detroit and Chicago in some preseason conversations. FS1s First Things First put Green Bay in the top half of the NFC, but not at the front of the pack, a familiar place for a franchise that has spent years hearing skepticism about whether its offseason choices have left it strong enough to keep pace.
For a team that has long been judged by a higher standard in the division, the lack of respect is hardly new. It does, however, add a little edge to a summer where the Packers can point to the noise around them and use it as motivation, especially with a division race that feels open enough for the conversation to matter well into the season. [Read more 🡒]