Five things to look out for in the preseason

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin – The Green Bay Packers open the 2024 NFL preseason against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.

Highlighted by Jeff Hafley and Jordan Love, here are five things to look out for.

1. Jeff Hafley’s defensive approach

There are two ways to approach the preseason. One is to make it boring. The other is to try all the flavors at Baskin Robbins. In 2009, then-coach Mike McCarthy hired Dom Capers as his defensive coordinator. The Packers ranked fifth in sacks in the preseason. Four defensive backs had at least one.

How will new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley approach the preseason?

“You’ll find out Saturday night,” coach Matt LaFleur replied.

Does it make sense to play Capers-style with at least some of the exotic stuff so players can get a feel for it in live situations? Or does it make more sense to keep things simple so the Philadelphia Eagles and other opponents don’t know what to expect at the start of the season?

“I think it’s valuable in every way,” LaFleur said. “I think you’re certainly going to stick to your core principles and calls, but you’re not going to just go all out and show it. So we’ll see how the game goes.”

“The bottom line is that we just want to see that no matter what the decision is, the guys can go out there, play fast and execute.”

2. Jordan Love and the quarterbacks

$220 million man Jordan Love will start. In a perfect world, he would lead an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, complete a handful of passes and spend the rest of the day as an assistant quarterbacks coach.

“It’s awesome,” Love said. “I think it’s just different than a game. Just the feeling, the atmosphere and trying to control all those nerves and things like that. It’s something you can’t really replicate in practice – you try – but that game film is something you can’t replicate in practice out there. So I think it’ll be good to get out there.”

After missing the first four practices while waiting for his contract extension, Love showed signs of being the player who dominated down the stretch last season, but at other times he looked more like a young, error-prone quarterback.

In an interesting (and irrelevant) parallel, second-year starter Aaron Rodgers began his preseason against the Browns in 2009, completing 5 of 10 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, laying the foundation for a breakthrough season.

Sean Clifford is next in line, and rookie Michael Pratt will do the rest. After a flawed start to training camp, Clifford has been much better in the last few practices. He is the clear favorite to replace Love.

However, Pratt has appeared composed throughout training camp and appears capable of maintaining competition. He will face the challenge of leading an offense comprised almost entirely of freshmen.

3. AJ Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd

There is no doubt that Josh Jacobs will be the best running back this season. AJ Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd have also been part of the No. 1 offense throughout training camp.

How are running backs evaluated on the practice field when there is no live tackling and therefore no opportunity to break tackles?

“Our running game is about how they pressure the heels of the O-line and how they read each gap individually,” LaFleur said. “In pass protection, it’s pretty self-explanatory. Are they on the right guys? Are they using the right technique? Can they block a blitzing linebacker, DB or whoever?

“And then when they go on their routes, are they running the right routes in the rhythm and timing of the game and how do they finish? We evaluate every player on every play. Just because they don’t go down doesn’t mean you can’t evaluate those players.”

On Saturday, however, the evaluation will be infinitely more realistic. Dillon is off to a great start, but one of the worst running backs in the league last season in terms of forcing missed tackles and gaining yards after contact will have to show that he is truly new and improved.

However, Dillon has proven his ball security and track record in pass defense. Lloyd, who was drafted in the third round this year, has a lot to prove in these phases. Can he not only identify the blitzer, but also stop him? Can he not only catch the pass, but also run through a defensive back?

If the Packers land in Brazil, Dillon will be trusted to a great extent. Lloyd will have to earn it.

4. Rush and reporting

Hafley’s defense has been a threat all summer. The defensive line has relentlessly pressured the quarterback and pushed into the backfield. The secondary has taken advantage by intercepting pass after pass.

“Our DC would definitely say rush and coverage work together. That’s his motto,” said rookie safety Evan Williams, who along with cornerback Eric Stokes has thrown four interceptions in practice, tying for the most interceptions on the team.

The defensive front’s dominance comes with the limitation of facing an offensive line that is still developing. The Packers tend to start with Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jordan Morgan and Zach Tom. This group has played exactly zero snaps together.

So is the success of the defense based on the strength of the defensive line? Or on the weakness of the offensive line?

“I think we’re playing against a pretty good defensive line, so I hope that’s the case,” LaFleur said. “We won’t really know until we start playing other guys in the season, but I feel like our D-line is doing pretty well every game.”

The trust is sky high.

“I’m excited to see how it all goes,” defensive tackle Kenny Clark said. “We’ve been working on it all camp, all OTAs and all that. It’s going to be exciting to see us get into a game situation and go up against somebody else who doesn’t know what we’re going to do. I can’t wait to get out there.”

5. The Kickers

As the legendary John Madden said, “When you have two quarterbacks, you really have none.”

So what if you have three kickers?

The Packers have three kickers again and Australian rookie Alex Hale joins Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph.

Joseph had the better training camp and a long history of making big kicks, but his overall output leaves a lot to be desired. Carlson had an inconsistent training camp after a disappointing rookie season. Hale is just getting started; his six attempts at Wednesday’s practice were his first in an NFL uniform.

When asked if Hale’s signing was a sign that the team was disappointed with Carlson and Joseph, LaFleur replied, “Not necessarily. I think you’re just always trying to add value to your team and keep it competitive.”

But the Packers wouldn’t need competition if Carlson and/or Joseph were in good shape.

In a perfect world—at least from Rich Bisaccia’s perspective—the offense would get into favorable position 12 times but not score a single touchdown, giving his three kickers plenty of opportunities.

More news from the Green Bay Packers training camp

Even by the standards of experts #Packer Kicker Alex Hale has a wild story.

Hale and his mentor, an NFL legend @CarneyCoachingtalked today about Hale’s incredible journey to the NFL. ⬇️https://t.co/DcTqzVup8v

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) 8 August 2024

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