Packers finish preseason with 30-7 win over Ravens, both teams give their top players a break

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers’ kicker competition remains exciting.

Greg Joseph improved his chances of unseating incumbent Anders Carlson by making a 55-yard field goal and a 36-yard field goal on Saturday as the Packers beat the Baltimore Ravens 30-7 in the final preseason game without most of both teams’ starters.

Carlson completed a 54-yard pass in the first quarter, but missed a 32-yard pass to the right in the final quarter.

“We’ll wait and see,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said after the game about the kicker competition.

After Carlson struggled as a rookie last season, the Packers brought in Joseph to compete with him. Joseph played for the Cleveland Browns (2018), Tennessee Titans (2019) and Minnesota Vikings (2021-23).

“I’ve controlled what I can control,” Joseph said. “Anything beyond that keeps me awake at night because I have no control over it.”

Both teams rested their top players to ensure they remained as healthy as possible for the start of the regular season. The Ravens were still a little unlucky, as running back Owen Wright broke his foot and center Nick Samac was carted off the field.

Samac, a seventh-round rookie out of Michigan State University, has made several first-team appearances in training camp, while Tyler Linderbaum, a 2023 Pro Bowler, is battling neck problems.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh expressed confidence after the game that Linderbaum and tight end Mark Andrews, who was injured in a car accident last week, will be ready for the start of the regular season.

With most of the regulars on the bench, this final exhibition game was an exhibition for players trying to earn a spot. NFL teams must trim their rosters to 53 players by Tuesday.

Green Bay’s Arron Mosby made a name for himself by making a strip sack that led to a touchdown and intercepting passes on two consecutive series. Kristian Welch intercepted a pass for the second consecutive game. Ellis Merriweather, Nate McCrary and Emanuel Wilson combined for 190 yards in the running game.

The Packers could need one of those running backs to start behind Josh Jacobs, as AJ Dillon is dealing with a stinger and third-round rookie MarShawn Lloyd is nursing a hamstring injury, making their status uncertain to start the season.

In the race to replace Green Bay starting quarterback Jordan Love, Sean Clifford completed 6 of 14 passes for 53 yards and a touchdown to Malik Heath. Rookie Michael Pratt, drafted in the seventh round, completed 8 of 12 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown to Bo Melton and intercepted a pass by Baltimore’s Trenton Simpson.

“I think it’s similar to the soccer competition. There were some really good moments, but then there were some things that we definitely need to do better. And then we’ll evaluate everything that comes our way,” LaFleur said.

With reigning MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson sidelined, Baltimore’s Josh Johnson completed 5 of 7 passes for 71 yards and threw a 48-yard touchdown to Tylan Wallace. Rookie Devin Leary, a sixth-round pick, completed 6 of 13 passes for 34 yards with two interceptions and a fumble.

Baltimore has added some potential starters to an offensive line that has gone through a lot of upheaval, with Andrew Vorhees at left guard, Daniel Faalele at right guard and Roger Rosengarten at right tackle. The Ravens lost guard Kevin Zeitler to the Detroit Lions and John Simpson to the New York Jets, and traded right tackle Morgan Moses to the Jets.

The Ravens also started rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins, a first-round pick who injured his shoulder in Baltimore’s season opener and did not play last week against the Atlanta Falcons.

“He’s had a hell of a training camp,” Harbaugh said. “He’s definitely everything we expected him to be. Not that he can’t get better, because he can and I’m sure he will because he’s working at it. We’re going to expect a lot from him this year.”

However, the best performances were delivered by the boys who fought for the last places in the squad.

Mosby, who played just three NFL games with Carolina in 2022, made the biggest play when he sacked Leary and batted the ball backward. Anthony Johnson Jr. recovered the fumble at Baltimore’s 24-yard line – 28 yards behind the line of scrimmage – and ran into the end zone.

On Baltimore’s next series, Mosby intercepted Leary’s pass.

Now he is waiting to see whether his performance is enough to be included in the team.

“You never know how those 72 hours are going to go,” Mosby said. “Whether it happens here or somewhere else, you always have to be ready.”

Ravens: Start the regular season on September 5 with a Thursday night game at Kansas City.

Packers: The regular season begins on September 6 with a Friday game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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