Thoughts about the preseason and beyond
Preseason time is here, and the Packers will be playing road games vs the Browns and Broncos followed by a home game vs the Ravens. Here are a few things I will be looking forward to watching during these preseason games and what I expect and hope to see moving forward.
Jordan Love will be playing during the preseason, at least during this first game. Now that he finally has his massive contract extension, it’s clear that he is here for the long term. For the limited time he is out there, I’d like to see the offense move the ball and get some good habits going before the regular season starts. Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt will compete for the top backup spot. There will be plenty of competition to go around, especially on defense as the Packers have a new defensive coordinator and is looking for players with a knack for forcing turnovers.
In addition to the usual things I’m looking for, like no injuries and good plays made by everyone on the roster, whether it’s an established starter or the players on the end of the bench, there are two things that catch my eye. The first is the kicking game. Anders Carlson was shaky at best last year, and we don’t want to see that from a kicker. Veteran Greg Joseph has come in to challenge him. They also have a third kicker, Alex Hale. Will Carlson hold on to the kicking job entering the regular season, or will Joseph, or even Hale, beat him out? The second thing I am looking to see, and it’s not necessarily a good thing, are the new kicking rules. At first glance at the new rules, I’m not a fan. I understand that they changed the rules because of safety concerns. They like to preach safety, but then again, they have Thursday games almost all season long and they extended it to 17 games not too long ago and there is talk about expanding the season even further.
Every season is different, but going into last year, it was unclear what to expect. There were so many changes made with the roster and not just at the QB1 position. The season had its ups and downs, but they ended up not only making the playoffs but defeating the Dallas Cowboys in their own playground, something no other team was able to accomplish last season. They played the 49ers tough before falling short. We can’t forget they also defeated the Detroit Lions on the road Thanksgiving Day and handed the Kansas City Chiefs a loss on Sunday night, scoring more points vs KC than any other team last season. It was quite an accomplishment for a team that had so much turnover on their roster and that didn’t even make the playoffs the year before.
There are a lot higher expectations this year, especially when your top quarterback signs a massive extension that would make anyone except possibly Mr. Burns or Scrooge McDuck jealous. I think the Lions still have to be considered the favorites to win the division, but there is no reason to think the Packers can’t knock them off their perch. They have a big hurdle to jump in the 49ers, but they have been bitten by the injury bug a bit, and receiver Brandon Aiyuk wants to be traded and is in a standoff with the team.
The offense has the potential to be awesome. The other positions are a bit of a question mark. How much will the defense improve with new DC Jeff Hafley? Also, can we count on the kicker, whoever it turns out to be? If you want to be the champion and defeat teams like SF and KC, you have very little margin for error. I am confident that the Packers can get there. The journey has already begun. Enjoy the preseason everyone!
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackersFan #DHPF #GregGoshaw @gg901
