After scrimmaging twice against the Saints, the Packers played a preseason game against them on Friday. There were 63 plays on offense and 63 plays on defense.
| Player | Snaps | % | % SF | STs |
| Hanson | 57 | 90 | 79 | 1-4% |
| Van Laanen | 46 | 73 | 35 | 3-12% |
| Tom | 40 | 63 | 49 | 3-12% |
| Nijman | 36 | 57 | 65 | 3-12% |
| Newman | 36 | 57 | 65 | 3-12% |
| Rhyan | 27 | 43 | 34 | 4-16% |
| Caleb Jones | 27 | 43 | 35 | 1-4% |
| Myers | 17 | 27 | 51 | 1-4% |
| Runyan | 17 | 27 | 65 | 1-4% |
| Menet | 6 | 10 | 21 | 1-4% |
| Clary | 6 | 10 | 1 | 1-4% |
| Love | 57 | 90 | 65 | |
| Etling | 6 | 10 | 35 | |
| Goodson | 32 | 51 | 41 | 10-40% |
| P Taylor | 18 | 29 | 27 | 9-36% |
| D Williams | 13 | 24 | – | 6-24% |
| A Mack | 30 | 48 | 34 | 11-44% |
| T Davis | 24 | 38 | 37 | 5-20% |
| Deguara | 12 | 19 | 46 | 1-4% |
| Becker | 9 | 14 | – | |
| Cannela | 5 | 8 | 11 | 4-16% |
| A Rodgers | 46 | 73 | 75 | 8-32% |
| Winfree | 44 | 70 | 41 | 2-8% |
| Toure | 33 | 52 | 62 | 12-48% |
| Doubs | 29 | 46 | 39 | |
| Fulgham | 11 | 17 | – | |
| Hyman | 9 | 14 | 21 | 1-4% |
| 27 on Offense |
The Packers rolled out Nijman, Runyan, Myers, Hanson, and Newman to start the game. Runyan and Myers were pulled after the first two series (17 snaps), with the Packers in the lead, 3-0. Hanson moved to center, and Van Laanen came in to play left guard, where he got an extremely long look. I had not realized Van Laanen played so many snaps, which I suppose is a good sign for an offensive lineman. Newman had a rougher outing. PFF assigned two pressures and two more lost reps on passing plays in Newman’s 19 pass blocking snaps.
The Packers scored a touchdown on their third third possession, an 11-play drive resuscitated by a roughing the passer penalty. The Packers got the ball back after Shawn Davis recovered a botched snaps and returned it to New Orlean’s 25-yard line. After a nice 5-yard run by Patrick Taylor and two incomplete passes, the Packers kicked a field goal. After Abernathy intercepted a pass, the Packers ran 2 plays with that possession ending on Tyler Davis’ fumble.
Tyler Goodson ran the ball five times for 38 yards (7.6 yard average) with a long of 15. Patrick Taylor picked up some tough yards inside, carrying the ball 8 times for 27 yards, with a long of 5. Taylor also had a very nice play in pass protection, and was very good on special teams. Amari Rodgers ran a reverse for 8 yards, showing enough speed to get to the edge. The Packers averaged 5.21 yards per rush from non-quarterbacks.
It appears to me that of their potential starters, the Saints played only DT Shy Tuttle (11 snaps), LB Kayden Eliss (30 snaps). CB Bradley Roby (10 snaps) might see some playing time. On offense, the Saints played likely starting right guard Cesar Ruiz for 31 snaps. It seems safe to believe that the Packers played more against the Saints’ starters in the two scrimmages.
In the second half, the Packers featured an offensive line of Caleb Jones, Van Laanen, Hanson, Rhyan and Tom. Goodson had 2 carries for 4 yards. Dexter Williams ran it 5 times for 24 yards (4.8 yard average), and Amari Rodgers had a 7-yard run with Hyman adding an eleven yard run. Toure lost 2 yards on his attempt. Caleb Jones absolutely pancaked Saints on more than one occasion. The thought that perhaps Jones might not pass through waivers flickered through my mind. Rhyan seemed up and down. Zach Tom threw a couple of nice run blocks. PFF indicated that he did not allow a pressure in 19 pass blocking snaps. Some fans apparently thought Tom gave up too much ground in those pass blocking snaps; that is a matter of opinion. I thought Clary played some nice snaps. Rasheed Walker did not play, once again.
Tyler Davis had anothe brutal night with a fumble and a holding penalty that negated a 17-yard reception to Doubs. None of the other tight ends did much. Deguara had an 11-yard reception in 12 snaps, Sal Cannela caught a 13 yard pass, and newcomer Nate Becker caught a 2-yard pass. Alize Mack had no statisitcs.
Winfree led the day with 41 receiving yards on 3 catches (6 targets). He also had some nice blocks. Doubs caught 3 passes for 24 yards with a long of 17, and had another 17-yard reception wiped out by Tyler Davis’ holding penalty. He dropped his other two targets, one of which was an over the shoulder attempt that would have been a fairly long reception. Doubs can get open, and he can get separation, but he drops too many. He did catch a beautiful touchdown pass from Love. Amari Rodgers caught two of five targets for 5 yards. I do wonder if he has to be schemed open as he does not appear to get open downfield often. He did make a nice adjustment on a pass over the middle but the ball popped out as he hit the ground.
Jordan Love played well. He was more accurate. Some thought he felt some phantom pressure that was not there, but it is hard to separate Love derangement syndrome from neutral appraisals. Once again his box score of 12 of 24 for 113 yards and a touchdown is misleading. His receivers dropped at least 4 passes that PFF noted were worth 71 more air yards plus whatever yards after the catch his receivers might have added. He moved the team. The Packers only converted 2 of 5 third down opportunities with Love at the helm, but at least two more should have been converted without the drops. Etling can run.
As for the differentials in snap percentages between game one and two, Van Laanen getting a long look was interesting, as was Fulgham and Becker playing as much as they did. The Packers could have taken a longer look at Hyman and Canella, instead.
| PLAYER | SNAPS | % | % SF | STs |
| Jean-Charles | 52 | 83 | 66 | 7-28% |
| S. Davis | 48 | 76 | 42 | 6-24% |
| K Thomas | 45 | 71 | 61 | 13-52% |
| Abernathy | 40 | 63 | – | 14-56% |
| Gafford | 35 | 56 | 41 | 3-12% |
| Scott | 23 | 37 | 25 | 5-20% |
| Ento | 21 | 33 | 58 | 12-48% |
| Cross | 15 | 24 | – | 5-20% |
| Nixon | 12 | 19 | 27 | 1-4% |
| Carpenter | 0 | 0 | 59 | |
| Enagbare | 34 | 54 | 76 | 10-40% |
| Wilborn | 33 | 52 | 51 | 13-52% |
| Summers | 32 | 51 | 34 | 18-72% |
| Kobe Jones | 28 | 44 | 61 | 14-56% |
| Hamilton | 24 | 38 | Inj | 7-28% |
| McDuffie | 24 | 38 | 44 | 2-8% |
| Gileai | 22 | 35 | 15 | 7-28% |
| Barnes | 19 | 30 | 20 | 2-8% |
| Manac | 15 | 24 | 29 | 1-4% |
| Q Walker | 12 | 19 | 20 | 2-8% |
| Garvin | 7 | 11 | 19 | 4-16% |
| Slayton | 45 | 71 | 86 | 2-8% |
| Heflin | 39 | 62 | 63 | 3-12% |
| Ford | 29 | 46 | 53 | 2-8% |
| Wyatt | 26 | 41 | DNP | 1-4% |
| Slaton | 14 | 21 | 32 | 4-16% |
| Byers | 0 | 0 | 29 | |
| 24 on Defense | ||||
| Ahmed | 9-36 | |||
| Coco | 8-32 | |||
| O’Donnell | 8-32 | |||
DT Chris Slaton had a nice night with 5 tackles, (3 solo) and a stuff. Heflin and Slaton were fairly quiet, though they were stout. Wyatt failed to produce a pressure in 15 pass rushing attempts and was not great against the run. Ford was not as stout as one would like against double teams.
McDuffie looks like ILB #3 with 6 tackles (4 solo). Ray Wilborn was active. He had 7 tackles (6 solo) and a sack. Barnes ranged over to make a nice tackle on a pass in the flat to limit the gain but also got washed out by a lineman on a long running play. PFF suggested that Barnes would be their highest graded defender. Ty Summers had 4 tackles including a tackle for loss. The backup OLBs were quiet after being very disruptive in the scrimmages. Enagbare had several pressures though he finished with just one assisted tackle. Hamilton has a quarterback hit and 3 tackles (1 solo). Gilaeai had no statistics but probably had a pressure or two. Saints QB Ian Book was only pressured 8 times, per PFF.
Jean-Charles and Kiondre Thomas did not allow a reception. Thomas added 5 tackles (4 solo). The Saints did not play Michael Thomas or Jarvis Landry, and rookie Chris Olave played 20 snaps (running 11 routes). He caught two passes for 28 yards. Micah Abernathy made several splash plays. He had a beautiful diving interception and later came up to stuff a little pass in the flat for a loss of 5 yards to force a punt.
The defense held New Orleans to 10 points. Ian Book went 16 of 28 for 113 yards (4.03 yards per attempt) and a passer rating of 63. The Saints ran the ball for 84 yards on 20 attempt (4.2 yard average) but Ian Book scrambled for 49 more yards on 7 rushes. It was a pretty solid defensive outing, overall.
The Packers allowed kickoff returns of 59, 27, 26, and 25 yards and a 15-yard punt return. The Packers did manage a 14-yard punt return by Hyman and a 9-yard return by Amari Rodgers. The new kicker made his 45 yard attempt and connected from 25 yards as well. O’Donnell punted well, averaging 48.8 gross and 45.0 net, with 3 inside the twenty-yard line.
As far differentials in playing time between game one and two, Carpenter did not play. Vernon Scott left early with an injury, either a shoulder or possibly a pectoral problem. Byers has a toe injury. I wondered if the Packers were giving Summers one last long look, but that might just be me. I am surprised that again Nixon did not play many special teams snaps.