Those of us hardcore fans who do our best never to miss a single play of Green Bay Packers football are familiar with the question, "Why do you watch preseason games?" Many casual fans who only tune in when week 1 rolls around just can't grasp the concept of watching a game when it "doesn't matter." One response among the die hards you might hear is that, sure, the stars and starters may not be playing or even going at 100% when they are, but it's fun to watch those guys that are fighting for a job. There are hundreds of players suiting up during preseason, where it may be their only shot to live their dream of being an NFL player. Those guys running at 115% in the second half make it worth watching.
There's also that little chance that one of those players could be a future star and no one knows it yet. And that alone can make it fun to say you were watching them from the beginning when everyone else said those reps didn't count.
Last night's preseason game, however, was one of those times that make even the diehard fans question why they're watching. The Packers fell to the Jets 30-10 in a very uninspired showing in front of the Lambeau faithful. While the Jets came out swinging all night long, the Packers just seemed to be out there going through the motions and waiting for the clock to hit all zeros, signaling that it was time to go home. Of course, that wasn't true for every player wearing a green jersey, as there were some bright spots, but that just seemed to be the overall feel from the start of the game until about halfway through the third quarter.
Sure, the New York Jets are turning the page with their franchise. With a new head coach in Aaron Glenn, a new General Manager, and a new Quarterback, this team wants to come out firing no matter what the stakes are. They need to make a statement for not only their fans, but for themselves as well, that this is a different era of Jets football and it's going to be better. The Packers, however, don't need that hype. They're already slated to be one of the better teams in the NFC, and they're just trying to get through preseason and training camp healthy so that they don't jeopardize their chances. Well, I think last night proved that "just get through it" is a bad idea.
There were holding penalties galore, there were dropped passes, there were defenders who, instead of attacking the football, seemed to be just jogging over to create the illusion of being "involved in the play." Going up against a Lions team in week 1 that always seems to be ready to punch you in the mouth, that's just not going to cut it. HC Matt LaFleur expressed discontent with the showing and displayed an urgency to fix the issues that reared their ugly head, and earlier this week, LaFleur stated that he didn't want to baby the starters too much in preseason games, as it has been proven in the past to lead to slow starts. Well, hopefully, he pushes the envelope on not coddling the playmakers, as they only have four weeks to ramp up that intensity before it can truly come back to bite them.
Perhaps they can take some of the few positives from this game and put them on full display for all to see how it's done.
The Silver Lining
As much as this game was begging to be switched off on televisions across the state of Wisconsin, there were a few good takeaways.
Jordan Morgan - Morgan took reps at left tackle during this game, and he looked pretty solid at the position. He held his own at the line of scrimmage, and despite Rasheed Walker normally being penciled in as the starting left tackle, I honestly think Morgan could make a case for overtaking Walker as the starter.
Barryn Sorrell - The fourth-round pick looks like he's ready to insert himself in the nightmares of NFL quarterbacks. At least two big-time pressures, one of which nearly forced an interception. You want your pass rushers to be relentless in getting home. Sorrell looks like he will do just that.
Nazir Stackhouse - I liked Stackhouse before the draft, was thrilled the Packers nabbed him, and he's showing us why. The UDFA was controlling blockers at the line of scrimmage, and it appears that with some more seasoning and experience, he could be a force along the Packers' defensive line.
Anthony Belton - Once Anthony Belton gets his hands on a defender, it's over. And it was over for a Jets defender when he pancaked him, leading to an Amar Johnson touchdown. There's a lot to be excited about with Anthony Belton, so far he's been the mauling lineman he was advertised as.
Amar Johnson - If Matt LaFleur wants to ramp up the drive and intensity of this team, just show everyone Amar Johnson's seven carries for 67 yards and a touchdown on repeat. The burst he showed to the line of scrimmage on every single carry was what dreams are made of. He wants his chance to make this roster, and even without the touchdown carry, I'd say he's on everyone's radar next week.
Though not many, there were a few other decent takeaways from this game. We can only hope that those are the only takeaways that return next week against the Colts, and we leave out the negative.