In a game where the Green Bay Packers offensive starters only played three plays, there were still plenty of takeaways from the preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns.
Jordan Love found Dontayvion Wicks for a 65-yard touchdown on the opening drive, and then the starters were never seen again. It’s unlikely that the starters will play next week against the Denver Broncos, which means more opportunities for the backups.
A 23-10 victory for the Packers still featured some big winners and losers despite such a short leash for the No. 1 offense. Let’s take a look at some of those players.
Winners
Lukas Van Ness
All eyes have been on Lukas Van Ness heading into the 2024 season. Not only is he primed for a second-year breakout, but Jeff Hafley’s new 4-3 defensive scheme should perfectly line up with his skill set.
That looked to be the case on Saturday. He was dominating the point of attack and blowing blockers back into the pocket. He finished the day with three tackles for loss, including one where he showed good discipline on a potential read option.
Van Ness is a massive athlete at defensive end. Those players tend to quickly develop into productive defenders on the edge. Just ask Rashan Gary.
Robert Rochell
The top of the cornerback room is pretty solidified at this point. Jaire Alexander, Keisean Nixon, Eric Stokes, Carrington Valentine, and Corey Ballentine are all likely making the 53-man roster.
However, the bottom of the cornerback room still might have one or two spots available on the 53-man roster. Robert Rochell might end up securing one of those spots.
Rochell was flying all over the field on defense and special teams. Along with showing some intensity and energy, he was sticky in coverage and a solid tackler.
The former fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams played in nine games for the Packers last season, and he looks determined to earn playing time again in 2024.
Grant DuBose
Much like the cornerback room, the wide receiver unit is in a similar spot. The top of the room is solidified, but a spot or two are going to be up for grabs between Grant DuBose, Bo Melton, Malik Heath, and Samori Toure.
DuBose ended up being the big winner of that group. He led the team with five receptions for 66 yards, even coming away with an acrobatic catch on the sideline at one point, dragging his toes in bounds to haul in the reception.
DuBose didn’t get much of an opportunity last season due to a lingering back injury. Now that he’s healthy, he might end up establishing himself as another weapon in Green Bay’s offense.
Losers
Bo Melton
While DuBose had a strong outing against the Browns, Melton was a pretty noteworthy disappointment.
A fumble on a jet sweep could have been disastrous early in the game. But Melton was luckily able to scoop the ball up quickly to make something out of nothing.
However, Melton also had a pair of brutal drops for what would have been a first down and a potential touchdown. It looked more like Melton was getting in his own head than a lack of ability.
The good news is that Melton has a couple more games to shake off the rust. The bad news is that he’s likely now playing catch-up to the rest of the receiver group ahead of roster cuts.
Sean Clifford
Michael Pratt looked calm, cool, and collected as the third-string quarterback. The same can’t be said about Sean Clifford.
Clifford’s box score numbers looked fine, completing 10 of 19 passes for 111 yards. But the ball placement was all over the place, even on completions to open receivers. He was struggling to hit receivers in stride, even when throwing with good timing.
One of the biggest disappointing plays of Clifford’s playing time was on a rollout in a short-yardage situation. There was a lane for Clifford to easily take off for the first down, but his hesitation between running or throwing allowed the defense to catch up to him. It resulted in Clifford running out of bounds without being able to get the first down.
The extra year of NFL experience gives Clifford a bit of cushion, but a couple more solid performances from Pratt could vault him into the QB2 spot.
AJ Dillon
The conversations about AJ Dillon aren’t getting any easier.
The fan favorite came into training camp looking noticeably in better shape. But he looked like the same kind of running back in limited action on Saturday.
After a two-yard gain on his first carry, Dillon was stuffed three straight times for zero yards while attempting to get a first down, resulting in the Browns getting the ball back with good field position.
The offensive line didn’t do Dillon any favors, but his hesitation at the line of scrimmage instead of getting some downhill momentum really hurt him.
The way that Dillon’s contract is set up would make him an easily expendable contract during roster cuts. MarShawn Lloyd’s hamstring injury might be him some more time, but Emmanuel Wilson’s strong performance could be establishing him as RB3 ahead of Dillon, which could mean the end of Quadzilla in Green Bay.
