On Friday night, the Green Bay Packers beat the New Orleans Saints, 20-10. We didn’t see too many starters again, but seeing the depth of this team perform well and get a win at home was encouraging. Over the last few years, we have seen how a team’s depth becomes important as the season progresses.
Here are 5 numbers that tell the story of the Packers’ win over the Saints in the second week of the preseason.
4
After Aaron Rodgers called out the young wide receivers for their performances in practice, you would have expected them to come to this game locked in with minimal mistakes. But that wasn’t the case. Green Bay’s receivers dropped four of Jordan Love‘s passes, which is a bit concerning, considering the Packers no longer have Davante Adams to lean on.
While rookie Romeo Doubs has been impressive with his ability to get open and create separation, he still has struggled to catch passes. Doubs dropped two of his five catchable targets, finishing with three catches for 24 yards and a touchdown. These young wideouts will have to limit these drops if the Packers want to replicate their success from the past two seasons.
0
Conversely, rookie Zach Tom has not been struggling so far. Last week, Tom impressed when he didn’t allow a single pressure in his 18 pass-blocking snaps. In this game, he followed that performance by allowing 0 pressures on 19 pass-blocking snaps.
Tom has been a pleasant surprise so far this season. Despite being a rookie this season, he could potentially see the field early.
While there is optimism that Elton Jenkins and David Bhakitari will be ready for Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers should still prepare as if they will miss the game. That way, if they do end up not being able to suit up, the team may feel more comfortable with Tom manning the right side of the offensive line against Za’Darius Smith.
51
Third-string quarterback Danny Etling only attempted 1 pass on the night, but he impressed with his mobility. Etling took a quarterback option play and scampered 51 yards for a touchdown. Many observers wanted to see Green Bay’s play-calling allow Etling to air the ball out more and try to compete with Love. But the Packers’ offense could use Etling’s mobility to their advantage.
We have seen how the Saints have used Taysom Hill on designed run plays, taking advantage of the confusion that a different quarterback on the field might give opposing defenses. I don’t see the Packers using this much, if at all, in the regular season. Still, it’s a nifty trick to keep in Matt LaFleur’s back pocket whenever he wants to confuse opposing defenses.
2/2
New kicker Ramiz Ahmed could potentially be challenging Mason Crosby, a storyline that has gone somewhat under the radar this preseason. Ahmed had a great game after the Packers picked him up on Aug. 14th. He went 2 for 2 on Friday, hitting one from 45 yards out. On top of that, he also bailed out the special teams unit by making a massive stop on a kick return.
While it seems almost impossible to imagine the Packers without Crosby as the kicker, we should all remember how the 37-year-old struggled last season. He only made 73.5% of his field goals, a career low. Crosby struggled last season from 40 to 49 yards, making only 50% of his kicks from there. If Ahmed continues to impress, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Packers add him to the practice squad as insurance in case Crosby struggles again this season.
2.1
The Packers’ rushing attack struggled to get anything started on the ground, with only 2.1 yards after contact per carry. While we didn’t see AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones take the field, Tyler Goodson and Patrick Taylor Jr. saw the field with limited success each. Running back might not seem like an important roster battle at first glance. But with Kylin Hill on the PUP and likely not ready to start the season, the third running back spot becomes more critical.
Whoever is selected will likely get occasional snaps and the chance to play on special teams. Considering how poor Green Bay’s special teams unit was last year, they need all the help they can get.
