5 Things To Watch For In Green Bay Packers Preseason Game Against Cleveland
The Green Bay Packers looked everything but sharp in their preseason opener against the San Diego Chargers last week. The offense looked out of sync which resulted in several turnovers due to players having a difficult time holding onto the football.
The good news is it is only preseason, and the Packers have a chance to get things back on track when they take on the Cleveland Browns Thursday night. First rule of business, Green Bay must stay healthy. They have already had too many injuries and the depth chart cannot afford to take another hit. Secondly, the Packers must get rolling on offense because clearly that is the team’s bread and butter. Aaron Rodgers and the playmakers around him must use this time wisely to get rid of all the cob webs they may have.
The following are five things to watch for when Green Bay takes on Cleveland for the second preseason game of 2012:
D.J. Smith
D.J. Smith will start next to A.J. Hawk as an inside linebacker due to Desmond Bishop suffering a hamstring injury last week. There is a strong possibility Bishop could be out for the season so it is important Smith get as many repitions as he can before the regular season starts.
Smith played well last season filling in for Bishop when he was hurt so it is not like he does not have experience playing on game day. Smith had four tackles last week against the Chargers and looked good in the middle. It will be fun to watch him develop over the next couple weeks playing with the starters.
Nick Perry/Jerel Worthy
Green Bay’s first two draft picks had decent games last week but Nick Perry and Jerel Worthy need to step it up in week 2 of the preseason. The expectations are high for both players, which means they must produce immediately.
Defensive coordinator Dom Capers needs both players to function a certain way in order for his defense to run how he sees fit. Perry had three tackles and a big-time sack that showed how athletic and quick he could be off the line. Worthy needs to show more against the Browns as he only had one tackle and was mostly non-existent during last week’s game.
Running game
Newly acquired running back Cedric Benson will not be playing in Thursday’s game so that means the other three backs have a prime opportunity to show head coach Mike McCarthy what they are capable of and why they should be on the 53-man roster.
I would have to imagine Benson will be the starter on opening day but the Packers are known for putting several running backs in the mix on game day in order to give the opposing team a different look. Green Bay only rushed for 51 yards against San Diego, which means they must use the rest of the preseason to figure out a way to get the running game going in order to take pressure off Rodgers during the season.
Secondary
The defense overall looked decent last week and the secondary in particular played better than what fans are used to seeing. The defensive backs allowed 258 passing yards but were also able to pick off San Diego’s quarterbacks twice. Fans will want to watch the secondary throughout the preseason in order to see who stands out and has the potential to make an impact during the regular season.
One person that stood out to me is safety Anthony Levine who led the team in tackles with five (all solo) and snatched one interception. It has been unknown if Levine was going to make the team as he has been assigned to the practice squad in previous years but his performance against the Chargers could give him the upper edge in the competition, assuming he keeps doing what he is doing.
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell appeared to struggle a bit completing 15 passes out of 27 attempts for 135 yards and a touchdown. It is nerve racking to not have Matt Flynn behind Rodgers anymore because Harrell does not seem to be ready to take a meaningful snap on game day.
It will be interesting to watch him progress over the next couple weeks as he is supposed to be the clear cut No. 2 on the depth chart. It is critical that Green Bay have a good backup behind Rodgers. The Packers have not decided yet if they will keep three quarterbacks on the active roster, but if I were them, I would seriously consider it due to how well rookie B.J. Coleman has played since arriving in Green Bay.
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