The final preseason game is usually something between a shitshow and an uneventful affair. I’m not sure where the Green Bay Packers’ 24-10 over the Los Angeles Rams would fall in that spectrum.
Maybe a “who cares?”
Not many of the Packers’ starters played, including no one on the starting offense.
So let’s just get on to the interesting things.
The Interesting
Davon House is obviously still a starter at cornerback. All corners played, but House was with the No. 1 defense. He played one series after coming back from a hamstring injury and we’d expect him to start there in week 1.
The wide receiver pecking order looks pretty clear now. Behind the top three — Geromino Allison, Jeff Janis, everyone else.
At quarterback, Brett Hundley played the full first half. Rookie Taysom Hill was next in and played into fourth. Perhaps circumstance, perhaps a sign? I still don’t think the Packers will be able to keep three quarterbacks. Joe Callahan came in with 6:37 left in the game.
Hill was 4-of-4 for 31 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 19 yards. Callahan was 2-of-2 for nine yards. If the Packers keep three, it’s Hill.
The Impressive
Cornerback Quinten Rollins was aggressive. He had two tackles, including one for a loss. That’s a nice sign after last season, when Rollins always looked tentative.
Speaking of cornerbacks, LaDarius Gunter made his case for a roster spot. He picked up a sack off a nice edge blitz and then picked off a ball that went through a receiver’s arms. A nice performance by one of our favorite guys.
Allison looked great. He had an athletic TD called back by holding call, where he jumped over the defensive back. He had a nice catch on a high, deep ball before that, but was pushed out of bounds. It looks like Allison has refined his game. He could be a legitimate deep threat.
Allison finished with three catches for 27 yards, the final one of which he got hit hard on. If he’s concussed, which I expect after that late first-half shot near the goal line, he has two weeks to recover, since he’s suspended for week 1.
One more cornerback we want to single out is Josh Hawkins. He showed some nice awareness and had good coverage. Even when he was flagged for pass interference, it was questionable. Maybe a little too handsy on that play, but he was glue.
If there’s a wild card at outside linebacker, it’s Reggie Gilbert. The former undrafted free agent provided some decent pressure during the game.
The Packers didn’t have much of a running game until Aaron Jones showed up, but Devante Mays runs HARD! He can run through guys.
The other thing that was notable about the running backs is they were great in the screen game. They combine for 43 yards receiving.
The Awful
As expected, the backup offensive line was terrible, from what often looked like jail breaks to unfortunate penalties. Kyle Murphy, supposedly greatly improved from year one, was regularly getting worked over.
And finally, we’ve mentioned this before, but has anyone seen Kyler Fackrell this preseason? Is it too early to cut a third-round pick after just one season?