GREEN BAY – The Packers closed their 2022 preseason with a 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
1. QB Jordan Love shook off a slow start to get on a hot streak.
A slow start for the Packers’ offense took a turn when a facemask penalty on the Chiefs on a third down kept a Green Bay drive alive late in the first quarter.
From there, Love spent the next two drives in a nice groove, going 7-for-10 for 95 yards and producing 10 runs. The seven additions went to six different passcatchers.
“Those drives, we were putting everything together, hitting plays, converting third downs and what not,” Love said. “We were just moving the ball and it felt good.”
Head Coach Matt LaFleur especially liked the way Love set the ship up as the offense started with two three-and-outs and headed for a third for the facemask call.
“There wasn’t really much open to him in the beginning and he was under some coercion,” LaFleur said. “But one thing I loved about it was when the game doesn’t start the way you want it to, how do you react?
“He showed a lot of resilience, and that shows the maturation process he’s been through in recent years.”
Things cooled off as Love came into the third quarter, finishing 16-of-26 for 148 yards with an interception, which came on a last-minute drive to end the first half on a seam route for tight end Alizé Mack. Chiefs safety ducked behind the overthrow for the pick.
In live action, LaFleur said he was “not unhappy with the decision”, and he thought of that throw himself. Love said he wished he’d thrown the ball to Mack’s shoulder or taken a shorter throw to keep the chains moving.
“We had some time outs there, so that’s a situation I can learn from,” Love said. “I tried to take a shot there and forced the ball a bit.”
2. The No. 3 running back will be a tough call.
As they have done all preseason, raw rookie Tyler Goodson and sophomore pro Patrick Taylor produced with their odds, and it won’t be easy to decide who will get the third spot behind starters Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.
Goodson ripped off a 24-yard TD run on one of the best plays of all preseason, and he finished with 54 yards from scrimmage (28 rushing, 26 receiving). Unfortunately, he also muted a kick-off return.
Taylor had a total of 51 yards (34 rushing, 17 receiving) and might have had a chance to hit a TD on the goal line if not for a couple of penalties the Packers backed up.
“That’s a tough one,” LaFleur said of the pending decision. “Both guys have done well. A lot will depend on how they performed in special teams.
“I give credit to both guys. What I’ve seen is guys fighting for those tough yards, coming up in the passing game and finishing tough runs. We’ll see (on the film) how they held up in pass pro.”
3. First round draft pick Quay Walker showed he is ready for the real thing.
Walker was the only defensive starter to play in the preseason, and in just a few series against the Chiefs, the rookie inside linebacker could be found all over the field.
He recorded five tackles (three solo), played down both sidelines and showed all the skills the Packers were hoping for. LaFleur is excited to see him matched with another 6-4 inside linebacker in De’Vondre Campbell once the season kicks off.
He even impressed LaFleur on a mental level, as the head coach noted when he saw him standing on the sidelines watching the defense from a few dozen yards away, taking mental reps when he wasn’t there.
“I asked him why he was so far away from defense late in the game, and he said, ‘I can see everything here,’ and I was like a man, that’s a great response,” said LaFleur, pointing to he sometimes does the same by calling plays.
“He’s wise beyond his years to be able to get that perspective in that situation. That showed a lot of maturity from him.”
4. Several young defenders flew around and did everything they could to make the team.
The defense allowed some big plays, one for a touchdown and another leading to a score, but many defenders did notable things in their last fight to make the roster.
Safety Micah Abernathy and defensive lineman Jack Heflin tied with Walker for the team lead in tackles with five, with Heflin being tackled for a loss at fourth deficit and forcing a fumble late in the game. Abernathy added a tackle to special teams.
Rookie seventh round pick Jonathan Ford played extensively and made three tackles, while fellow defensive lineman Chris Slayton resurfaced with a couple of stops.
“There are a lot of tough decisions that our guys are making for us, and that’s exactly what you want,” LaFleur said.
5. Special teams didn’t end the preseason on a positive note.
The widespread auditions continued in special teams, and the results against the Chiefs were not pretty, save for the solid performance of veteran Pat O’Donnell (56.3-yard gross average on six points).
The cover units allowed a 45-yard kickoff return, plus two punt returns of at least 20 yards. The return leg also looked shaky and unproductive, with unblocked players tackling the returnees.