The Green Bay Packers checked almost all the boxes in Saturday’s preseason-opening win over the Cleveland Browns. The No. 1 offense scored on the third play from scrimmage. There were no major injuries. The Packers led the whole way. They mostly dominated the line of scrimmage, didn’t have a turnover, committed only three penalties, converted nine third or fourth downs and went 5-for-5 kicking field goals and extra points.
The Packers led 17-3 at half time, at one point held a 23-3 advantage in the second half and eventually exited Cleveland Browns Stadium with a 23-10 win.
Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ preseason opening victory:
Good
Opening touchdown: A beautiful route from Dontayvion Wicks on a slot fade and a perfect deep ball from Jordan Love created a 65-yard touchdown pass on the third play of the preseason.
Recent first-round picks along DL: Lukas Van Ness had a sack, three tackles for loss and several pressures, while Devonte Wyatt had a few near-sacks and pressures. They were both part of a disruptive defensive front.
WR Grant DuBose: He caught five passes, including one on fourth down to continue a drive and a diving 23-yarder in the two-minute to set up a field goal. His 66 receiving yards represented a game-high. DuBose was also an active blocker. This was a statement performance from a receiver fighting for a roster spot.
S Evan Williams: The rookie safety had a few impressive open-field tackles in the first half, and he opened the second half with a crunching hit that resulted in a fumble and a takeaway. No. 33 keeps finding the ball and making impact plays.
Bad
Red zone: The Packers were only 1-for-4 scoring touchdowns in the red zone, which meant settling for several short field goals. Good work for the kicking competition; not so great for scoring more points. One red zone failure came off Evan Williams forced a turnover to open the second half. You can bet Matt LaFleur will emphasize finishing drives this week.
MarShawn Lloyd injury: The rookie third-round pick was available for only two touches before he went out with a hamstring injury. Lloyd has now dealt with a hip injury and hamstring injury during his first training camp.
A.J. Dillon’s four carries: He gained just two yards on four attempts during the second drive. After the Packers got to 2nd-and-1, Dillon carried on three consecutive snaps and gained zero net yards, resulting in a turnover on downs.
Ugly
Bo Melton’s hands: Melton was part of a fumble on a jet sweep, and he had at least two drops, including one in the red zone that probably should have resulted in an interception. Melton finished with one catch on four targets for 12 yards.
