The Green Bay Packers are a step closer to filling out their 53-man roster after beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 of the preseason. Of course, there is still a ton of practice time and two more exhibitions to go, but Friday’s matchup provided a perfect setting for guys on the bubble or buried on the depth chart to show what they can do.
As far as the preseason games go, this one wasn’t too bad to take in. There was a ton of action and excitement, kicking off with Jordan Love making his debut as the starting quarterback. Love looked poised and in command of the offense on his way to completing 7 out of 10 passes for 46 yards with a 9-yard touchdown to Romeo Doubs to cap off his night.
While most of the offensive and defensive starters played only a series or two, the intrigue didn’t stop with their departure. In fact, it may have even picked up a bit.
Several players aiming to make a strong impression on the coaching staff and personnel department certainly did so, and some may have even made headway in their quest to either make the team or carve out a prominent role during the regular season.
The Packers obviously don’t have to make any major decisions just yet, but in the meantime, let’s highlight the players who helped themselves the most in their 36-19 win over the Bengals.
QB Sean Clifford
Clifford’s outing in Cincinnati was nothing short of a roller coaster. He threw two interceptions, including a pick-six, but also helped facilitate three touchdown drives. Clifford’s highlight of the game was an impressive two-minute drill to close out the first half, which ended with him throwing a five-yard touchdown to tight end Tyler Davis.
It wasn’t a perfect night by any means for the fifth-round draft pick, who completed 20 out of 26 passes for 208 yards with a touchdown but also had two turnovers. However, stats are null and void in the preseason. More importantly, Green Bay saw Clifford’s mental toughness while navigating through tough stretches with a strong presence in the pocket and delivering some impressive throws.
After the game, head coach Matt LaFleur seemed pleased with his rookie quarterback handled himself.
“I do love the fact that he had to battle through some adversity, throwing the two picks, and then coming back and leading us on a two-minute (touchdown drive),” said LaFleur. “So, I thought just to see him not be fazed by those situations, I thought it showed something. You can’t coach that. You can talk about it all you want, but that is intrinsic and he possesses that and just happy that he was able to battle through that and overcome it.”
The Packers will want to see more out of Clifford before they name him Love’s backup for the 2023 season, but he’s off to a good start.
RB Emanuel Wilson
It was an emotional day for Wilson, who made his NFL debut on the 14th anniversary of his father’s passing. In the best possible way to honor him, the undrafted rookie out of Fort Valley State turned in an incredible performance that saw him rush for 111 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries. During the fourth quarter, Wilson ripped off an 80-yard touchdown using great vision to bounce the run outside and impressive speed to make sure he wasn’t caught. Wilson had been an afterthought in the conversation in RB3, but he is now squarely in the mix following Friday’s heroics.
The WRs
Even if it was just an exhibition, we were able to forget about the inexperience surrounding Green Bay’s wide receivers and appreciate the potential in that room. For starters, Samori Toure showed signs that he is ready for a larger role in Year 2, catching three passes from Clifford for a total of 56 yards. He also added a 44-yard kick return to set up a short touchdown drive in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, the rookie trio of Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Malik Heath flashed against the Bengals. Reed was handed a jet sweet and hauled in a contested catch over the middle for a pickup of 15. Wicks was the team’s leading receiver with 68 yards and could contribute as a fifth-rounder. Lastly, Heath should be the front runner for the sixth wide receiver spot. He finished with three catches for 36 yards and showed good physicality as a blocker.
CB Carrington Valentine
There’s no arguing about who the defensive MVP was for the Packers. Valentine looked like he should have been resting with the starters on the sideline for most of the game despite being a seventh-round rookie.
Valentine ended up playing 29 defensive snaps and provided sticky coverage for most of them. He broke up two passes intended for wideout Andrei Iosivas and then caught an interception that deflected off the hands of receiver Shedrick Jackson. According to Pro Football Focus, Valentine was targeted six times and surrendered only two catches for 16 yards.
Oh, and he also made this impressive tackle.
One of my favorite plays from last night. Carrington Valentine is pressing at the LOS and jams the receiver. Realizes it’s a run and quickly discards the block to come up and make a nice tackle for basically no gain. Great stuff from the rookie. pic.twitter.com/b9t1fz5zjU
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) August 12, 2023
The former Kentucky Wildcat has been a standout in practice and definitely has tools that translate to gameday.
“Well, I think he’s got the skill set that you look for. He’s athletic, he’s long, and he competes. He’s not afraid, and I love that about him,” LaFleur said. “He’s got a great demeanor. I think he is extremely coachable. I think he’s been working really hard. And quite frankly, from the moment we’ve gotten him, he’s had a great attitude. Comes into work each and every day. You saw it early on and you continue to see it. The guy just shows up in practice and he makes plays, and he competes. So, really excited about what he can turn into and develop into.”
If Green Bay didn’t already have such a deep corner room, Valentine would have a legitimate case to challenge for a role on this year’s defense. Unfortunately, he will likely have to wait his turn.
OLB Brenton Cox Jr.
Cox was considered a long shot to make the team as an undrafted free agent who was dismissed from both the Georgia and Florida football programs. However, perhaps he does deserve a chance in the NFL if he can continue what he did as a pass rusher on Friday.
Per PFF, Cox logged three pressures against Cincinnati, tying Kingsley Enagbare for most on the team and later tipping a pass that landed in the hands of safety Dallin Leavitt for an interception. At 6-4 250 pounds, Cox looks the part of an NFL edge rusher thanks to an explosive get-off, adequate play strength, and an array of pass-rush moves.
He didn’t come away with a sack, but Brenton Cox Jr. (#57) really flashed as a pass rusher against the Bengals. Will need more performances like this one to make the 53 but an encouraging start nonetheless. pic.twitter.com/MIqbve7mef
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) August 12, 2023
Buried in a crowded edge rusher group consisting of Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness, Justin Hollins, and Enagbare, Cox faces an uphill climb to make the 53-man roster. He will have to find a way to contribute on special teams, but even then, it would be hard to turn him away if he continues to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. After all, you can never have too many pass rushers.
