PACKERS-RAVENS GAME INSIDER
News and views after the Green Bay Packers’ 26-13 loss in their second preseason game Thursday at the Baltimore Ravens:
Top takeaways
Yes, it’s preseason, when play can be sloppy even with the starters on the field, and there’s only a little game planning and vanilla schemes. But in the Packers’ 26-13 loss to Baltimore on Thursday, the absence of Aaron Jones showed just how important his health figures in the running game coach Matt LaFleur is building his offense around. The Packers’ struggled big-time running the ball with their first- and second-team offenses in the first half. Tra Carson and Dexter Williams carried seven times combined in the first two quarters and gained only seven yards. In the second half, as the Ravens went deep into their bench, the Packers’ offense picked up only a little — Darrin Hall popped a 28-yarder in the third quarter for the night’s biggest run. But 55 yards on 18 carries is a bad running night overall, and without Jones, who sat out for precautionary purposes after missing time earlier in camp because of a hamstring injury, the Packers didn’t have anybody who could turn a poorly blocked play into a decent gain. His backup, Jamaal Williams, didn’t play either because of a hamstring injury that has sidelined him since early in camp. LaFleur’s passing game is built off the outside zone run, but that run has to be a threat. This game against what is expected to be a good defense is an early sign that the Packers will need Jones to make that threat credible.
General manager Brian Gutekunst’s drafting of the outside linebacker/defensive line hybrid Rashan Gary in the first round opened the possibility for defensive coordinator Mike Pettine to come up with some uncommon personnel combinations, and Pettine unveiled one.
On the first couple plays of the Packers’ second defensive series, Pettine lined up with a grouping that might be called a big nickel. It featured three outside linebackers (Gary, Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith) and two defensive linemen (Dean Lowry and Kenny Clark), only one true inside linebacker (Blake Martinez), plus the usual five defensive backs in the nickel (Jaire Alexander, Tramon Williams, Tony Brown, Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage).
That’s one way Pettine can play on early downs while inside linebacker Oren Burks (pectoral) is out. It gives him five big bodies up front to play the run but still leaves five defensive backs on the field to match up with three-receiver sets, and three outside linebackers as potential pass rushers.
QB watch
Tim Boyle played more than DeShone Kizer – it was the opposite last week against Houston – but it’s hard to say anybody gained an advantage in the battle for the backup job from this game.
Boyle (86.8 rating, 12-for-21 passing) was very much up and down. He bounced several throws for incompletions and failed to get a touchdown after a turnover gave him the ball at Baltimore’s 33. But he also had three good throws on his lone touchdown drive – two over the middle to Allen Lazard (26 yards and 21 yards), and nice touch pass to Darrius Shepherd at the back of the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown.
Kizer (72.9 rating, 5-for-10) put up three points on his two series to start the game.
Injury update
Packers who did not suit up: QB Aaron Rodgers (back tightness), LB Oren Burks (pectoral) CB Kevin King (hamstring), RB Aaron Jones (hamstring), WR Trevor Davis (stinger), RB Jamaal Williams (hamstring), FB Danny Vitale (calf), FB Malcolm Johnson (groin), CB Kabion Ento (hamstring), TE Jace Sternberger (jaw, concussion), DL Fadol Brown (calf), S Josh Jones (illness) and CB Josh Jackson (foot).
Practice schedule
The Packers will not practice Friday or Saturday and have only two open sessions left: Sunday and Monday, both starting at 1:30 p.m. at Ray Nitschke Field.