Offense is missing the spark plug
Rodgers is scratched with back tightness
BALTIMORE - Aaron Rodgers’ expected preseason debut was postponed Thursday night when back tightness prevented the Green Bay Packers quarterback from dressing against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Packers said in a tweet that the decision to sit Rodgers was precautionary.
The team announced Rodgers would not play about 45 minutes before kickoff of their second exhibition, a 26-13 Ravens victory at M&T Bank Stadium. Despite Rodgers’ late scratch in favor of DeShone Kizer, the rest of the Packers’ starting offense played (other than running back Aaron Jones, who wasn’t going to play due to hamstring tightness that kept him out of practices).
If anything with the two-time MVP quarterback is less than 100 percent physically, it would be senseless to expose him to hits. In
juries have greatly affected Rodgers’ past two seasons, and at age 35 he has reached the point in his career where rest should be prioritized.
That the Packers were playing a defense as fierce as the Ravens’ might have persuaded the Packers even more to sit Rodgers. The Ravens are known for the pressure they can put on quarterbacks. With a Packers offense still in its infancy, it was likely an easy call to postpone Rodgers’ preseason debut.
Coach Matt LaFleur still trotted out nine other starters, including left tackle David Bakhtiari, right tackle Bryan Bulaga and top receiver Davante Adams. With Kizer at quarterback and Tra Carson in the backfield (Jamaal Williams also did not dress), the Packers’ starting offense got two possessions. It amassed 71 yards on 16 plays (4.4-yard average) with its second drive ending in Mason Crosby’s 43-yard field goal from the right hash.
Kizer was a mixed bag, showing the same inconsistency that has defined his camp. He airmailed Adams on fourthand-4, throwing high and hard when Adams got open on an in-breaker. He also missed tight end Jimmy Graham by a couple yards on a deep pass down the right seam. But Kizer was able to connect with a wide-open Geronimo Allison for 22 yards on third-and-10.
It appears Kizer has taken an early lead over Tim Boyle in the competition to be Rodgers’ backup. He completed just 5 of 10 passes for 70 yards against the Ravens, and is 13-for-23 for 172 yards and a touchdown this preseason, but Kizer’s two drives coincided with the starting offense. He also has been clean this preseason, with no turnovers in two exhibitions, an issue that has plagued him in the past.
If Kizer’s underwhelming play opened the door, Boyle certainly didn’t walk through it. Boyle got extended time Thursday night, playing two-plus quarters. He completed 12 of 21 passes for 107 yards and one touchdown, but most of that production came in the third quarter against the Ravens’ backups.
The Packers’ lone touchdown was a 7-yard pass in the back of the end zone to receiver Darrius Shepherd, who continues to make a bid for the 53-man roster. Shepherd had just three catches for 11 yards, but he added a 36-yard kickoff return in the first quarter. Allen Lazard caught three passes for 63 yards, including one for 25.
On the preseason, Boyle is 15-for-26 for 147 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 112.8 passer rating. Kizer, playing against better competition, has a 94.84 rating.
While the Packers’ offense was missing its biggest piece, their defense was complete. The starting defense, playing mostly vanilla scheme in base and nickel, held the Ravens to a pair of field goals in its debut. It was a homecoming for former Raven Za’Darius Smith, who beat Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley but whiffed on a sack against ultra-athletic quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The Ravens’ starting offense had 97 yards on 20 plays (4.85-yard average) with six points. It might have been held to three points, but cornerback Jaire Alexander dropped an interception on the left sideline that extended the opening series.
With three weeks before Green Bay’s opener at Chicago, the Packers’ defense gave coordinator Mike Pettine plenty to evaluate. The offense remains an uncertain work in progress.
Rodgers’ absence delayed the effective debut of Matt LaFleur’s offense. It will be a collaboration between quarterback and his play-calling head coach. There are plenty of wrinkles to iron out in the preseason, including audibles, how often the quarterback lines up under center and how often plays are extended off schedule.
The Packers will have two more opportunities for Rodgers to play in the preseason, though it’s unlikely he would dress for their finale Aug. 29 against the Kansas City Chiefs. That would leave next week’s trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada to play the Oakland Raiders, but the surface at IG Stadium is Field Turf, not natural grass, which could be a factor.