The Green Bay Packers opened the preseason in 2021 with a 26-7 loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday night at Lambeau Field, but records don’t matter in the preseason and Matt LaFleur has to be happy with at least a few things coming out of the contest.
He won’t like that his team was controlled at the line of scrimmage for much of the game, his offense had three times as many turnovers (three) as scoring drives (one), and the special teams looked shaky.
However, consider the following:
– Quarterback Jordan Love had an encouraging NFL debut, completing 12 passes with a passer rating of 110.4 in the first half.
– A veteran on both sides of the football (receiver Devin Funchess, linebacker Oren Burks) played well and produced big.
– There were no notable injuries.
The Packers sat 30 veteran players, including much of the starting offense and defense. In fact, only three expected starters played in the game. The Texans, on the other hand, played a number of veterans after going on a free-agent spending spree this offseason. In terms of experience on the field, the Texans came into the contest with a massive advantage, and it often showed up.
But the Packers still have a lot of positives to take away from the opener.
Love, despite only leading one scoring drive in seven chances, looked comfortable in the pocket and confident delivering the football. At one point, he completed six straight passes. The strip-sack late in the first half wasn’t his fault, and to be completely fair, the run game and pass protection were of no assistance for much of the contest, including the first half.
Love hit Funchess for four completions and also found tight end Jace Sternberger for a 34-yard connection on third down, sparking the scoring drive.
Love exited the game after the first half completing 12 of 17 passes for 122 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. LaFleur said he made “good decisions” and he was “in command” for most of the night.
“If there’s one thing to encourage him to do, you got to let that sucker rip, trust what you see,” LaFleur said. “By and large, I thought he did a really nice job.”
Funchess, who was playing in his first NFL game since 2019, was a big winner. He caught a game-high six passes for 70 yards. Twice, he made terrific catches away from his body in the middle of the field. It was a strong start for a veteran player auditioning for a role in Green Bay or elsewhere.
Burks was a pleasant surprise on defense. Coordinator Joe Barry had him playing downhill, including as a blitzer on passing plays, and he was disruptive. On a pair of plays in the first quarter, he bolted through a gap and stopped a runner. He finished the contest with seven tackles, two for losses, one sack and a quarterback hit.
Most importantly, the Packers are exiting the game with no major injuries. Sitting out 30 players kept most of the important players out of harm’s way. But any time a team can get out of a preseason game without a significant injury, the coaches and roster builders are happy.
Note: LaFleur mentioned that Love was taken out of the game as a precaution after he got “dinged up” on the strip-sack late in the second quarter.
The Packers have a competitive week coming up. They’ll host the New York Jets for a pair of joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday before a preseason game between the two teams at Lambeau Field on Saturday.
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