When you start to feel like a veteran on the offensive line, you’re screwed. At least, that is what Green Bay Packers tackle Billy Turner told Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Turner spoke to the media on Tuesday and gave an insightful response to Silverstein’s question about when veterans start to get used to certain tendencies from opposing defenses.
“Never,” Turner answered with a smirk. “As an offensive lineman, it’s just not that type of game. I don’t think that you should ever have that type of mentality as an offensive lineman, and I think as soon as you have that of mentality, that’s when you’re screwed.”
“You never know what’s going to happen. You draw your plays up, and you never know what the defense is going to do.”
On Sunday, the New Orleans Saints seemingly had an answer for everything the Packers’ offense wanted to do. Green Bay totaled 229 yards of total offense and scored three points – the lowest point total in a game under head coach Matt LaFleur.
Running the ball was out of the question when the Packers got down early. However, even early on the offensive line was getting pushed around. Aaron Jones rushed the ball five times for just nine yards. As a team, Green Bay managed just 2.9 yards per carry. From a pass protection standpoint, Turner and his running mates had a better performance.
Aaron Rodgers had no issues with the play from his line, which included two rookies in guard Royce Newman and center Josh Myers. Rodgers was sacked once on the day but took the blame.
Turner was impressed by what he saw from Newman and Myers after watching the film.
“They played hard,” said Turner. “If you watched them snap in snap out, that’s the one thing I was very impressed with.”
The offensive line wasn’t even one of the main reasons for the Packers’ struggles in Week 1, but Turner’s perspective should resonate with his younger teammates. Expecting the unexpected is one way to never get caught off guard when facing a new scheme.
So far, that mentality has paid off for Turner, who is in his third season with Green Bay and has started 31 games.
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