Category: Latest Packers News

Packers vs. Texans: How to watch, stream or listen to preseason opener

How to watch, stream or listen to the Packers’ preseason opener on Saturday, Aug. 14.

The Green Bay Packers will open the 2021 preseason with a visit from the Houston Texans on Saturday night.

Here’s everything you need to know for watching, streaming and listening to the preseason opener:

What: Green Bay Packers (0-0) vs. Houston Texans (0-0)
When: Saturday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. CDT
Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis.
Referee: Ron Torbert
TV Channels: Packers TV Network
Radio: Packers Radio Network
Live Streams: fuboTV (try it free), packers.com, Game Pass
Televised Areas: Statewide in Wisconsin

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A few thoughts on Packers’ preseason opener vs. Texans

The Packers open the preseason against the Texans on Saturday night at Lambeau Field.

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The Green Bay Packers open the preseason against the Houston Texans on Saturday night at Lambeau Field.

Here are a few thoughts on the preseason opener:

– Matt LaFleur had 28 players sit out the preseason opener in 2019. I would expect a similar number on Saturday night. The Packers did just fine without veteran players getting a preseason last year. And the best way to prevent a season-changing injury is to have important players standing safely on the sideline.

– The Texans provide an interesting preseason opponent. Houston went on a spending spree for veteran players this offseason, stacking the roster with experienced players on both sides of the ball. The second and third teams for the Texans will consist of many veterans. This should provide a strong test for the depth of LaFleur’s team and a great look at some young Packers players.

– Don’t get too high or too low on Jordan Love after one preseason appearance. This is the first step of many. He’s probably going to be inconsistent. Give the process time. Remember, he hasn’t played in a real football game since January of 2020. He won’t be perfect. And there will be plenty of snaps to digest and evaluate over the three preseason games.

– Expect the game to be sloppy on Saturday night. First preseason games usually are. Penalties will probably be common. Special teams could be a mess. There are a lot of moving parts in play, which usually means ugly football for long stretches.

– But also remember: young players can make a big impression in these games. Back in 2019, a young cornerback named Chandon Sullivan made an interception in the preseason opener. He went on to make the team, play a decent role as a first-year player and then develop into a starter.

– You may learn as much from the special teams snaps as you do from offense and defense. Seriously. A few spots on the bottom of the roster will be determined by special teams. The third phase is being rebuilt under new coordinator Maurice Drayton, so extra attention will be paid to all those kickoffs, punts and field goal attempts.

– The Packers have to reduce their roster to 85 players by next Tuesday. Saturday night will be the end of the road for five players in Green Bay. You can bet there are 15-20 guys who are really feeling the pressure to stand out against the Texans.

– Football is finally back. Fans will be in the stands at Lambeau Field. The Packers have a lot riding on the 2021 season. Sit back, and enjoy the ride. It begins Saturday night.

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Packers vs. Texans: 5 things to watch in preseason opener

Five things to watch when the Green Bay Packers host the Houston Texans in the preseason opener on Saturday night at Lambeau Field.

The Green Bay Packers will open the preseason in 2021 by hosting the Houston Texans on Saturday night at Lambeau Field. Aaron Rodgers won’t play, and many other veterans will likely join him on the sideline, but the Packers will still get a great look at all their young players on the roster in a competitive, live-game environment.

No more hitting each other. It’s time to hit an opponent. These are valuable and important snaps for any player currently sitting on the bubble.

Here are five things to watch in the preseason opener:

Packers place OLB Randy Ramsey on IR, sign CB Dominique Martin

The Packers placed Randy Ramsey (ankle) on injured reserve and replaced him on the roster with cornerback Dominique Martin on Thursday. 

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The 2021 season is over for Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Randy Ramsey.

The team placed Ramsey on injured reserve and replaced him on the 90-man roster with cornerback Dominique Martin on Thursday.

Ramsey, who played in 12 games as a reserve linebacker and special teamer, injured his ankle last week. Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed it was a significant injury.

By going on injured reserve now, Ramsey will have no opportunity to return to the roster during the 2021 season.

The Packers will need to identify a player capable of being the fourth outside linebacker on the roster during the preseason. Tipa Galeai, Jonathan Garvin, Delontae Scott and Chauncey Rivers are the candidates currently.

Martin (5-10, 180) is a converted wide receiver. He played cornerback during his final season at Tarleton State in 2016 and then spent parts of the last four years playing football in Germany and in The Spring League.

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Packers TE Josiah Deguara ‘looks fantastic’ in return to practice

Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Josiah Deguara, who returned to practice recently: “He’s such a savvy, smart football player. There are so many things he does that are tough to coach.”

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Green Bay Packers tight end Josiah Deguara has hit the ground running in his return from a torn ACL.

Coach Matt LaFleur said his second-year tight end – who is now a few practices in after starting training camp on the PUP list – looks like the same versatile and intelligent player.

“Deguara looks fantastic,” LaFleur said Thursday. “Looks like he picked up right where he left off last season. It’s really good to see him out there.”

Deguara, who tore his ACL in Week 5 of last year, isn’t sure if he’ll be cleared to play Saturday in the preseason opener against the Houston Texans, but there should be no issues in terms of participating to start the season.

The Packers activated Deguara from the PUP list on Aug. 4. He sat out the team’s Family Night practice but is finally getting back into practicing during team periods.

He said “getting back into the flow” of just playing the game and “hitting somebody” were early obstacles during his return, but now he’s ready to go.

Don’t be surprised if Deguara, a natural H-back candidate, plays a meaningful role for the Packers in 2021. The team thinks he can be an asset inline at tight end, in the slot and in the backfield, providing positional versatility and pre-snap deception.

“He’s such a savvy, smart football player. There are so many things he does that are tough to coach,” LaFleur said.

LaFleur mentioned a recent run play where Deguara was lined up in the backfield and he made an adjustment after the snap to get through the clutter and wall off the outside linebacker, completing his assignment despite an unexpected obstacle.

The Packers made Deguara a third-round pick in the 2020 draft. He played 24 snaps on offense during his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, highlighting how important he could be for LaFleur and the Packers this season.

Deguara caught one pass as a rookie. He left the University of Cincinnati as the school’s all-time leader in receptions by a tight end.

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Packers also getting back DL Kingsley Keke, LB Isaiah McDuffie from NFI list

Like CB Kevin King, DL Kingsley Keke and LB Isaiah McDuffie are both coming off the non-football injury list for the Packers on Thursday.

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Cornerback Kevin King isn’t the only player making his training camp debut for the Green Bay Packers on Thursday.

Like King, defensive lineman Kingsley Keke and rookie linebacker Isaiah McDuffie both came off the non-football injury list and are practicing with the team on Thursday, per Mike Spofford of the team’s official site.

Keke was dealing with an ankle injury, while McDuffie had a hamstring injury. Both were placed on the NFI list to start training camp.

Keke is entering his third NFL season as an expected starter at defensive end. He produced four sacks and 22 total pressures last season and is expected to take another step in 2021. With more development, Keke could be a vital part of the Packers’ base defense and interior pass-rushing packages.

McDuffie, a sixth-round pick from Boston College, needs to make up for lost time as he competes to win a roster spot as a backup linebacker and special teams contributor.

The Packers are getting healthy to start the preseason. King, Keke and McDuffie are off the NFI list, and both Kamal Martin and Chris Blair returned to practice on Thursday.

Outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith and safety Will Redmond are the only two players left on the NFI list. Left tackle David Bakhtiari is the lone player left on the PUP list.

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Packers CB Kevin King comes off non-football injury list, practicing Thursday

Packers CB Kevin King is back after dealing with a hamstring injury to start training camp.

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The long-awaited return of cornerback Kevin King came Thursday for the Green Bay Packers.

King, who missed the first 11 practices of training camp while dealing with a hamstring injury, came off the non-football injury list and was in pads for the start of practice on Thursday morning, per Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s official site.

So begins an important season for King, who returned to the Packers on a one-year deal this offseason. After more injuries and a disappointing end to his 2020 season, King will get one more shot to prove he’s worthy of a lucrative long-term deal, whether it’s in Green Bay or elsewhere.

King started 11 games last season but produced only five pass breakups and didn’t have an interception. He had five interceptions and 15 pass breakups during the 2019 season, his best in the NFL.

A second-round pick in 2017, King missed 23 of a possible 64 games over his first four NFL seasons. Shoulder and lower-body injuries have plagued his career.

Over the first 11 practices, first-round pick Eric Stokes ran with the first-team defense opposite Jaire Alexander. Defensive backs coach Jerry Gray said King would not lose his starting job due to injury, so expect to see King running with the starters once he’s ready for team periods.

King isn’t the only player to return from the Packers’ non-football injury list on Thursday. Defensive lineman Kingsley Keke and rookie linebacker Isaiah McDuffie also returned, leaving only safety Will Redmond and linebacker Za’Darius Smith as the only two still on the list.

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Which Packers players are on the roster bubble and need to impress during preseason?

Highlighting which players are on the roster bubble and need to impress as the Packers enter the preseason.

The Green Bay Packers open the preseason with a visit from the Houston Texans on Saturday night. The Texans went on a free-agent spending spree this offseason, creating an experienced roster that should provide a good test for Matt LaFleur’s team to start the exhibition schedule.

Practices are important, but roster spots are so often won and lost during these preseason games. Players sitting on the bubble have a terrific opportunity to go prove their worth against a real opponent.

Here are the players from each position group that must impress during the preseason:

3 Packers to watch during Saturday’s preseason opener against Texans

Three intriguing players to watch when the Packers open the preseason on Saturday against the Texans.

The Green Bay Packers kick off their preseason this Saturday against the Houston Texans. Earlier this week, head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed that select veterans would be resting, which means more reps for the young guys. However, the 2021 preseason is only three games, which means fewer opportunities for roster hopefuls. This year, every snap has more value.

If Family Night was a quiz, this Saturday’s game is the test. A lot of young players have been recognized for their performance in practice, but doing it in a game is more impactful.

There are a ton of players to keep an eye on when the Texans make the trip to Lambeau. It will be Jordan Love’s first snaps as a quarterback in a game setting since 2019. It will also be the debut for the Packers 2021 draft class, which features a first-round corner in Eric Stokes and wide receiver Amari Rodgers among others.

But for this exercise, we are picking only a few players that Green Bay fans should watch out for against Houston. Let’s look at the chosen three.

Could this be a preview of Packers’ new alternate uniforms?

An ambitious Twitter user has followed the breadcrumb trails from the team and delivered an educated guess on what the Green Bay Packers’ new alternate uniforms could look like this year. 

An ambitious Twitter user has followed the breadcrumb trails from the team and delivered an educated guess on what the Green Bay Packers’ new alternate uniforms will look like this year.

The team will reveal the uniforms next Thursday, August 19, per president Mark Murphy.

The Twitter user (@TheGPackers) used a few clues to narrow down the options. The Packers are expected to use a uniform with a shade of green while also honoring a previous championship team, providing only a few potential options from past uniform combinations.

The final prediction? A green-and-gold jersey honoring the 1936 championship team.

The mock up is provided in the Twitter thread above.

The helmet would remain gold with stickers removed. The uniform would have gold shoulders and numbers on a green background. And note: the green from the 1936 look is a different shade than the current green, matching Murphy’s own words.

It’s not a revolutionary look, but it’s clean and simple, and as the Twitter user points out, the 1936 team marked the first time the Packers wore green and gold together.

Could this be the new uniform? It certainly looks possible. Would you love it or hate it as the Packers alternate uniform in 2021?

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