Strong quarterback play, a disruptive defense front and a nearly flawless special teams performance powered the Green Bay Packers’ win over the Cleveland Browns to open the preseason on Saturday afternoon in Cleveland. Jordan Love threw a touchdown pass on the first series, both Sean Clifford and Micheal Pratt were solid overall, the Packers defense produced 22 pressures and 11 run stops and kickers Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph were a perfect 5-for-5 on kicks.
Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst players from the Packers’ preseason-opening win over the Browns:
Top 5 offense
1. WR Dontayvion Wicks: 94.3
2. QB Jordan Love: 90.3
3. WR Julian Hicks: 84.9
4. WR Grant DuBose: 84.6
5. QB Michael Pratt: 84.5
5. TE Joel Wilson: 84.5
Wicks played one snap, catching his only target for 65 yards and a touchdown. Love attempted two passes, completing both for 63 yards, a touchdown pass and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. Hicks had a spinning 23-yard catch and also a 14-yard run across 16 snaps. DuBose caught five of six targets, produced four receiving first downs and averaged almost 3.5 yards per route run. Pratt completed five of his seven passes, and one of the misses was a drop. Wilson earned an excellent run blocking grade and caught all three of his targets for 30 yards.
Top 5 defense
1. CB Robert Rochell: 80.5
2. S Evan Williams: 79.2
3. LB Christian Young: 78.2
4. DL Colby Wooden: 77.1
5. S Zayne Anderson: 76.9
Rochell allowed just one catch for five yards on three targets and was credited with two pass breakups, including one on fourth down. Williams produced six tackles, including two tackles considered to be “stops,” and a forced fumble. Young didn’t have a tackle but earned a strong grade in coverage. Wooden produced a sack, two total pressures and two stops against the run. Anderson had two stops, including a tackle after a one-yard completion.
Bottom 5 offense
1. WR Bo Melton: 42.0
2. RB A.J. Dillon: 47.2
3. TE Ben Sims: 49.3
4. OL Royce Newman: 50.0
5. OT Kadeem Telfort: 50.1
Melton was credited with three drops on four targets, finishing with just one catch for 12 yards on 22 routes run. Dillon gained just two yards on four carries but did produced seven yards after first contact, showcasing the quality of the blocking in front of him. Sims didn’t have a catch on 12 routes run and graded out poorly blocking in the run game. Newman was excellent in pass protection but one of the team’s worst run blockers. Telfort allowed a pressure and was the lowest graded run blocker.
Bottom 5 defense
1. CB LJ Davis: 29.8
2. DL Spencer Waege: 31.3
3. DE Brenton Cox Jr.: 43.0
4. DE Kingsley Enagbare: 47.0
5. DE Kenneth Odumegwu: 50.4
Davis gave up a 17-yard catch and committed the defense’s only penalty. Waege was credited with a short sack, but he also earned the defense’s worst run defense grade. Cox had three pressures but also missed two tackles. Enagbare had three pressures but earned average grades against the run. Odumegwu had one pressure on five pass-rush snaps but gave up contain on a fourth-down conversion.
Special teams
Both kickers were perfect on field goals and extra points. Anthony Johnson Jr. led the special teams in tackles (two) and special teams grade (82.8). Gemon Green and Robert Rochell both had a solo tackle and a grade over 75.0. Receiver Malik Heath missed a tackle. Ben Sims led the team with 15 special teams snaps.
Quarterback play
Jordan Love: 90.3
Michael Pratt: 84.5
Sean Clifford: 76.5
Both Love and Pratt had a big-time throw, and none of the three quarterbacks had a turnover-worthy play. All three quarterbacks had a passing grade above 75.0.
Stat to know
Lukas Van Ness produced four pressures, a sack, three hurries and two run stops. He got dinged for one missed tackle, but his overall grade — 76.4 — reflected a strong performance in the preseason opener for the 2023 first-round pick.