Tag: 2023

Packers vs. Bengals: 5 things to watch in 2023 preseason opener

Five things to watch when the Packers open the 2023 preseason against the Bengals on Friday night.

On Aug. 11, 2008, a young quarterback named Aaron Rodgers made his preseason debut as the new starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers against the Cincinnati Bengals.

On Aug. 11, 2023, a young quarterback named Jordan Love will make his preseason debut as the new starting quarterback for the Packers against the Bengals.

Time is a flat circle.

Love, a 2020 first-round pick who sat for three years behind Rodgers, is expected to play a few series on Friday night at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. The preseason opener will mark the on-field beginning of a new era in Green Bay.

Here are five things to watch when the Packers take on the Bengals in the preseason opener on Friday night:

Notre Dame football preview 2023: Star cornerback Benjamin Morrison

How will his year go now that he’s not sneaking up on anyone?

His first spring at Notre Dame began in 2022 without much fanfare but it was clear by last season’s season-opener at Ohio State that the Irish thought they had something in true freshman cornerback Benjamin Morrison.  Morrison saw the field with significant playing time that night and before long was able to work his way into the starting lineup.

By November he’d turn into one of the best cornerbacks in the country, intercepting six passes, all coming from November on and none being bigger than his 94-yard pick-six to put the upset of Clemson on ice.

So what else is there to know about Morrison as we head into 2023, his sophomore season?

Chargers WR Keenan Allen on former OC Joe Lombardi: ‘I was stuck at the slot the whole time’

Keenan Allen had some interesting comments regarding his role with the current Chargers offense.

Wide receiver Keenan Allen had some interesting comments at his Tuesday media availability regarding his role with the current Chargers’ offense. Most of the attention was on his remarks regarding usage under former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi vs. Kellen Moore:

“With Lombardi, I was stuck at the slot the whole time,” Allen said. “I’m inside and outside now, we’re all kinda inside and outside now, playing everything.”

Allen did play significantly more slot snaps in 2022 under Lombardi than he did under previous offensive coordinators for the Chargers. Allen’s percentage of pass snaps in the slot jumped from 51.7% to 64.3% when comparing Shane Steichen’s 2020 vs. Lombardi’s 2022. The percentage of snaps out wide tells a similar story. Under Steichen, Allen lined up out wide 47.7% of the time. With Lombardi, that dipped to 35.1%.

It’s hard to tell precisely what Moore’s split will be, but the plan seems to be cross-training all receivers to play inside and outside, as Allen suggested.

Allen was also asked how often the Chargers’ receiving room watches Dallas tape. For their offensive installs under Moore, Allen says the team “pretty much watches them (the Cowboys) every day.”

Cowboyswide receiver CeeDee Lamb was the name Allen brought up when asked about which player he “mimics” from Moore’s Dallas team:

“He [CeeDee Lamb] moves around a lot, slot, inside and outside. He is a change of direction guy, going left or right.”

Looking at the usage of Lamb in his last two seasons yields interesting results. Lamb spent 52.5% of his snaps in the slot vs. 46.3% out wide when looking at the previous two years on average. That’s much closer to the previously mentioned Steichen split than the Lombardi split.

Allen seems to allude to the fact that Moore will be slightly less set on always following a specific offensive structure instead of consistently seeking out mismatches.

Chargers’ depth tested early with injuries and illnesses piling up

The Chargers are battling through several player injuries and illnesses as the preseason inches closer.

It wouldn’t be a Chargers’ season (or offseason) without the Bolts fighting through some injuries. Here’s where things currently stand following the scrimmage and Monday’s practice with new updates:

An illness did spread throughout the building this week. Joey Bosa, Gerald Everett, Quentin Johnston, and Rashawn Slater missed the scrimmage because of it. Slater, Everett, and Bosa are back at Chargers’ practice today.

J.C. Jackson has experienced general soreness from his knee surgery recovery and also sat out the scrimmage. He was also back at practice on Tuesday.

Defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day and kicker Dustin Hopkins remain sidelined. In his post-scrimmage presser, head coach Brandon Staley said that Joseph-Day is dealing with a “quad contusion.” No timeline has been revealed, although the Chargers’ initial statement said he’d miss “some time.” Hopkins’ injury is undisclosed, but he is said to be working his way back.

Trey Pipkins has been dealing with a leg injury throughout training camp that held him to be a limited participant at the scrimmage. Offensive line depth pieces like Nic Melsop and Zack Bailey have also fought through injuries. Melsop was seen on crutches during Sunday’s scrimmage.

Jalen Guyton, Austin Johnson, and Otito Ogbonnia remain on the PUP list with no projected return dates.

Joseph-Day’s injury, in particular, complicates things for the Chargers, with Johnson and Ogbonnia currently on PUP. As a result, rookie defensive tackle Scott Matlock has been getting reps with the first team. Christopher Hinton has also seen his role expanded.

Packers training camp report: Live updates from Practice No. 9

News and updates from the Packers’ ninth training camp practice of 2023.

The Green Bay Packers had their annual practice at Lambeau Field on Saturday night and will now transition, starting on Monday, to the next phase of training camp: joint practices and preseason games. The Packers will go to Cincinnati this week for a practice and preseason game. But first, a quick practice Monday afternoon.

So, what will Day 9 bring for LaFleur’s team?

Here’s everything to know from Monday, Aug. 7, the ninth training camp practice of 2023:

Update on Chargers’ kicker competition: It’s Cameron Dicker’s job to lose

Cameron Dicker is now firmly in the lead to be the Chargers’ rostered kicker come September.

The kicking competition between Dustin Hopkins and Cameron Dicker has been one of the storylines to watch during OTA’s and now Chargers’ training camp. While both were kicking at similar rates on similar volumes back in June, the momentum has shifted. Dicker is now firmly in the lead to be the rostered kicker come September.

Hopkins has not kicked in a formal capacity at practice since last Thursday. As it’s currently known now, there is no injury. Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken said in his press conference today that Hopkins has been kicking “on the side.”

Dicker has made the most of his opportunity as the main kicker. Per Chargers’ senior writer Eric Smith, the former Texas product has hit 30/34 throughout training camp:

It’s worth pointing out that things could still change in the preseason. Dicker and Hopkins will presumably get the chance to kick in all of the games with the league’s new cutdown rule in effect. But the fact that Dicker has been taking all the kicks within the last week of training camp is very noteworthy.

One also has to wonder if Hopkins could be potentially preserved in practices as trade bait around the league. After the Jaguars traded Riley Patterson to the Lions back in May, the price for potentially trading a kicker in the event of an injury somewhere else or a need around the league is set at a late-Day 3 pick.

The Chargers don’t tend to keep kickers on the practice squad, either. Hopkins most likely wouldn’t make it through waivers anyway, given his experience and reputation around the league.

Unless Dicker suffers an injury or something else shifts the momentum soon, the kicking competition doesn’t seem to be much of a competition. It’s Dicker’s job to lose until further notice.

News and highlights from Packers Family Night in 2023

Tracking all the highlights from the Packers’ Family Night practice on Saturday, Aug. 5 at Lambeau Field.

The Green Bay Packers will hold their eighth practice of training camp in 2023 inside Lambeau Field. Saturday night is the team’s annual “Family Night” scrimmage.

The event was sold out, and the forecast is just about perfect, providing the perfect setting for Matt LaFleur’s team.

The main event: Jordan Love’s first appearance inside Lambeau Field as the starting quarterback of the Packers. Saturday night is just a practice, but it’s also a big moment in the transition from Hall of Famer to first-year starter at the game’s most important position.

Packers Wire will track all the news and highlights from the practice:

8 standout performers for Chargers through one week of training camp

Training camp has only been underway for a week, but these Chargers are standing out in the early going.

The Chargers are still a week into their training camp program in Costa Mesa, CA. It’s important to remember that when talking about player stock with plenty of time left in the offseason, plus three preseason games.

That being said, there are some standouts for Los Angeles in the early going.

12 standout performers for Packers through one week of training camp

The top standouts for the Packers through the first week of training camp.

The Green Bay Packers are now one full week into their training camp schedule. This has included six total practices, five of which were at full speed, with two being in pads, along with a number of standout performers.

Of course, there is still a long way to go, and nothing from a depth chart or positional battle standpoint is set in stone at this point. For many of the players, especially the inexperienced ones, in Packers training camp, right now it’s about finding consistency to couple with those flashes or impressive performances and improving each day.

“The sole focus each and every time you go out there is to try to get better each and every day in everything they do,” said Matt LaFleur. “In order to do that, you have to give max effort, you got to be deliberate about what you’re doing. Know the ins and outs, the details, the why of everything we are asking these guys to do.”

Below is a closer look at my standout performers through the Packers’ first six training camp practices. This isn’t to say that there aren’t others, there absolutely are, but these are the players who have caught my attention.

Chargers WR John Hightower making his presence felt in training camp

Chargers WR John Hightower had another banner day at training camp on Monday.

Chargers wide receiver John Hightower had another banner day at training camp on Monday. Hightower recorded two touchdowns in seven-on-seven drills and added another score late in practice as the team worked in 11-on-11s.

For the past week, the former Eagle and Boise State product has been one of the top producers in camp to this point. Hightower also got quite the attention and shine while working with Justin Herbert.

Now it’s worth pointing out that early training camp stock ups and downs should be taken with a grain of salt. The first week may not have any impact on how the rest of the process plays out. But Hightower’s performance to this point is noteworthy considering the absence of Jalen Guyton. Guyton was placed on the PUP list along with Otito Ogbonnia and Austin Johnson prior to the first day of practice.

As far as the Chargers’ wide receivers currently behind Guyton, Hightower has the skill set that is the most comparable. He ran a 4.43 at his NFL combine and has shown his ability to get behind defenders in the pros.

How Guyton’s recovery tracks could go a long way into whether or not Hightower has a chance to see the field. If Guyton were to remain on the PUP list going into the season, he’d have to miss the Chargers’ first four games going into the BYE week. While we’re not sure of his condition and recovery quite yet, it’s possible that giving the former North Texas star some extra rest could be under consideration with the early BYE.

The Chargers’ first five receivers are set with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Quentin Johnston, Josh Palmer, and returner Derius Davis. If Guyton does return early enough in camp, his institutional knowledge and connection with Herbert should lock down his roster spot. But Hightower’s initial performance in early training camp could prove critical if Guyton needs more time in his recovery.