The Green Bay Packers opened the 2022 season with a disappointing 23-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Matt LaFleur’s team fell behind 17-0 at halftime and 20-0 at one point in the second half and failed to mount a comeback late despite a few opportunities to get back into the game.

The Packers are now 0-1 and humbled coming out of the opener for the second straight season.

Here are all the stars, studs and duds from the Packers’ Week 1 loss to the Vikings

The Green Bay Packers are 0-2 to start the preseason after dropping a home game to the New York Jets on Saturday at Lambeau Field. Coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst will care less about the result – 32 veteran players didn’t dress – and more about the process, especially in terms of individual performances.

The evaluation of players during these exhibition games will play a major role in determining the final few roster spots.

Here are the studs and duds from the Packers’ preseason loss to the Jets:

The Green Bay Packers used an overwhelming advantage at quarterback and timely plays on defense to race past the Chicago Bears and clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 35-16 win at Soldier Field on Sunday.

Here are the studs and duds from the Packers’ win over the Bears.

Studs

S Adrian Amos: The former Bear plays his best games in Chicago. An offside penalty on Preston Smith prevented what should have been a two-takeaway day for Amos. Late in the first half, he wrestled the ball away from David Montgomery in the flat and then recovered the fumble, but the penalty negated the play. Later, he essentially sealed the game by ranging to his left and intercepting a misthrow from Mitchell Trubisky down the seam in the fourth quarter. The Packers had the route covered perfectly and Amos was right there to grab the forced throw. Twice, Amos made nearly perfect tackles. He smacked Darnell Mooney along the sideline short of the sticks, and his diving stop of Trubisky in the open field prevented a potential touchdown on the final drive.

QB Aaron Rodgers: He has made playing the hardest position in sports look so effortless at times this season. His accuracy and decision-making in the offense are as good right now as ever in his career. On Sunday, he completed nearly 80 percent of his passes, averaged 10 yards per attempt and threw four touchdown passes on just 24 attempts. One of his five incompletions was a disappointing drop on what likely would have resulted in a 53-yard touchdown to open the second half. He did have three near interceptions, an unusually high number for him in a single game. But his execution throughout the contest and the offense’s efficiency overall were big reasons why the Packers won the game by three scores despite running 30 fewer plays than the Bears. Another MVP performance.

RB Aaron Jones: The boxscore numbers might not pop off the screen, but the Packers running back produced winning plays with commendable effort and skill. Maybe no play better describes Jones as a player than the catch and run for 15 yards on the opening drive. He caught the pass eight yards short of the first down, stiff-armed his way past two tacklers, including linebacker Roquan Smith, and then spun through another tackler just for good measure. A play that looked dead in the water turned into a drive-extending chunk gain. Jones is elusive and far tougher than most running backs his size. Of his 85 total yards, 82 came after first contact or after the catch. He was also a go-to player (five touches, 36 yards) for Matt LaFleur on the Packers’ game-changing touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

CB Jaire Alexander: An All-Pro caliber regular season received a fitting conclusion. Alexander helped smother Allen Robinson, who didn’t have a target in the first half, and his smart and crafty strip of rookie tight end Cole Kmet created a turnover and eventually led to a Packers touchdown. In the second half, he wisely broke off vertical coverage by spinning back to his left at full speed and disrupting a throw to Javon Wims, who would have been wide open otherwise. Later, he blanketed Wims down the sideline for another deep incompletion. According to Pro Football Focus, Alexander allowed three catches for all of seven yards against his coverage.

DL Kenny Clark: Few players at his position have the ability to reset the line of scrimmage off the ball and then find the ball-carrier after shedding blocks as consistently as he does. The Bears had some early success running the football but it dried up quickly, and Clark and the edge rushers deserve a lot of the credit. His production hasn’t been as impressive as last season, but he’s still impacting the game. His thankless work over the last month has been a big reason for the defensive improvement.

TE Dominique Dafney: How does a role player land in the “studs” section? Catch a touchdown pass and make a crunching tackle on special teams. Dafney did both on back-to-back plays in the first half. On offense, the rookie looks like an ideal fit for Matt LaFleur’s H-back role. He can run and catch, and he’s a capable blocker in space. The Packers also like him covering and blocking on kicks.

Duds

LB Kamal Martin: The rookie linebacker is nothing if not aggressive. He plays the game fast and puts himself into disruptive areas. Now, he must learn to finish. Twice, he was in a position to make plays at or near the line and missed the tackle, including on David Montgomery’s touchdown run on the opening drive. When he gains some control, he’ll be a quality linebacker.

KR Malik Taylor: He’s athletic enough to be returning kicks, but his hesitancy with the ball in his hands negates any athletic advantage he could otherwise muster as a returner. He averaged just 19.8 yards per return on four returns Sunday. Twice, he appeared to have trouble with the footing. The Packers can probably find a better, safer option. Taylor looks like a turnover waiting to happen on kickoff return.

PR Tavon Austin: He continues to look solid in his jet motion role. His speed and vision in the open field create value. However, the Packers can’t afford turnovers on special teams. Austin fumbled for the 23rd time in his NFL career on Sunday. The giveaway resulted in three points for the Bears. The veteran must be stronger with the football.

OLB Preston Smith: Penalties negating takeaways can be back-breaking mistakes. Smith, with seven offsides penalties over the last two seasons, relies on jumping the snap too often. His latest infraction eliminated a fumble recovery and eventually led to the Bears scoring three points.

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The Green Bay Packers got superstar efforts from their best players on offense and a productive day from the pass-rushing group to beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Here are the studs and duds from the Packers’ win over the Eagles:

Studs

QB Aaron Rodgers: A handful of drops likely took away another 75 yards or so from his final total, but he still finished with a 73.5 completion percentage, 295 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. He completed three passes over 20 yards and expertly managed pressure despite taking one sliding sack. His bomb to Marquez Valdes-Scantling – which ended in a drop – was another perfect throw that traveled well over 60 yards in the air. He’s so good at getting the Packers in the right play and then simply distributing the ball to the right guy. After 12 games, he has an NFL-high 36 touchdown passes, and his completion percentage is creeping closer to 70 percent.

WR Davante Adams: Darius Slay is a talented and experienced cornerback, but he had a nightmare afternoon against Adams, who caught six of his 10 passes and both touchdown passes with Slay in coverage. When he didn’t beat him with his release or the route, he won with physicality or athleticism at the catch point. On his 1-yard touchdown, Adams earned just a step of separation and then completed the play with a leaping catch over Slay. Later, he powered into the end zone with a vicious stiff arm to Slay’s face. His 42-yard catch in traffic was one of the most impressive catches of his incredible season.

RB Aaron Jones: The 77-yard run to clinch the win was a special one. Not many backs can make an unblocked linebacker and an unblocked safety miss in the same sequence. From there, it was off to the races. Patient, Jones allowed a hoard of blockers to arrive and help him weave into the end zone. Five of his 15 rushes gained a first down, and he forced eight missed tackles, per Pro Football Focus.

CB Jaire Alexander: There’s a good chance he was at least partially to blame for the fourth-down touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. The Packers can look past it because he was so physical and disruptive over his 60 other snaps. He stopped Miles Sanders in his tracks on a third-down draw play. Early in the game, Carson Wentz tried to test him with running back Boston Scott on a quick slant. Alexander disrupted the attempt and let the Eagles know it. Later, he broke up a perimeter pass to former Packer Travis Fulgham, and he nearly intercepted a third-down throw to Zach Ertz late in the contest.

WR Allen Lazard: He caught three passes for 50 yards, including two catches gaining first downs. On a third down in the second half, he ran past Avonte Maddox and made the running catch for 31 yards. He’s faster than most believe, even if it’s more build-up speed than instant acceleration. His best work came as a run blocker. Matt LaFleur uses him in so many ways to leverage blocks and create lanes. Unlike many receivers, he can take on linebackers and safeties in the box and get it done. Lazard is such a useful player within this offense.

DL Kingsley Keke: Twice, the second-year defensive lineman beat veteran Jason Peters for sacks. Now 38, Peters is a lumbering player at right guard. Keke won with quickness and active hands. He also chased down Carson Wentz to end a third-down scramble short of the sticks.

Duds

LB Kamal Martin: He flew downhill and whiffed on Miles Sanders on the first drive. The rookie triggers fast and wants to fly through gaps to make plays, which is a plus. He just needs more control at the tackle point. Late on the first drive, he took Sanders down for a loss. On punt coverage, he missed the best tackle opportunity on Jalen Reagor’s punt return for a touchdown. It was a bad miss in the open field.

P JK Scott: His first punt traveled all of 41 yards, setting the Eagles up with terrific field position for their second drive. Later, his punt right down the middle of the field helped spark Reagor’s long punt return for a touchdown. Of course, his tackle attempt along the sideline was memorable again for all the wrong reasons.

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling: He battled hard for Aaron Jones on the long touchdown run. The score probably doesn’t happen without his effort and blocking on the play. However, he also had a big drop – negating a 50-yard play or more – and the Eagles dropped him for a loss on a jet sweep. The drop was likely the result of him trying to body catch the ball. The Packers need him to consistently make those plays. His other target could have been a big play but Rodgers was hit while trying to deliver the ball downfield.

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