The Green Bay Packers hosted the Seattle Seahawks for their third and final preseason game of the year. Arguably the most important preseason game of the year, this game was the final opportunity for many players to make their case for the final 53-man roster. This was also the last chance players had to put some film out there for other teams to give them a shot should they not make the Packers’ roster.
With so many fringe roster players fighting for a spot, which players stood out? How did Jordan Love look in his final preseason performance before officially leading the Packers into the future?
Post-Game Report
The Packer’s first drive of the game was a 11-play 50-yard drive spearheaded by the running game. All 50 yards were accumulated on the ground by AJ Dillon, Jayden Reed, and Jordan Love. Love was unable to complete a pass on three attempts, but provided 16 yards on the ground as he helped drive the offense down to the Seahawks’ 25-yard line where Anders Carlson knocked through a 43-yard field goal to open up the scoring on the game’s first drive.
For the next three drives, the Packers and Seahawks traded punts, defensive play from the Packers’ starting lineup kept the Seahawks in check. We wouldn’t see another point scored until the second quarter.
On a 15-play, 80-yard drive, Love and the Packers got the passing game going. 60 of the drive’s 80 yards were racked up through the air as the Packers drove down the field thanks to big plays from rookie camp standout Malik Heath and Luke Musgrave. Love capped off the drive with a six-yard back shoulder pass to Christain Watson for the game’s first touchdown. With that drive, Love led a touchdown drive in each of his three preseason starts, a great sign for the future of the team.
A Seahawks punt and a Packers’ failed 4th-down conversion attempt later, the Seahawks got the ball at their own 39-yard line and drove down the field in six quick plays to put up their first points off of an 18-yard touchdown pass to rookie Jake Bobo.
Sean Clifford and the Packers responded with a perfect two-minute drill; and with a little help from a Seahawks offsides penalty, Anders Carlson drilled a 57-yard field goal to put the Packers up 12-7 just before half.
For the next eight drives, that spanned the entirety of the third quarter and four minutes into the fourth quarter, either team could put up points. This span featured seven total punts and one Green Bay failed fourth down conversion from Seattle’s 12-yard-line.
The stalemate would finally be broken by Seattle on a 10-play, 89-yard drive where Drew Lock carved up the Packers defense through the air and running back SaRodorick Thompson Jr found paydirt from one yard out. The Seahawks then attempted and successfully completed the ensuing two-point conversion attempt on a Lock pass to Thompson Jr.
Down 15-12 from their own 25 with under seven minutes left in the game, QB3 Alex McGough had one last chance to score. Five plays later, on a 2nd and 14 from their own 40, McGough uncorked a beautiful deep ball to Jadakis Bonds for a 52-yard completion to set the Packers offense up inside the Seattle redzone. Four plays after that, running back Nate McCrary ran in the go-ahead score from a yard out.
Still with all three timeouts, the Seahawks, led now by Holton Ahlers, were given just under two minutes to retake the lead. Ahlers and Thompson Jr drove down the field with short passes and runs before an incomplete pass set up a 3rd and seven from Green Bay’s 12-yard-line. On this play, Ahlers went for it all. Ahler’s pass to the endzone sailed into triple coverage, where Packers safety Benny Sapp III came down with the interception, slamming the door closed on the Seahawks.
Players of the Game
- Carrington Valentine: The seventh round rookie once again impressed as he has done throughout training camp. Recording three solo tackles and one pass breakup, Valentine has proved himself to be a steal of the draft, and could make the roster as CB3 while Stokes recovers from injury. Valentine is a stud and will be a valuable asset to the Packers.Â
- Anders Carlson: After a shaky, inconsistent start to training camp, Carlson has turned things around. Carlson was perfect today, save for an extra point attempt that was blocked by the Seahawks. Carlson’s perfect game consisted of not only a 43-yard field goal but also a long, would-be Lambeau Field record, 57-yard field goal. Carlson may have started rough, but has since gotten better at consistently making field goals, and could turn out to be a solid replacement for Mason Crosby.Â
Injury Report
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The Packers close out their preseason with a win at home to bring their record to 2-1. They now have until Tuesday to make their final roster cuts to bring the roster down to the maximum 53. With no games next week, the next matchup will be the season opener on the road against the Chicago Bears.
