The Green Bay Packers are once again on the rise and after having reached the Divisional Round in last year’s playoffs. The Packers are heading in the right direction with their young quarterback Jordan Love leading the charge.
Green Bay finds itself in an intriguing division of the NFC North, where the Lions are the team to beat, the Bears are hot on the tails, and the Vikings are still a good team. But before the regular season begins, we will first look for a few things to watch for in the first preseason game.
The Packers are slated to take on the Cleveland Browns in their first exhibition contest.
Here are five things to monitor.
What will be the effect of the Packers playing their starters?
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has stated that all starters will take part in the preseason games. The philosophy behind this thinking is that it will help the starters get back into full swing by the time the regular season gets underway.
LaFleur adopted the same strategy last year and it enabled Green Bay to get off to a better start than the previous couple of years, as they went on to win the first game of the 2023 season.
While this strategy may be logical, there is still the added risk of injuries taking place. LaFleur has also stated that the team will be careful with the starters. However, in a contact sport such as the NFL, you never know when someone can get seriously banged up.
Will Lukas Van Ness show his worth?
Green Bay spent their first round pick of the 2023 draft on defensive end Lukas Van Ness. Although regarded as a player for the future, Van Ness failed to impress in his rookie season. Going into Year 2 with experience under his belt, the Packers will now be looking for their defensive end to step up and show his worth.
How will the Packers’ wide receiver depth shake out?
The game against the Browns will give a brief idea of how the Packers’ receiver depth is shaping up.
Starters Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed were among the top receivers for the Packers last season.
Meanwhile, Dontayvion Wicks, who is currently a backup on the Packers roster, was also one of the leading receivers. But what will be interesting to see is whether others such as Bo Melton and Malik Heath can take strides forward.
How will the Packers’ offensive line perform?
Green Bay has been one of those franchises that generally always has a good offensive line. However, this time around, the Packers’ offensive line does not feature many known stars. Overall, the unit has been rated as 14th in the NFL by Pro Football Focus heading into 2024.
The first preseason game will be crucial, as we will get a firsthand view of what the line looks like. If Green Bay is truly struggling in that department, then Love could be in for a long season ahead.
How will the Packers’ new-look defense perform?
The Packers have brought in a new defensive coordinator who will be looking to improve their defense as soon as possible. Jeff Hafley, the new coordinator, operates a 4-3 system, which is different from the 3-4 system the Packers were using last year.
Furthermore, Hafley will ask his players to be much more aggressive and try to rush the quarterback as much as possible. His work with the secondary should also see the cornerbacks closer to their receiving counterparts, which was not the case in 2023.
The game against Cleveland will be the first opportunity to see how the Packers’ new defense is shaping up.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
