By Chris Havel

Special to EVENT USA

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The past two Sundays have been a blessing for the Packers, particularly along the offensive line.

A week ago, the Packers activated Pro Bowl offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins off the PUP list. On Sunday, All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari was elevated to the active roster after a hellish, 20-month long recovery.

Both are coming off serious knee injuries.

Whether Jenkins and/or Bakhtiari play in Green Bay’s Sunday, Sept. 11, regular-season opener at Minnesota isn’t known. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Bakhtiari’s and Jenkins’ health is the top priority.

“They know how to play the game, they know what to expect when they go out there,” LaFleur said. “Just their ability to communicate and see things, their experience speaks for itself. So, I do think there’s going to be a ton of benefit to when we can get them out there.”

After all this time the Packers aren’t about to rush either player’s return.

They have one preseason game, a handful of practices and 20 days to get Bakhtiari and Jenkins full tilt with the No. 1 offense in time for Week 1.
As it stands, the Packers’ starting offensive line (left to right) likely would be: Yosh Nijman, Jon Runyan, Josh Myers, Jake Hanson or Royce Newman, and Jenkins.

As a practical matter the Vikings’ edge rushers – Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter – present a major challenge with the Packers’ top tackles on the field. Smith (back) and Hunter (torn pec) return after injury-plagued seasons and remain two of the NFL’s top pass rushers.

The fact that it’s a road game against a division opponent and the regular season-opener is certain to ratchet things up.

Meantime, Jenkins is quietly going about his business during practice while Bakhtiari is thrilled just to be back on the field.

The five-time All-Pro left tackle expects to regain his status as one of the league’s finest players at a premier position. If it doesn’t go that way it won’t be for a lack of effort or desire.

Bakhtiari still views himself as a top left tackle. That hasn’t changed.

“That’s the expectation I set for myself, so I don’t expect for that to change,” Bakhtiari said. “The question is do I meet it or not? That’s for me to decide. If someone else says I am or I’m not, let’s say they say I am but I don’t think I am, that’s on me. I have my own expectations and my own goals of how I play and how I grade myself, even different from how my coaches grade me.”

LaFleur seemed please while trying to temper his enthusiasm.

“It’s just the next step but we are excited to get (Bakhtiari) out there on the grass,” he said. “He’s been making really good progress and mentally, I think he’s in a very good place, as well. He’s worked his tail off for a long time now to get to this point.”

Bakhtiari is confident in his comeback, but stopped short of predictions.

“The first time I came back was awesome,” he said. “It’s just tough when it gets taken from you and it’s not by your choice. That was something that I had a hard time giving up, basically my knee saying no. this time now, I realize that I cannot control as much as I want to.

“I like being in control of my destiny. It’s just more like, ‘Hey, what are you feeling like today, knee? How are you doing … You holding up well? Cool, we’re in this together, man.’ That’s been a special moment. I’m really grateful to be back out there again and hopefully no more back and forth, just positive daily steps in the right direction.”

** PRESEASON WEEK 2: PACKERS 20, SAINTS 10

Jordan Love passed the football and the eye test with flying colors.

Love completed 12 of 24 passes for 113 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions for a 77.3 passer rating. He also ran three times for 13 yards and was sacked once.

The stats don’t reflect Love’s improvement from the preseason opener.

“I know the numbers don’t necessarily reflect probably how I feel,” LaFleur said. “He stood in the pocket and was throwing on rhythm. Unfortunately again we had too many drops. He was decisive. I think that’s the big thing from him. I see a much more decisive player out there. I think that’s going to lead to a much more effective player.”

Through two preseason games and a pair of joint practices Love’s progress is fairly evident. He is moving closer to being “the heir apparent” rather than an apparent error.

The Packers’ targeted receivers accounted for five drops among the 12 incompletions as well as Tyler Davis’ fumble after a 7-yard catch that would have produced a first down and kept a late-first half drive alive.

The big takeaway is that Love delivered passes with zip and accuracy.

Love’s 21-yard dart to Juwann Winfree and his 17-yard bullet to Romeo Doubs were big-time NFL throws. He went through his progression, read the defense correctly and delivered a strike on time and on target.

Love, 23, remains a work in progress, but his footwork, balance and decisiveness were better. All of that led to more velocity and improved accuracy.

“I’ve gotten more comfortable being decisive, being able to let it rip and not waiting and being hesitant for a play to open up,” he said. “It comes down to being comfortable with the offense and understanding where the receiver’s going to be.”

Love threw three interceptions in the preseason opener at San Francisco. At least one of the three (Tyler Davis’ drop and deflection) wasn’t his fault. The other two interceptions were questionable decisions despite mitigating circumstances such as a collapsing pocket and substandard route-running.

Love was much smoother against the Saints.

“I think he’s light years ahead of where he was a year ago,” LaFleur said. “I think if you asked our guys in that locker room, every one of them would tell you they’ve got a lot of confidence in him. I think we would all agree in that locker room that he’s one of the most improved guys over the last year.”

The Packers’ offense gained 177 yards in the first half against the Saints with impressive balance. They threw for 91 yards and ran for 86 yards.

Love’s first drive netted 18 yards before a third-down incompletion on a difficult pass for Doubs along the sideline led to a punt.

The second and third drives were practically picture perfect.

The Packers went 73 yards in 14 plays before having to settle for a field goal. They went 75 yards in 11 plays and capped the second drive with a 4-yard Love-to-Doubs touchdown pass.

Davis’ fumble on the second play of the drive killed Green Bay’s fourth possession. The fumbles and drops won’t be tolerated by LaFleur or his MVP quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.

A year ago, the Packers had just 12 drops for the entire season. They had five on Friday night. The Packers also had just 35 offensive penalties last season, or scarcely more than two a game.

They play fast and they play clean. Any player giving anything less will be given a seat on the bench, and that’s if they’re not released.

The standard is set.

Love is slowly but surely elevating his game to meet it.

By Chris Havel

Special to EVENT USA

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Packers saved the best news for Sunday to cap their most productive weekend since the NFL draft in April.

On Friday night, Jordan Love’s uneven play in a 28-21 preseason loss at San Francisco was offset by stellar showings along the offensive line and by no less than a dozen other players in all three phases.

On Saturday, the team’s 5 a.m. return to Green Bay dictated a day off to rest, relax and work through any soreness from the night before.

On Sunday, the Packers announced that offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins, tight end Robert Tonyan and receiver Christian Watson were activated off the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list.

It doesn’t guarantee that they will play in Green Bay’s Sept. 11 season opener at Minnesota, but it does pave the way for the possibility.

Jenkins, a talented and versatile player, could start at left or right tackle when he’s ready to roll. Tonyan, also coming off an ACL tear, is the team’s top pass-catching tight end. Watson, a physically gifted receiver and the 34th overall pick in April, returns after minor knee surgery.

While some teams are dealing with mounting injuries, the Packers are getting healthier as training camp progresses. Safety Dallin Leavitt incurred what’s described as a “serious” shoulder injury Friday night, but the team didn’t report any other injuries of note.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur announced the PUP list activations during his pre-practice news conference Sunday.

“It’s just like the next step in the process,” he said. “It’s not like they’re going to be out there in team drills. But they’ll do some individual (work) and with them being back, now it allows you to do some walkthroughs, which is going to be obviously very beneficial for, especially for a guy who hasn’t played in the NFL like Christian. So it’ll be great to get ‘em out there for some of the walkthroughs.”

LaFleur didn’t commit to playing Jenkins at a particular position.

“As far as where he’s going to play, I think time will tell,” he said. “I don’t want to commit to the right side. I don’t want to commit to the left side. I don’t want to commit to tight end.”

Jenkins’ stance and footwork during his individual work, according to ESPN, suggests he’ll line up at right tackle. That makes sense, especially if All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari is activated off the PUP list in time to play in the regular-season opener.

If Bakhtiari remains on the PUP list to start the season he will have to miss at least the first four games. Jenkins seems the likely starter at left tackle if that’s the case.

With Jenkins at right tackle, the Packers’ offensive line would be Yosh Nijman at left tackle, Jon Runyan at left guard, Josh Myers at center and either Royce Newman, Jake Hanson or Zach Tom at right guard.

The Packers still have three players on the PUP list: Bakhtiari, veteran kicker Mason Crosby and running back Kylin Hill.

Meantime, Love needs to build on the positives and learn from the negatives following the preseason opener.

Love, 23, played with poise and confidence while flashing his first-round arm talent on a handful of throws. But the good was mitigated by two poor decisions on throws that were deflected by his receivers and resulted in interceptions.

The Packers’ backup to Aaron Rodgers alternated between sharp and shaky during his 36 snaps. He threw for two touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 13 of 24 for 176 yards and a pedestrian 66 passer rating.

Love’s touchdown throws were nicely delivered 33-yard lasers to rookie receivers Romeo Doubs and Danny Davis. He also commanded the huddle, got them in and out crisply and was accurate on his intermediate throws and check-downs.

His reads and decision-making on several throws was disappointing, though.

Two of his three interceptions were the result of passes that were deflected by his receivers. The third was an ill-advised throw to Amari Rodgers over the middle. He wasn’t perfect, to be sure.

Love seemed to take it in stride.

“The ball wasn’t bouncing our way tonight,” Love said. “A couple misfortunate plays. I think for everybody it could have been a better night. The ball bounced weird ways and they capitalized on those plays. Obviously no one wants that to happen and it sucks when it does. It’s something to learn from.”

Love’s first pick came on a pass that sailed through the hands of Tyler Davis, who is battling to make the team as the fourth tight end. Davis has to make that catch if he wants to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

The second pick was high and behind Doubs, who contorted his body and nearly made a terrific play before having the football wrestled away by the defender. It should serve as a great teaching moment for Doubs: Finish the play.

The third pick had almost no chance to be completed and shouldn’t have been thrown. Amari Rodgers bowed his route, which allowed cornerback Samuel Womack to step in front for an easy interception.

“Certainly, he’s going to want a couple of the throws back and certainly some of the reads,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “But it’s never perfect for a quarterback. But I thought, by and large, just watching the things like how the operation was, it was a smooth operation.”

LaFleur didn’t entirely absolve Love for throwing the interceptions, but he acknowledged it wasn’t all the former Utah State quarterback’s fault.

“I think two of those you can totally take off him,” LaFleur told reporters. “The third one, we had two busted routes because the ball really shouldn’t have gone there on that play (to Rodgers). He had nowhere else to go with the football, and he forced it in there and the defender made a good play. We’ve just got to clean up everything around him. We say it all the time about quarterbacks, they’re going to get too much credit when we do well and they’re going to get a lot of the blame when we don’t, and that’s just the reality of playing that position in this league.”

Love will have plenty of opportunities to make the necessary corrections. He is likely to receive plenty of reps during the Packers-Saints joint practices, as well as the Saints’ and Chiefs’ preseason games.

Here are other key takeaways from Week 1 of the preseason:

** Amari Rodgers is a much sleeker, more explosive player than a year ago. The third-round pick dropped 10 pounds from his 5-foot-9 frame and appears quicker at 202 pounds.

Rodgers had a nifty 22-yard touchdown catch on a Danny Etling pass in the second half. He also made a terrific read on an incredibly well-blocked kick return and raced 50 yards before being forced out-of-bounds.

On the touchdown catch, Rodgers said: “I just had a flat route and the nickel blitzed off me, so I knew I had a chance of getting the ball. I saw that and I got my eyes around quick and made the first man miss. The second had a good angle on me. I was thinking about cutting back but I saw his angle so I gave him a little hesitation to see if I could stop his speed and it worked.”

Then what?

“I just reached for the pylon,” he said with a smile.

On the kickoff return, Rodgers followed his blocking, made one would-be tackler whiff and then kicked it into high gear.

“It was well-blocked and I think the hardest hit came when he got to the sideline and Rashan Gary knocked him on his butt,” LaFleur said.

** The Packers’ offensive line held up against the 49ers’ defensive starters.

Love wasn’t sacked and had a clean pocket to work in. Etling took one sack.

The Packers finished with 299 yards passing on 19 of 32 for three touchdowns. Perhaps even more impressive was a Packers’ running attack that produced 141 yards on 34 carries (4.1 average) and six rushing first downs.

“I thought our offensive line did a much better job,” LaFleur said. “I thought they held up really nicely throughout the course of the game. It wasn’t perfect. There were a couple runs that I think we could’ve blocked up a little bit better. But by and large I thought they did a nice job.

“I was really happy with the effort that the guys gave really in every phase. I thought guys were competing, playing with great urgency, playing with great effort, playing together. Nobody was making up their own stuff out there which tends to happen sometimes when you get your first exposure in an NFL football game, a preseason game, and so by and large the guys did a nice job.”

** There’s keen competition to be the sixth receiver.

Doubs had three catches for 45 yards on seven targets. He had two drops, which he’ll learn from, but overall he ran really good routes and showed he belongs. Doubs’ ability to gain separation in the blink of an eye was fairly apparent.

Samori Toure had three catches for 42 yards on four targets. His speed translates on the field. After Toure’s NFL debut it’s easier to see why he had a knack for getting behind defenders.

Juwan Winfree also had a nice game with three catches (three targets) for 27 yards. Then there is ex-Badgers receiver Danny Davis, who caught two passes for 45 yards, including the 33-yard touchdown grab.

It appears the Week 1 receivers will be Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers, Romeo Doubs and Watson.

** The third running back job is up for grabs.

Patrick Taylor, Dexter Williams, B.J. Baylor and Tyler Goodson are battling for one roster spot behind Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. This is perhaps the keenest competition on the roster.

Taylor and Williams have been in the system for a while now, while Baylor and Goodson flashed more quickness and better hands out of the backfield.

The turning point may be which is most capable on special teams, although the Packers have invested in Keisean Nixon and Dallin Leavitt – a pair of defensive backs – to shore up the teams’ play.

Right now, I’d put Taylor slightly ahead of Goodson, with Baylor and Williams as the longshots.

** The defense was stout against the run.

Green Bay held the 49ers to just 57 yards rushing on 18 carries (a 3.2 average) through the first three quarters. The 49ers then ran 11 times for 63 yards in the fourth quarter to skew the numbers a bit.

The Packers racked up three sacks and had decent pressure most of the night.

The problem was the two big pass plays that went for touchdowns. Danny Gray hauled in a 76-yard bomb behind Leavitt and Ray-Ray McCloud scored on a 39-yard grab when Rico Gafford slipped and fell.

“On one of them, we went up and challenged them, and the receiver made a nice move off the line of scrimmage, similar to the one Romeo scored his touchdown on,” Lafleur said. “The other one Rico (Gafford) slipped on the back end.”

“We gave up two big-time plays and had three turnovers on offense. That was ultimately the difference in the game.”

By Chris Havel

Special to EVENT USA

GREEN BAY, Wis. –While a majority of fans don’t get too excited about preseason openers, the Packers’ coaches and players eagerly await the chance to gauge themselves against the 49ers on Friday night.

The competition has been keen in training camp thus far, and the quality of depth appears genuine from top to bottom. It’s a cliché, but in this case it may be true: The Packers will be forced to cut some fine players.

The evaluation process is a constant throughout camp, but the preseason games provide that next-level challenge. Some coaches say they weigh the practices and games equally in their evaluations.

Don’t bet on it.

“That’s why we’re so excited to get to San Francisco this week,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday. “It’ll be a great test for all our players.”
Clearly, players can earn roster spots and solidify roles in these games.

A year ago, De’Vondre Campbell drew praise from LaFleur after the Family Night Scrimmage and again after the preseason opener. Campbell merely went on to become an All-Pro inside linebacker.

This year, the Packers’ starters are a bit more settled, but not entirely.

The offensive line remains in a state of flux.

The two most popular configurations are as follows:

** No. 1 (left to right): Yosh Nijman, LT; Jon Runyan, LG; Josh Myers, C; Jake Hanson, RG; and Royce Newman, RT.

** No. 2 (left to right): Nijman, LT; Runyan, LG; Myers, C; Newman, RG; and Zach Tom, RT.

The wild-card is Tom.

The 6-4, 308-pound rookie from Wake Forest has been impressive thus far. Tom looks and moves like a tight end, with his agility and quickness on display, but he’s doing it as a sleek, strong 300-pound man.

The Packers wouldn’t be working him at right tackle if they didn’t think he had a future there. The landscape changes once Elgton Jenkins and David Bakhtiari return, but until then I wouldn’t be shocked if Tom is the Week 1 starter at right tackle, with Newman at right guard.

Beyond that, I could see Tom as the starting right guard once Jenkins or Bakhtiari returns. Hanson looks to be the backup center, with Tom and Nijman the backup tackles.

The disappointments in camp have been few thus far.

Aside from Jenkins’ and Bakhtiari’s not being available, there’s been little to be overly concerned about.

Safety Darnell Savage’s hamstring injury – which isn’t expected to be a serious, long-term problem – was about the only bad news coming out of Friday’s Family Night Scrimmage.

There was that and LaFleur’s disappointment in the team’s overall conditioning, which prompted him to wisely cancel the final four-minute offense segment which was to include live tackling.

Family Night capped a run of five straight days of practice.

LaFleur said he saw “a couple guys dragging” and decided to wrap it up early rather than risk injury.

“We definitely are not where we need to be right now as far as overall conditioning,” he said.

Expect LaFleur and his staff to rev up the conditioning going forward, and a handful of selected players doing extra work after practice.

Beyond that it’s been full speed ahead.

Rookies Devonte Wyatt and Quay Walker showed out on Family Night.

Walker, who is Campbell’s running mate at inside linebacker, displayed the speed and awareness that made him the 22nd pick overall.

Meantime, Wyatt was stout against the run and explosive in pass rush. He used a spin move to leave Sean Rhyan in the dust and would have had a clean shot on quarterback Jordan Love.

“I would’ve killed Jordan,” Wyatt said with a laugh after Sunday’s practice, according to SI’s Bill Huber. “I would’ve killed Jordan.”

Wyatt, the 28th pick, has been having a steady if unspectacular camp. On Friday night he made his presence felt.

“I think I did Ok,” he said. “I think I did a solid job but definitely got little things to work on.”

Wyatt’s humility, attention to detail and desire will serve him well.

As for Walker, I’ll be shocked if he isn’t making plays sideline-to-sideline in the Week 1 opener at Minnesota.

Walker is that impressive.

Also on defense, safety Vernon Scott worked ahead of Shawn Davis with the No. 1 defense after Savage left with the hamstring injury.

Scott, who wears No. 36, is a bigger, faster version of Davis who has been sidelined by injuries the past two seasons. Clearly, the Packers like the former TCU star or they wouldn’t have been so patient with him.

Now, it appears that patience may pay off for both the player and team.

At slot corner, the Packers used Rasul Douglas, Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes in that position. The thinking is twofold: If there’s an injury, another corner can step in, and depending upon the opponent certain matchups in the slot may be more favorable.

It’s a tip of the helmet to the defensive secondary’s depth.

Beyond that, rookie receivers Samori Toure and Romeo Doubs were impressive on Family Night.

Doubs continued his streak of making “wow” catches, while Toure opened some eyes.

Toure, who is a deep threat, showed he can make plays in the red zone. He made two clever, sliding catches in the end zone. One came on an end-zone fade from Jordan Love in one-on-ones; the other came during 11-on-11 near the goal line on a Danny Etling pass.

“I think he’s got really good body control and body movement,” LaFleur told reporters afterward. “He’s a smart kid that really works at it.”

Veteran receiver Allen Lazard was impressed.

“He definitely made a step up tonight,” Lazard said.

Toure’s 4.35-seconds speed in the 40-yard dash can’t be discounted. If the Packers learned anything last season it’s that their offense can’t function at its best without a speed receiver to stretch the field.

The Packers struggled when Marquez Valdes-Scantling was out last season. With second-round pick Christian Watson sidelined while recovering from knee surgery, Toure is the favorite for that role.

LaFleur said he is pleased with the rookie receivers’ play early on.

“Really, all the rookies have done an outstanding job in that wide receiver room,” LaFleur said. “They’ve shown a lot of flashes. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in San Francisco.”

By Chris Havel

Special to EVENT USA

GREEN BAY, Wis. –Fans in the stands and railbirds on the fence have gotten their money’s worth at Packers training camp thus far.

Ok, so it’s free to attend. That doesn’t mean it’s not priceless.

On the contrary, Packers’ fans were thrilled to see rookie receiver Romeo Doubs shine, third-year edge Rashan Gary wreak havoc and the defense make Aaron Rodgers and the offense sweat for a change.

It’s been terrific competition, which is what it’s all about.

“We’re a defensive team now,” Rodgers said after Wednesday’s first camp practice. “I felt coming into camp, to be honest, we were going to get our butts kicked most days because our defense is talented and deep and athletic. It’s one of the best defenses on paper that we’ve had, but I told those chumps, ‘1-0, offense.’ ”

On Wednesday, Rodgers and the offense won the day as Doubs shined.

Since then, the defense has risen and Doubs has rolled. For those scoring along at home, Doubs is 3-for-3 in terms of strong practices.

The scoreboard is 1-2 in favor of the defense after it got the better of it Thursday and Saturday. Friday was a light walkthrough and Sunday was a day off. The Packers will practice with shoulder pads Monday and full pads Tuesday, with Wednesday off.

Gary, whose name is being mentioned along with some of the NFL’s top pass rushers, has been difficult to block. He looks leaner, quicker and stronger than in the past, which is saying a lot.

Overall, the defense has played as fast and ferocious as practice allows.

Preston Smith, a defensive leader, is excited by Gary’s ascension.

“He’s been impressive since he’s been here,” Smith said of Gary. “Just seeing Rashan grow from a rookie until now, it’s just very impressive, man. We just seen what he did last year (9 ½ sacks), and I called it. I did call it early in the offseason. He just keeps stacking those years and keeps coming in working hard. He’s growing into a leader of his own. He’s grown into his own. He’s getting tremendous confidence and he’s playing at a high level and been really consistent with it.”

Defensive tackle Jarran Reed, cornerback Rasul Douglas and the mildly surprising Shemar Jean-Charles, a second-year corner, all have played well thus far. Veterans such as Kenny Clark, De’Vondre Campbell and Adrian Amos – as well as Smith – have been rock solid.

The defense has been vocal in terms of communicating with each other and directing some of the salty stuff at the offense.

“It’s a lot of trash-talking, a lot of confidence,” Smith said. “You just feel the energy in the meetings, out there in practice. Guys are feeling confident, guys are playing real fast, guys are playing at a high level and guys are playing together. We’re trying to stack our days, build off it and keep moving forward.”
A spirited defense undoubtedly will sharpen the offense.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur likes what he’s seeing.

“The old cliché, iron sharpens iron, so you definitely want to try to create as much competition as possible because I think that’s going to bring out the best in each other,” LaFleur said last week. “I don’t sit there and say, ‘That was an offensive day’ or ‘That was a defensive day.’ You’re just really looking at the process of all the things that you can control and less about the outcomes, especially early on.”

The Packers’ offense is taking its lumps while finding its identity and that’s the likely tenor of camp going forward. The good news is the offense should be used to great competition by the season opener.

While David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins continue to convalesce, the offensive line has provided an interesting array of configurations.

On Saturday, it was rookie Zach Tom at left tackle with Jon Runyan at left guard, Josh Myers at center, Royce Newman at right guard and Yosh Nijman at right tackle.

On Thursday it was Nijman at left tackle, Runyan at left guard, Myers at center, Jake Hanson at right guard with Newman at right tackle.

Meantime, Doubs has been especially impressive all week.

Doubs (6-1 ¾, 202) grabbed everything thrown his way – and everyone’s attention in the process – by showing up fit, mentally sharp and ready to roll.
It’s a ray of hope at a position that’ll take all it can get.

Davante Adams’ departure is a source of anxiety. When a young receiver such as Doubs steps up like a pro it makes the growing pains easier to manage.
Obviously, it’s only a scintilla of a sample size, but it’s better than opining about how Doubs appears unable to catch a cold, much less a laser from Aaron Rodgers. That isn’t the case. Doubs body is hard, his hands are soft, and his mind is bright.

Doubs, the 132nd player selected in the draft, was a highly productive, sure-handed receiver at Nevada. He fit the Packers’ modus operandi at receiver: He finds ways to catch passes and make plays despite the fact that the defense knows the quarterback is coming his way.

It was the same for Jordy Nelson at Kansas State, Greg Jennings at Western Michigan and Davante Adams at Fresno State.

Whether Doubs attains their high level of proficiency is impossible to say.

What the rookie does have going for him – and it was the same for his predecessors – was Aaron Rodgers throwing him the football.

Doubs has also hooked up with Jordan Love on several sweet catches.

Love is impressed.

“Right away, he came in and was an exciting player off the bat,” Love said of Doubs. “The way he’s been performing so far, it’s exciting. He’s catching the ball at a high level, he’s running good routes and he’s not making too many mistakes. He’s picking it up very fast, and it’s awesome to see him playing at such a high level so early.”

Of course, as LaFleur said last week, it’s about more than being good for one practice, or even a handful of them. But so far Doubs looks like he’s serious about contributing as a rookie.

The opportunity certainly exists, and Doubs is making the most of it.

By Chris Havel

Special to EVENT USA

GREEN BAY, Wis. –During Rich Bisaccia’s introductory news conference the successful veteran special teams’ coordinator was asked, “Why Green Bay?”
Bisaccia, 62, offered a very football-like response.

“It’s the Green Bay Packers,” he said. “For me, personally, the opportunity to be at one of the marquee National Football League teams that sets a standard and has an expectation to play to that standard every day, along with my excitement and my new energy after meeting and visiting with Coach (Matt) LaFleur, what he’s done here in a very short period of time, it’s unprecedented.”

Bisaccia added, “He’s all football.”

He expressed what Packers’ fans are feeling.

They love their iconic franchise, of course, and they adore the terrific young head coach who has continued that winning tradition.

In LaFleur’s three seasons he owns a 39-10 regular-season record. He is the only coach in NFL history to post three straight 13-plus win seasons, and his 39 wins are the most by any coach in his first three seasons.

But wait. There’s more.

LaFleur is 22-2 at Lambeau Field since 2019, which is tops in the NFL, and he is an amazing 9-0 in games after a loss. That makes him the only coach in NFL history to not have a two-game losing streak in his first 49 regular-season games, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

Still, Packers fans want more than that. They want a Super Bowl title. That doesn’t make them greedy or ungrateful. It simply makes them just like their favorite head coach, who wants to win it all, too.

One sleepless night after the Packers’ painful 13-10 loss to San Francisco in the NFC divisional playoffs in January, LaFleur was bitterly disappointed and admitted as much.

“I’m disappointed for our players, just everything they put into this,” he said. “I’m disappointed for our fans that absolutely showed out for us and brought so much energy and passion and I thought they were going to be the difference in the game, quite honestly.”

Mostly, LaFleur was disappointed in himself.

“Obviously, (I’m) disappointed in myself that I couldn’t do more to get our guys over the hump, because this one’s tough. It’s a tough pill to swallow, and I think the way we move forward is we all have to look internally at what we can each as individuals do better. With every loss, you’ve got to learn from it and move forward, and that’s the mentality, that’s the mindset, that’s what we’re going to do.”

True to his word, that’s exactly what they did.

The Packers set about “getting over the hump” by hiring Bisaccia to replace the ineffective Maurice Drayton.

They continued by trading Davante Adams – per his request – to the Las Vegas Raiders for the 22nd and 53rd picks in the 2022 NFL draft.

They used the 22nd pick to select Georgia linebacker Quay Walker and their pick at 28 to select Georgia defensive end Devonte Wyatt.

Then, GM Brian Gutekunst used the 53rd pick and their own pick at 59 to trade up and select receiver Christian Watson at No. 34. They also freed up $20.1 million in cap space in the process.

Here is the beauty in all of this:

** No. 1 – A less-secure head coach would’ve pressed the GM to spend the draft capital on offense to offset the loss of Adams. Instead, LaFleur and Gutekunst agreed that the Packers’ defense was perhaps two players away from being truly dominant. The players are Walker and Wyatt.

** No. 2 – They selected an athletically gifted receiver in Watson at 34, so the offense wasn’t entirely ignored. In fact, after the Packers drafted Walker and Wyatt, they went receiver (Watson), offensive line (Sean Rhyan), receiver (Romeo Daubs) and offensive line (Zach Tom).
When a team has the quarterback and the running backs what else does it need to ensure a successful passing attack? It needs receivers and linemen, which is exactly what the Packers drafted.

** No. 3 – The cap space was used, in part, to re-sign key defensive contributors De’Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas, and to dive into free agency and sign defensive tackle Jarran Reed.
By adding Walker, Wyatt and Reed, and retaining Campbell and Douglas, the Packers have put together – at least on paper – one of the NFL’s top defenses.

Look at it this way: The Packers had Aaron Rodgers and Adams, but they still lost to the 49ers at home in the playoffs. They lost because their special teams were atrocious, the offensive line and receivers were shorthanded, and the defense wasn’t quite good enough to win it alone.

Obviously, much has changed since then.

Adams’ departure is a significant loss. It would be silly to say otherwise.

But the Packers’ approach to replacing one incredible player was to make the rest of the roster that much stronger and reliable.

Now we’ll see if it works.

It all starts with the quarterback.

A year ago, Rodgers capped a drama-filled offseason by arriving in time for the start of training camp and playing brilliantly.

This year, Rodgers is “all in” again, except the vibe is much-improved.

“In March, when I made the decision (to return), that’s 100 percent in,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean you don’t think about the other side (retirement). This is my 18th season. Of course, you think about the next chapter and what’s next in your life all the time. It doesn’t mean you’re not fully invested.

When I said I’m back, I’m 100 percent invested.”

“When I’m here, I’m all in, and those guys know that. They know what to expect from me, the type of play, the type of leadership, and that’s what they’re going to get.”

Rodgers, 38, won his second straight MVP (and fourth overall) after leading the NFL in passer rating, touchdown percentage and interception percentage. He threw for 37 touchdowns to just four interceptions, and his passer rating was 111.9.

Naturally, Rodgers’ success depends upon the offensive line play, and right now that position is the team’s greatest concern.

Both starting tackles – David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins – will open the season on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list.

It means Yosh Nijman, Cole Van Lanen, Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom will need to step up at the tackle positions until they return.

The tight ends will be Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara, Tyler Davis and Dominique Dafney until Robert Tonyan (also on the PUP list) returns from a knee injury.

The backs are set with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon with Patrick Taylor the likely third back until Kylin Hill returns from his knee injury.

Jones rushed for 799 yards and four touchdowns last season. He also caught 52 passes for 391 yards and six touchdowns to rank sixth among backs in catches and second in receiving touchdowns.

Dillon ran for 803 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught 34 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns.

Jones and Dillon are expected to carry much of the offensive workload.

According to the Packers’ Dope Sheet, Jones is one of five players in NFL history with 4,000-plus rushing yards, 40-plus rushing TDs, 150-plus receptions and at least two receiving TDs in his first five seasons.

The others you’ve probably heard of: Marcus Allen, Chuck Foreman, Todd Gurley and Alvin Kamara. That’s pretty good company to keep.

The receivers will be led by Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb, with holdover Amari Rodgers back for his second season.

Watkins, 29, was the fourth pick overall in 2014. He intends to turn back the clock to his 1,000-yard receiving season of 2015.

“My back is against the wall,” Watkins said. “My career hasn’t been what I projected it to be, and it’s a great opportunity for me to come here, play hard, catch a ton of balls, compete at the highest level and win games and fight to stay healthy.”

On defense, second-year coordinator Joe Barry is taking a day-to-day approach to building a champion.

“Daily excellence is our goal,” Barry said at the outset of OTAs. “I tell the defense all the time, if you can walk out of this building one percent better than you walked in it – and it sounds maybe kind of corny or cheesy – but I think if you take that mentality every single day …

“I think it’s so great that we have guys that, they look back at last year and even though from a team standpoint it was brutal, devastating, we didn’t hoist the Lombardi Trophy, so in our mind it’s a failure as a team, but when you look at the specifics of the way we played, we played good. But our goal is to play great and our goal is to play great every single week and we’ve got guys in that locker room with that mindset.”

The defense features All-Pro Kenny Clark up front along with Dean Lowry, T.J. Slaton, Reed and Wyatt.

The outside linebackers are set with rising star Rashan Gary opposite Preston Smith, while Campbell, Walker and Krys Barnes will work at inside linebacker.

The corner trio of Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes and Douglas rank among the league’s best at that position. Safeties Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage are experienced, reliable and talented on the back end. Shawn Davis, a fifth-round pick by Indianapolis in 2021, is the third safety.

All of this hasn’t been lost on the players.

“It’s going to be scary,” Gary said of the defense. “Once we get our communication down and we’re all on the same page, it’s going to be good.”
Alexander chimed in, “Just nasty.”

A year ago, the Packers’ special teams was nasty and not in a good way.

Bisaccia intends to change all that, beginning with that most important of operations: the snap, the hold and the kick.

For his part, Bisaccia is excited to be working with Mason Crosby, who struggled in part because of the errant/inconsistent operation.

“He’s had a hell of a career,” Bisaccia said of Crosby. “The one good thing I know about Crosby is that he’s come back from a down year to play really well. I’m excited about being around him, learning from him, seeing what his strengths are and where we can go forward and keep improving.”
Pat O’Donnell, the veteran ex-Bears punter, was brought in to deliver in cold weather, and to be a reliable holder for Crosby.

Steven Wirtel is first up as the long snapper.

By Chris Havel

Special to EVENT USA

GREEN BAY, Wis. – If Green Bay’s defense looks as good on the field as it does on paper Joe Barry’s unit could go from being decent in 2021 to dominant this season.

Expectations are high and for good reason.

After the Packers’ 13th-ranked defense showed significant progress in Barry’s first season as its coordinator, GM Brian Gutekunst managed to re-sign everybody who was somebody in free agency.

All-Pro inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell returns to run the show after landing a lucrative deal. Surprising cornerback Rasul Douglas also got paid and is back to build on his incredible story of perseverance.

The Packers also went outside their locker room for defensive help.

They signed Jarran Reed, a rugged veteran defensive tackle, to help Kenny Clark with the heavy lifting. They also added slot cornerback Keisean Nixon, a reliable defender and key special teams’ performer for new coordinator Rich Bisaccia when both were in Las Vegas in 2021.

Then Gutekunst got busy in the draft.

He and head coach Matt LaFleur faced a difficult decision. They could use the ammo from the Davante Adams trade to move up and select one of a handful of “can’t miss” receivers. Or they could skip the “chase to replace” scenario and draft for defense.

They chose to go defense, and they doubled down at that.

They pulled a mild surprise by selecting Georgia’s Quay Walker with the 22nd overall pick. They also raised eyebrows by taking another defensive player, Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, at 28.

While many in the national media were busy haranguing the Packers for being derelict by not drafting a receiver, others (myself included) were excited by the influx of high-end defensive talent.

Naysayers should do themselves a favor.

They should quit yapping about DVOA (you can look it up) and all the analytics that prove the Packers’ defense was overrated last season. Then they should re-watch the Dec. 19 Packers-Ravens game. The Packers won, 31-30, despite their lack of defensive depth and playmakers.

Several things stand out.

First, it will be readily apparent how Reed, Wyatt and Walker will factor into the equation. Inside linebacker Krys Barnes, an undrafted free agent, relied on good instincts and film study to make plays. But if you replace Barnes with Walker, arguably the top inside ‘backer in the draft, it’s easy to see how a stronger, faster athlete would make more plays.

Second, it will be similar along the defensive line.

Clark and Lowry played a lot of snaps last season, and the collective wear and tear appeared to have taken a toll. The run defense waned a bit down the stretch, and the interior pass rush effectively dried up.

That came on the heels of an impressive seven-game stretch during which opponents averaged just 13.8 points per game. The Packers were 6-1 from Weeks 4 through 10, including a 17-0 shutout over Seattle.

This season, the Packers’ defense is in a much better position to sustain or extend similar stretches of dominance.

Reed is a major upgrade over Tyler Lancaster, and Wyatt will make Packers’ fans forget that Kingsley Keke and Montravius Adams ever tried to play in Green Bay.

The defense’s familiarity, continuity and infusion of talent – both rookies and veterans – suggest a strong showing this season. There also is the fact that Barry was without his top pass rusher (Za’Darius Smith) and his best cornerback (Alexander) for much of the season.

The fact that Gary (9 ½ sacks) and Douglas (five interceptions) embraced their opportunities and excelled is an indication of strong coaching by Barry and his staff.

It’s easy to coach perennial All-Pros. To make it work by developing an ascending star in Gary, or plugging in a journeyman like Douglas, isn’t the easiest of circumstances. Neither is enabling Campbell – a late addition in free agency – to elevate his game to All-Pro status.

It is possible the Packers’ defense won’t rank among the NFL’s top handful of units. Injuries, regression to the mean and a handful of players underperforming can foil even the best of units.

But I wouldn’t bet on it.

Here is a position-by-position breakdown of the Packers’ defense:

** Defensive tackles (6) – Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Jarran Reed, Devonte Wyatt, T.J. Slaton, Jack Heflin

If Clark has seen the western classic, “High Noon,” he knows exactly how Gary Cooper surely felt. A man alone, defending what he believes in, all the while realizing help isn’t coming any time soon.

For Cooper, after surviving the battle, the solution was simple: Leave the mess behind and look for a better life elsewhere.

It’s fortunate Clark, 26, didn’t have to resort to such drastic measures. That’s because help has finally arrived in the form of Reed and Wyatt, while Lowry remains solid and T.J. Slaton flashes promise.

This is the Packers’ deepest, most talented defensive line in years.

** Outside linebackers (5) – Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Jonathan Garvin, Randy Ramsey, Kingsley Enagbare

Preston Smith (9 sacks) and Gary are a reliable pass-rush duo. The former is incredibly reliable, the latter a rising star. It’s a great blend. Behind them, it’s a bit scarce though. Ramsey is a very good special teams’ player, and Garvin has flashed occasionally.

Enagbare may be the surprise of the group. If his pass-rush ability translates to the NFL he could be a situational player in sub-packages.

** Inside linebackers (4) – De’Vondre Campbell, Krys Barnes, Quay Walker, Isiah McDuffie

Campbell was a tackling machine and stat stuffer. He was the Packers’ first All-Pro inside linebacker since Ray Nitschke back in the day. It is still amazing that Campbell was unsigned as of last June.

The Packers hit a home run by signing him.

Barnes is steady but limited athletically. Walker looks and acts the part. Now we’ll see if he can play the part, but there seems little doubt.

** Cornerbacks (6) – Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Rasul Douglas, Keisean Nixon, Shemar Jean-Charles, Kabion Ento

Alexander is among the NFL’s top corners, and the fact that the Packers’ secondary held up as well as it did without him was impressive.

Eric Stokes, another first-round pick from Georgia, is a big reason why.

The rookie cornerback had one interception and 14 passes defended, but that only tells part of the story. Stokes ranked first among rookie cornerbacks in completion rate and pass break-ups among those with at least 300 snaps. He finished second to Patrick Surtain in passer rating, according to Pro Football Focus.

Also according to PFF, Stokes had an open target rate of 24 percent, which ranked first among corners in 2021. For comparison, four-time Pro Bowl corner Marshon Lattimore was second at 24.5 percent.

“I feel like we can be a really good secondary,” Stokes said this offseason. “We can be one of the best defensive back groups in the whole league.”

Douglas will be the third cornerback, and Nixon a slot corner and special teams’ contributor. Ento and Jean-Charles will compete for playing time.

** Safeties (5) – Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, Vernon Scott, Shawn Davis, Tariq Carpenter

Amos and Savage may be among the league’s most underrated safety tandems. Under Barry’s direction, Amos and Savage directed a secondary that seldom blew assignments or yielded big plays.

Amos is the glue back there, while Savage may have an expanded role in which he’ll be deployed near the line, in the slot or in the deep zone.

Scott is an exceptional athlete who has battled injuries throughout his career. This training camp and preseason are critical in terms of staying healthy and realizing his potential. Rookie Tariq Carpenter should be a strong special teams’ contributor and may push Scott for playing time.

Shawn Davis is a tenacious tackler despite his size, and could eat up some of the snaps vacated by Henry Black’s departure.

By Chris Havel

Special to EVENT USA

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers’ golf game is sharper than ever.

The Packers’ future Hall of Fame quarterback fired a final round 72, including 2-under on the back 9, on Sunday to cap off his best finish in 18 tries at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, Nev.
So what does that have to do with the Packers’ fast-approaching season?

It only has everything to do with it.

Trying to play golf with a cluttered mind is like trying to navigate a poorly lit, jam-packed attic without stumbling. It makes an already challenging task that much more difficult.

It isn’t that dissimilar to playing NFL quarterback.

Rodgers’ performance Sunday suggests that in addition to being a terrific ball-striker, he is in a really good place mentally right now. His mind, like his swing, appears to be free of any unwelcome “noise.”

If it works for the world’s finest golfers, it could do likewise for one of the NFL’s all-time great quarterbacks.
A year ago, the Packers weren’t altogether sure if Rodgers was going to post an on-time arrival for training camp.

This year, it’s an on-time departure … without Davante Adams aboard.

“Last year, when you have a guy who’s that talented, it’s probably not an exaggeration to say 80 percent of the plays in the passing game were designed specifically for 17 (Adams),” Rodgers said in early June. “We’re obviously going to do a few things a little differently.”

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur surely prefers dealing with the known, such as Adams’ departure, rather than tap-dancing around the unknown. Adams was traded March 18, so he’s had four months to calculate.
Fortunately, LaFleur knows he’ll have his trigger-man from Day One.

The rest he can figure out.

It starts with teaching his team to play great offense despite being without one of the NFL’s top receivers.
If this were jeopardy, LaFleur could pose the answer, “Aaron Jones.”

To which Rodgers would reply, “Who put up insane numbers when the Packers were without Davante Adams?”

That is the correct answer for a chance to win Super Bowl XLVII.

More accurately, given A.J. Dillon’s emergence, the question to the answer is Jones AND Dillon replacing Adams in the offense. The only reason Jones’ numbers weren’t better with Adams out is that he had to occasionally take a series off to catch his breath from all the big plays.

Now it’ll be Jones and Dillon collectively inflicting damage.

LaFleur’s offense will revolve around the running backs, rather than one receiver, which should make it less predictable. Whether it is more explosive remains to be seen, but the potential is exciting.

Then again, as Rodgers said, “I like production over potential. We have some production. We have a lot of potential.”

The potential-to-production transformation is going to require patience, persistence and practice to make it work. The Packers are up for the challenge on the heels of back-to-back losses in the NFC title game. They’re willing to do whatever takes to clear that final hurdle.

On offense it’ll require a bit of rewiring.

The Packers, 13-4 last season, ranked 10th in points (26.5 per game) and yards (365.6 per game). They were third in turnover ratio at +13 with 26 takeaways (18 interceptions, eight fumbles recovered) to just 13 turnovers (five interceptions, eight fumbles lost) in 2021.

LaFleur’s offenses have been among the NFL’s best in terms of avoiding turnovers, pre-snap penalties, drops and blown assignments. Any one of those, in and of itself, can be a game-killer. The Packers have kept them to a minimum under LaFleur and the win-loss record bears it out.

Those tenets of his offense aren’t likely to change.

The play-action pass remains a critical component of the Packers’ attack.

Opposing defenses face a difficult choice against Green Bay’s offense.

They can play it straight with six or seven in the box and hope that the Jones-Dillon duo doesn’t crush them. Or they can commit more players to stopping the run and pray Rodgers doesn’t gash them.

Good luck with that.

The headlines declaring the Packers’ offense DOA in 2022 due to the Davante Adams trade are understandable but off base, Jones said.

“People are definitely going to sleep on our offense with us losing Davante,” he said. “We definitely have a lot of weapons and guys that can get it done so we’re going to let them sleep and when the scoreboard says what it says – it’ll show what our offense did and our defense.”

The quarterbacks will be Rodgers and Jordan Love backing him up.

Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of LaFleur’s offense:

** Running backs (3) – Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon, Kylin Hill

The Packers were 7-0 without Adams, and Rodgers was particularly sharp. He threw for an average of 292.7 yards without his No. 1 target. He hit on 19 touchdowns to just one interception, posted a 119.7 passer rating and led the offense to an average of 31.6 points per game.

Jones and Dillon will replace Adams in both the pass and run game.

“I think the way we’ve played in his (Adams’) absence over the last seven games or so over the last three years has been different,” Rodgers said. “Obviously, Aaron Jones has had more opportunities in those games and now that we have an incredibly complimentary second back (Dillon) we can get both of those guys involved in the passing game.

“Yeah, the offense has to change.”

A year ago, the running back tandem combined for 444 touches but committed just two fumbles. Their drops were minimal. Their execution was exceptional.

Jones and Dillon represent the NFL’s best running back tandem, which is a luxury when a team also has one of the league’s top quarterbacks.

They combined for 1,602 rushing yards on 358 attempts with nine touchdowns last season. They caught another 86 passes for 704 yards and eight touchdowns.

They’ll each surpass 1,000 yards from scrimmage for a second straight season. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich likes what he has to deploy.

“We’re excited to get those two on the field (together) and do a bunch of different stuff,” Stenavich said earlier this offseason.

** Tight ends (4) – Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara, Tyler Davis, Dominique Dafney

Lewis is entering his 17th season but can still play. The 6-7, 260 pound veteran is an excellent in-line blocker and reliable pass catcher.

Deguara hopes to realize his potential this season. He has the ability to stretch the field and also is a willing and capable blocker.

Davis, a special teams contributor, showed flashes last season and especially in the game at Baltimore.
Dafney brings speed, versatility and experience.

Once the injured Robert Tonyan returns, the only question will be which of the current tight ends is demoted?

** Receivers (6) – Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Amari Rodgers

Lazard enters the 2022 season vastly underrated, if not underappreciated.

He caught 40 passes on 60 targets for 513 yards and eight touchdowns. However, he did most of his damage in the final five weeks, when he caught 21 passes for 290 yards and five touchdowns. The five TDs were the second-most in that span in the league, trailing only Adams.

Sammy Watkins, a former fourth overall pick, is extremely motivated going into the season. He is excited about playing catch with Rodgers, and winning games with Green Bay, as his career winds down.

An immensely talented athlete, Watkins sabotaged his own career early on, but has since found himself and been a consummate pro. He expects to put up big numbers this season, even if others don’t see it.

Rookies Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure also will contribute at receiver. It’ll be interesting to see how the receivers separate themselves in camp, both from each other and from DBs.

Rodgers is counting on Cobb to be his receiver liaison.

“We’ve got my closest buddy on the team with those guys every single day, Randall Cobb, and he’s been here the entire time just about,” Rodgers said. “So he’s passing along everything they need to know about playing with me and expectations and signals and unspoken communication and non-verbal stuff, and they just have to feel me once we get back for training camp and it gets real.

“There’ll be expectations for them, but reasonable expectations. We’re not going to expect those guys to be anything other than the best versions of themselves. I know with how high we picked Christian (Watson) there will be expectations, but we just need him to be the best version of himself. I’m excited about Sammy (Watkins), he’s made some plays. It’s good to see him out there, he looks the part. We’ll get Allen back and Randall, then there’s a lot of competition behind them.”

** Offensive line (10) – Yosh Nijman, Cole Van Lanen, Jon Runyan, Royce Newman, Josh Myers, Sean Rhyan, Tom Zach, Jake Hanson, David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins

The only concern here is the timeline for David Bakhtiari’s and Elgton Jenkins’ return from injury. Thanks to LaFleur’s scheme, the staff’s coaching and GM Brian Gutekunst’s acquisitions the Packers should be able to survive until their No. 1 offensive line is healthy and in place.

By Chris Havel

Special to EVENT USA

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In two months the Packers will celebrate Labor Day the old-fashioned way. They’ll be working out the details of their Week 1 game plan for the Sept. 11 season-opener at Minnesota.

By then the 53-man roster will be set, roles will be hammered out and the team’s identity will begin taking shape in earnest.

Expectations are high and concerns are minimal.

Pro Football Focus rates the Packers’ roster as the NFL’s fifth-best overall, with only the Buccaneers (second) and the Rams (fourth) ranked ahead of them in the NFC. The AFC’s Bills (first) and Chargers (third) round out the top five.

Matt LaFleur and his staff have proven to be among the NFL’s best during a 39-10 run since the 2019 season. Through the draft and free agency, GM Brian Gutekunst has effectively provided his head coach with talented players who fit the scheme and the culture.

So how does this 2022 season of promise play out?

A year ago, I made five fearless predictions and went 2-for-5, which would make me a Hall of Fame hitter if this were baseball.

It’s not.

I was correct regarding Joe Barry’s defense elevating its game, A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones developing into a formidable one-two punch, and Davante Adams finally getting paid.

Adams got paid, but it was by the Raiders, so I was half-right. I misjudged Rodgers’ return date. I thought Sept. 1 or so. He fooled me by showing up at the start of training camp last season, although I did predict he’d play fabulously whenever he did show.

I also thought the offensive line could dominate until David Bakhtiari returned, but that was before Elgton Jenkins went down with a season-ending injury in Week 8.

This year I’m going to up my game – just like the Packers – and draw a walk before hitting for the cycle. The predictions, like the at-bats, keep getting more difficult.

Here goes:

** The Walk: The Packers will win their fourth-straight NFC North title, but Minnesota, Detroit and Chicago are better so it won’t be easy.

The Vikings’ offense is loaded with talent at the skill positions, but its offensive line remains a perpetual problem. Minnesota’s defense will rely on Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith to generate pass rush, but both are coming off back injuries with little depth behind them.

The Lions are ascending under head coach Dan Campbell, and Jared Goff threw 11 touchdowns to just two interceptions in the final six weeks last season. Detroit’s defense is still playing catch-up, though, and it lacks serious playmakers.

The Bears have Justin Fields and hope. It’s not much, but it’s something.

The Packers’ season will start with a win at Minnesota in the opener, and it will end with the starters resting in an inconsequential Week 18 finale against the Lions on Jan. 8 at Lambeau Field.

** The Single: The Raiders’ Derek Carr will miss Davante Adams more often than Packers’ fans. It’s not that Carr isn’t a fine NFL quarterback. He’s just not Aaron Rodgers.

Brett Favre recently made the bold prediction that Adams’ numbers will be down without Rodgers throwing to him in this offense. I agree that Adams’ numbers will decline, but I doubt it will be a drastic drop-off.

Adams is too good, and the Raiders have too many weapons, for that to happen.

The prediction is Adams will make the Pro Bowl, and the Packers’ offense will be more productive this season than last.

The Packers’ offense ranked 10th in yards gained in 2021. It will be better this season thanks to a healthy offensive line, more diversity and less predictability.

** The Double: The Packers will have a stretch where they’ll have to survive for multiple games (two or three) without Aaron Rodgers. The prediction is that Jordan Love plays well enough to provide a promising glimpse at a future without Rodgers.

Rodgers was 35 of 59 for 329 yards with one touchdown and one interception through his first three seasons.

Love is 36 of 62 for 411 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in his first two seasons.

Frankly, Love should benefit from an offense built to run the football, move the chains and shake receivers free through play-action passes.

** The Triple: All the speculation regarding the Packers’ receiving corps is interesting, and it makes for eye-catching headlines, but I don’t see Julio Jones being signed by Green Bay.

I do believe there’s an outside chance the Packers will look at Odell Beckham, Jr., as an option if the receiving corps struggles or is hit with a rash of injuries.

Otherwise, the prediction here is that Sammy Watkins will be productive, and Allen Lazard will be the clear-cut No. 1 receiver. Lazard had 40 catches on 60 targets last season. He hauled in eight touchdown receptions, which is a touchdown every five catches.

Lazard if flying so far under the radar defenses will need a seismograph to detect his presence, but that’s for us to know and them to find out.

Lazard will eclipse 70 receptions, 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns.

** The Home Run: The Packers and Buccaneers will meet twice.

The first game will be Sunday, Sept. 25, at Raymond James Stadium, featuring the future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Rodgers.

It will be interesting to see how the Packers deal with a Bucs’ defense that added Akiem Hicks this offseason to go with Vita Vea, Shaq Barrett, Devin White, Lavonte David and the rest.

The second matchup will be in the NFC Championship in Tampa.

This time, the Packers and Rodgers will score the game-winning touchdown for a 34-30 victory and a trip to Super Bowl LVII.

After that it’ll be time to bring on the Bills, and to bring back the Lombardi Trophy to Titletown, USA.

By Chris Havel

Special to EVENT USA

GREEN BAY, Wis. – A month from today the Packers are scheduled to hold the first of 12 training camp practices open to the public.

There must be at least a dozen things to watch for along the way.

Here goes:

** No. 1 – Does the special teams’ modus operandi appear noticeably different than its recently failed predecessors? It is always intriguing to see which receivers/running backs/defensive backs line up to return punts and kicks. That’s true for this camp, of course, but it’s more than that. It’s about which players – perhaps more veterans – are integrated into the special teams’ routine.

The Packers hired Rich Bisaccia to build championship-caliber special teams units. Frankly, most Packers’ fans don’t know what that looks like. How could they?

The special teams operation has my attention. In fact, it’s had it since the Packers’ 13-10 loss to San Francisco in the divisional playoffs.

** No. 2 – Aaron Rodgers is going to have his new favorite target.

My money’s on Sammy Watkins. I could be wrong, but I don’t think so. Rodgers was on board with the Packers’ decision to sign the veteran receiver for a reason. That reason seems pretty simple: He gets open and he catches it. I can’t wait to see their chemistry develop in camp.

** No. 3 – Speaking of Rodgers, it’s amazing the difference a year makes. Last offseason at this time there was a question as to Rodgers’ appearing at the start of training camp.

This year it’s full speed ahead toward the singular goal: A world title.

Rodgers looked terrific during his brief appearance at the team’s mandatory minicamp, and he’ll be the same for camp. Rodgers’ presence can’t be overstated entering a camp where his leadership – given the receiving corps’ state of flux – is absolutely critical.

I’ll bet on Rodgers. It’s the safest call of them all.

** No. 4 – Will defensive coordinator Joe Barry devise plays that are specific to off-ball linebacker Quay Walker’s unique skills? Typically, Walker will be behind Krys Barnes on the depth chart while he learns the ropes as a rookie.

However, Barry may be more aggressive in terms of blitzing from that position with Walker, who’s more explosive than Barnes, bringing it.

Two thoughts here: Walker will prove to be special, and Barnes shouldn’t be underestimated in that they won 13 games with him.

** No. 5 – Will we be hearing the words “drops” and “Watson” in the same sentence? The hope on behalf of me and Packers’ fans is that the answer is a resounding no. If rookie receiver Christian Watson does have a bought of the drops it will be duly noted. However, that doesn’t make it any more enjoyable of a topic.

Hopefully it doesn’t become “a thing.”

I say that because it’s easy to see Watson’s special talents. The rookie from North Dakota State is physically imposing with sudden downfield burst to go with straight-line speed. I would much prefer discussing Watson’s big plays in the open field than his penchant for drops.

That’s up to him, of course, just saying.

** No. 6 – The snap, the hold, the kick … it is good!

That’s the hope for Steven Wirtel, Pat O’Donnell and Mason Crosby as the Packers work to smooth out “the operation.” Think about that. It was so bad last season it began sounding like a failed CIA venture.

This season the Packers expect “the operation” to be a success.

Who knew a holder was so important to all of this? And yet Crosby and others seldom fail to single out and praise O’Donnell’s experience, work ethic and ingenuity in dealing with all things special teams.

O’Donnell is here because Bisaccia is here. That’s how it works on teams with really good special teams’ units.

** No. 7 – Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes and Rasul Douglas deployed together is going to be fun and it just might be special. Alexander returned for a handful of plays against the 49ers in the playoffs, but that didn’t begin to scratch the surface of what’s to come this season.

Where exactly the trio will line up is interesting in itself.

Alexander may be tethered to the opponent’s top receiver, or he could line up in the slot and either drop or blitz, or he might stay put on the perimeter and be Stokes’ bookend.

** No. 8 – Devonte Wyatt fairly gushed at the thought of lining up next to Jarran Reed and rushing the passer. It will be interesting to see which players comprise Barry’s “top four” pass-rush alignment?

Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, Wyatt and Reed are interesting and likely. That’s a lot of firepower, especially if Barry elects to bring a fifth rusher such as De’Vondre Campbell, Alexander off the slot or perhaps Walker?

** No. 9 – Any signs that David Bakhtiari and/or Elgton Jenkins are getting healthier and closer to returning will be welcome. Bakhtiari and Jenkins will be primary topics throughout training camp.

The story will be all about when they’ll return. Then, once they do, it’ll be all about how they’re performing now that they’re back.

It goes with the territory. The sooner they’re back, the better.

** No. 10 – Which of the receivers really steps up? Watson is talented, Watkins is proven and Allen Lazard is the capable incumbent. My best guess is that Watson hits plenty of big plays, Watkins moves the chains and Lazard works the perimeter and the red zone.

Romeo Doubs, the rookie from Nevada, has an intriguing size-speed ratio to the receiving corps. I suspect it won’t be long before Packers’ fans know whether the receivers will survive and perhaps thrive without Davante Adams.

** No. 11 – Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon will be taking their first steps toward becoming the NFL’s most dynamic backfield duo.

Jones and Dillon, more than any other two players on the roster, will receive the brunt of Adams’ targets and touches. It has to be that way. If it isn’t LaFleur’s offense is going to be something less than special.

It’s doubtful that will happen.

LaFleur, the offensive line (when healthy) and Jones/Dillon are too good, and too professional, to let it slide.

In fact, it’s an easy prediction to say Jones and Dillon will post career-years in terms of at least one major category (rushing yards, receiving yards, touchdowns, etc.).
No. 12 – How about that defense?

Packers’ fans will become enthralled with the defense in short order. There are too many talented, physically gifted players for it to be otherwise. Furthermore, the continuity factor is all in their favor.

Barry is just one year removed from being the newcomer on defense. Everyone else was returning except Mike Pettine. What Barry built in that first season is fairly amazing.

I can’t wait to see what he comes up with this season.

And that begins a month from today.