Here’s What Happened at Practice 11 of Packers Training Camp

There was a huge lineup change during Sunday’s practice, which was closed to the public. Plus, it’s the Player of the Day, Play of the Day, Jordan Love’s day and more.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Aug 13, 2023 10:12 PM EDT
Original:
Aug 13, 2023

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers, as has been the case for the past week, lined up with Darnell Savage and Jonathan Owens as the No. 1 safeties at the start of Sunday’s practice.

However, twice – including the practice-ending 2-minute drill – the Packers made a major change in the defensive backfield.

No, Rudy Ford didn’t join Savage. Neither did Tarvarius Moore. Rather, it was seventh-round pick Anthony Johnson getting the call for the first time in training camp.

“Oh, man,” Johnson said after practice. “I always say to myself, I just put my head down and work. Eventually, what you do by that is when your opportunity comes, you’re able to make the most of it. I don’t really try to count whether I’m running with the 3s, the 2s or the 1s. I just put in the work so that when my opportunity comes, that I’m ready for it and I can make the most of it.”

There was no heads up given before practice by position coach Ryan Downard. Rather, it just happened, with Johnson joining Savage.

“He just said, ‘Ant, go in,’” Johnson said. “I would say that I was prepared for that moment and I was able to go in there and execute because I wasn’t hung up on, ‘Hey, I’m with this group’ or ‘I’m running with that group.’ I just focused on getting better day in and day out and being ready for my moment.”

Players like to say that sort of thing about the depth chart and roster competitions. They say it so matter-of-factly that it sounds easy.

“It’s not. It’s not,” he interjected.

“You’ve got to focus on your assignment, where are you now, where your feet are,” he continued. “I’ve put the focus on getting better. Anytime you’re focused on getting better and improving, you’ll be fine. Everything else will drain itself out. Nothing else matters. I’m very critical of myself, so I know what I’ve put on film and how I practice and stuff like that. I just focus on getting better each day. That helps me. That soothes my mind.”

At Iowa State, Johnson started 41 consecutive games at cornerback before moving to safety for his final season. He wound up earning second-team all-Big 12 honors.

Johnson had a strong preseason debut with three tackles and a near-interception. He added two more stops on special teams. It was the missed interception that brought out a smile.

“Man! Man! I need that one. I need that one. I wanted that one bad,” Johnson said. “When I get another opportunity, I’ll make the most of it.”

While he didn’t make the play, he did everything else right. With comfort in the scheme and the speed of the game, Johnson was able to put his instincts and athleticism to use.

“Everything coming together,” he said. “The game’s a little slower now than when I first came in. Just being able to understand what I’m supposed to do and what we’re trying to get out of the defense allows me to play free and use my athleticism and my ability to go play.”

Anthony Johnson (Photo by Wm. Glasheen/USA Today Sports Images)

Jordan Love’s Day

From start to finish, starting quarterback Jordan Love was dealing.

During his first series of plays, he was 4-of-5 including two explosive gains to rookie tight end Luke Musgrave. The first came off fake jet-sweep action to Christian Watson, which got Musgrave open behind the linebackers. Watson celebrated that play as much as anyone. Later, Love spun away from pressure and flung a ball to AJ Dillon. Finally, it was Love to Musgrave again, this time with the touch to get the ball over linebacker Quay Walker.

During a red-zone period, he was 4-of-6 with three consecutive touchdowns: first to Jayden Reed and then back-to-back to Dillon. On the first of his scores, Dillon showed good hands to get a ball that was a bit low and a bit in front of him.

Finally, Love capped a precise 2-minute drill with a touchdown pass to Reed. More on that one later. Love was 9-of-12 on the drive.

Added together, Love was 17-of-23 passing with four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Player of the Day

The Packers have struck gold again and again with their second-round receivers. Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams were stars, and Christian Watson showed signs of being a star as a rookie.

Could Jayden Reed be the next?

The rookie from Michigan State makes a couple splash plays every day. Monday was no different. First, on a cool piece of schematics that we can’t report, Love took a short pass and won the race to the pylon for a touchdown. Reed struck again during the starters vs. starters 2-minute drill. First, he converted a third-and-5 before scoring the necessary touchdown. More on that play in a moment.

“Really, it’s just gaining confidence through the playbook,” Reed said. “It’s me knowing what to do and being able to play fast. In OTAs, I was a little hesitant. I didn’t know the playbook and played a little tense. Now, I’ve learned the playbook and I’m confident in it and I’m able to play fast (snaps fingers) and how I usually play. I’m excited to know the playbook like the back of my hand and be able to attack the defenses instead of wondering what I’m supposed to do on the play. Knowing what to do is very exciting for me.”

Play of the Day

The 2-minute scenario was the offense starting at the 30 with 1:45 on the clock and two timeouts and in need of a touchdown.

Jordan Love completed his first four passes, then converted third downs with completions to Jayden Reed and Christian Watson. The ball was at the 13 with 14 seconds left when Love threw a superb ball to Reed over Keisean Nixon’s shoulder for the touchdown.

“Basically, I was in attack mode right there,” Reed said. “I attacked the leverage of the DB, closed space, made a move that was quick, sudden, and Jordan put it over the top exactly where it should have been.”

Injury Report

Injuries from the game: LB Tariq Carpenter (back), CB Corey Ballentine (stinger), RB Tyler Goodson (shoulder), OT Caleb Jones (ankle), OT Luke Tenuta (ankle), TE Tyler Davis (knee).

Old Injuries: CB Eric Stokes (PUP list foot), RB Lew Nichols (shoulder),

Returned From Injury: CB Jaire Alexander (groin), S Innis Gaines (quad), C Jake Hanson (elbow), TE Josiah Deguara (calf).

Alexander took part in individual drills after not playing against Cincinnati.

Goodson spent practice with his right arm in a sling. Asked if he was OK as he walked by in the locker room, he started moving the arm every which way to demonstrate that he’d be fine.

Lineup Notes

- With David Bakhtiari getting a day off, there was a different starter at left tackle. It wasn’t Yosh Nijman, though. Rather, it was Rasheed Walker, a seventh-round pick last year who played four snaps on special teams during his only appearance as a rookie.

- For a 2-minute drill, the Packers played the latest version of “Where’s Waldo” by inserting Zach Tom at left guard. That meant Nijman was at right tackle.

- While the Packers did insert Anthony Johnson at safety with the 1s, the first reps of the day had Carrington Valentine joining Rasul Douglas and Keisean Nixon at cornerback with Darnell Savage paired with Jonathan Owens at safety.

Practice Highlights

- The practice was not in pads but the tempo and competitiveness were at a high level.

- The defense won both 2-minute drills. For the starters, Jordan Love’s touchdown pass to Jayden Reed made it a one-point game. Coach Matt LaFleur went for two points and the win, but Carrington Valentine prevented the completion to Romeo Doubs.

- Sean Clifford was the quarterback for the backups’ 2-minute drive. Linebacker Isaiah McDuffie dropped an interception on first down, a sack (didn’t see who had it) eliminated a beautiful deep ball to tight end Tucker Kraft that advanced the ball past midfield on third down and undrafted rookie Brenton Cox raced around right tackle Royce Newman for the sack on fourth down.

- James Empey, who has taken most of the second-team snaps at center over the past week-and-a-half, and Clifford botched a snap.

- Darnell Savage and Rasul Douglas had pass breakups on back-to-back plays in the red zone.

- Second-year defensive tackle Jonathan Ford, who’s made a strong move for a roster spot, had a tackle for loss.

- The Packers are a man down at tight end after Tyler Davis suffered a torn ACL at Cincinnati. That meant another game of musical positions for Dre Miller. Back at tight end, he caught a pass during routes on air that set off a bit of a celebration by Christian Watson and some of the other receivers.

Packers Training Camp Schedule

The Packers will open the doors to fans for the next three practices. Monday will be a typical practice starting at 10:30 a.m. After a Tuesday off-day, the Packers will battle the New England Patriots for joint practices at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday. The home preseason opener against the Patriots is set for 7 p.m. Saturday.

Quote of the Day

OLB Kenneth Odumegwu, a native of Nigeria who is part of the International Players Pathway program, was given the game ball by coach Matt LaFleur after Friday’s game.

“Me getting the game ball was a privilege from the head coach himself and I’m going to keep the ball forever. … To be honest, I don’t think I would have been in any better place than with the Packers because the coach telling me, ‘56, you’re going in,’ the whole team was like, ‘Yeahhhhh,’ like Aaron Jones, everybody on the team came to me. They were asking me like, ‘What’s your sack dance?’ I was like, ‘I’ve just got to play first!’”