Packers vs. Jets: 11 Things To Watch

GREEN BAY, Wis. – After getting routed by the Houston Texans last week in Jordan Love’s long-awaited but short-circuited NFL debut, the Green Bay Packers will host the New York Jets on Saturday afternoon at Lambeau Field.

Here are 11 things to watch – one at every position group.

Quarterback

Let’s go really big picture on Kurt Benkert. Let’s say the Packers and Aaron Rodgers go their separate ways after this season. Love would be the starter. Who would be his backup?

If Benkert plays well enough on Saturday, when he figures to get the bulk of the action, and next week at Buffalo, then continues his growth throughout the regular season, he’d put himself in good position to enter next offseason as the favorite to be the No. 2.

Now, what if Benkert struggles again after having a hand in two turnovers vs. Houston? Other than familiarity with the offense, what would be the point of carrying a quarterback all season that has shown he’s not good enough? At that point, wouldn’t the Packers be better off taking a flier on, say, Josh Rosen?

Running back

Nothing has changed with Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon and Kylin Hill atop the depth chart. If Patrick Taylor or Dexter Williams are going to force his way onto the roster, they better make their move now. Taylor was having a good camp but did not play well in any phase against Houston. Williams had fallen to the bottom of the depth chart but was productive in a late-game cameo last week and had a couple effective runs in the joint practices against New York.

Receiver

This is Malik Taylor’s time to shine. If Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers are the locks, who will be that No. 6 receiver? Veteran Devin Funchess’ quality camp had put him in the front of that battle but he’s been slowed by an ankle injurty and now he’s down with a hamstring injury.

Remember that #Packers receiver corps that really needed an early draft pick?

Here's what Aaron Rodgers told @AdamSchein today:
“This group is special in its own right for so many reasons.”https://t.co/ra5YYh9D3z
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 21, 2021

Taylor, who made the roster last year and joined Funchess with strong performances vs. Houston, could jump ahead in that battle with another strong outing. He’ll get plenty of opportunities with the top players unlikely to play and Funchess among three receivers sidelined by injuries.

“There’s five guys who probably have a spot sewn up,” Rodgers said on Wednesday. “I’m not sure if we’re going to keep six, keep seven. Do we keep two quarterbacks, three quarterbacks? It allows for extra spots at some of those places. If it is six, there’s a lot of guys in the mix. Obviously, Funch had a big night the other night. Malik was on the active roster last year. EQ (St. Brown) was on the active roster last year. Reggie (Begelton) did a nice job on the p-squad most of the year and has come back and been a better player. Juwann Winfree has had one of the better offseasons, one of the most improved guys. There’s a lot of opportunity for those spots.”

Tight end

General manager Brian Gutekunst jettisoned one underperforming high draft pick when he traded Josh Jackson to the New York Giants. There’s one more underperforming high draft pick who is jeopardy, 2019 third-round tight end Jace Sternberger. Sternberger had one of the splash plays last week but tight ends coach Justin Outten could hardly have been less impressed.

“That one play doesn’t really describe the player,” Outten said. “It’s more consistently what you’re putting in day in and day out. With his consistency, it’s kind of been sporadic.”

The top of the depth chart is excellent with Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis and Josiah Deguara. Dominique Dafney has put himself in a good spot, too. Do the Packers see enough in Sternberger to keep him even with a crowded depth chart?

Offensive line

Someone needs to start at guard. Last week, Jon Runyan started at left guard and Lucas Patrick at right guard vs. Houston. Neither played up to offensive line coach Adam Stenavich’s expectations. So, at this week’s practices, Runyan, Patrick and Ben Braden got shots at left guard and rookie fourth-round pick Royce Newman was anchored at right guard.

Patrick started for most of last season at right guard and turned in an understatedly solid season. He’s a tough guy and a favorite of Rodgers. To be sure, performance matters. But finances and upside might, too. If the Packers released Patrick, they’d save $1.975 million of cap space. That’s a decent chunk of change considering the team’s long-term cap problems. If the Packers can get comparable play – with the long-term possibility of better play – while saving money, that could be the direction they go.

“We certainly don’t want to overreact because we’ve got a lot of confidence in Lucas,” coach Matt LaFleur said this week. “We know what he can do and certainly we feel good with him in there, but just like any competition you want to allow it to play out and give everybody an opportunity to go take that spot.”

Defensive line

The top five seem set with Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Kingsley Keke, Tyler Lancaster and TJ Slaton. However, Slaton has been really good. Could the fifth-round rookie’s run-stuffing ability make Lancaster a bit of a luxury? The Packers re-signed Lancaster with a $200,000 signing bonus, but they’d save a bit over $1 million by parting ways.

Willington Previlon, an undrafted free agent last year who toiled on the practice squad, has been one of the surprises of camp. With Lancaster missing Thursday’s practice with a shoulder injury, Previlon will get his chance to impress again after playing most of last week’s game.

Outside linebacker

The Packers figure to go without Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Rashan Gary again, which means a lot of playing time for the quartet of Jonathan Garvin, Chauncey Rivers, Tipa Galeai and Delonate Scott. Those four are competing for one or two spots on the 53.

Garvin was a seventh-round pick last year and has worked with the starters when Gary and Za’Darius Smith have been sidelined. Rivers, picked up off waivers from Baltimore on Aug. 10, has been an impact player since his arrival at practice as well as against Houston. Galeai’s athleticism could make him a weapon on special teams. Scott’s a big guy with outside-inside versatility. Of the four, Rivers has been the most impactful defender but special teams will have a big role in decisions.

Inside linebacker

Krys Barnes and De’Vondre Campbell are the starters, and Oren Burks and Ty Summers have spent the summer with the second unit. The odd man out has been Kamal Martin, a fifth-round pick last year who started six games as a rookie. While coming back from a minor knee injury, he didn’t play in last week’s preseason game. It’s hard to believe he’s on thin ice but he sure could use a strong performance against the Jets.

Cornerback

If Jaire Alexander, Kevin King, Eric Stokes and Chandon Sullivan are locks, Kabion Ento, rookie Shemar Jean-Charles and newcomer Isaac Yiadom are the front-runners for the final spot or two.

Ento has been one of the standouts of training camp with two breakups on Family Night, an interception vs. Houston and a couple more breakups in the practices vs. the Jets. At 6-foot-1 and the ability to jump to the clouds, he’s got rare traits and is well on his way to earning a spot. Jean-Charles was a fifth-round pick this year with slot potential but he’s nowhere near ready to play. He lost track of his man and gave up a long touchdown in a 2-minute drill vs. the Jets on Thursday. That just can’t happen. Yiadom, a third-round pick in 2018, is on his third team. He was one of the better players during special teams drills vs. the Jets this week.

Safety

This is one of the most intriguing positions because of the abundance of unproven talent behind the top-flight starting tandem of Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage.

Behind them is veteran Will Redmond and the young quartet of Henry Black, Vernon Scott, Innis Gaines and Christian Uphoff. The coaches like Redmond, who made his camp debut this week and is a proven piece on special teams. Black has been the No. 3 safety/No. 6 defensive back throughout training camp. Scott is a physical attacker who played well vs. Houston. Uphoff and, especially, Gaines has played well all summer. Uphoff and Gaines had decisive wins in Thursday’s special teams periods.

Redmond and Black worked as the No. 2 tandem at practice this week, meaning the other three are going to need to finish strong.

Special teams

There are no roster battles remaining so it’s long snapper Hunter Bradley vs., as coordinator Maurice Drayton put it, the man in the mirror. He had 15 snaps on field goals during the practices against the Jets. One skipped to holder JK Scott.

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