The good news is that the Packers are getting healthier – except at wide receiver. The bad news is the first preseason game did not show improvement on the field. But keep in mind the players that screwed up will not be playing week one when games count. The Packers lost 7-26.

On offense, at quarterback, QB Aaron Rodgers took the night off – and may take all the preseason games off. So QB Jordan Love and QB Kurt Benkert both got a half to show what they can do. Love had a decent outing with a passer rating over 100, but sustained an injury at the end of the first half. Benkert showed a strong arm – but that is about where it ended. For at least a week the Packers re-signed QB Jake Dolegala to the roster. Translation – don’t expect Rodgers to play in any preseason game – although he was very sharp in a scrimmage against the Jets. He and MVS put on a show. At running back, RB Aaron Jones and RB AJ Dillion got the night off. RB Kylin Hill took a pass from Love in tight quarters and raced 35 yards for the Packers only touchdown – but didn’t do as well running from scrimmage. RB Dexter Williams, the guy we haven’t heard from, had 4 carries for 8 yards per carry. RB Patrick Taylor also did not fare well running the ball. I will say the blocking looked out of sync. At wide receiver, your best fantasy options still are WR Davante Adams and WR Marques Valdes-Scantling – but they did not play. MVS is getting rave reviews for hanging onto the ball and running routes better in practice. And it looks like Rodgers trusts him a lot now. Neither did WR Juwann Winfree, WR Equanimeous St. Brown, WR Randall Cobb, or WR Allen Lazard. WR Bailey Gaither wants to retire and so did not play either. WR Devin Funchess lead all Packer receivers with 6 catches for 70 yards. WR Malik Taylor was second with 5 catches for 50 yards. WR Amari Rodgers caught 3 passes for 15 yards. WR Reggie Begelton caught 1 pass for 14 yards. Both WR DeAndre Thompkins and WR Chris Blair were targeted twice but had no receptions. In the cut to 85 Thompkins was placed on IR. At tight end, none of TE Robert Tonyan, TE Mercedes Lewis, or TE Josh Deguara played. TE Jace Sternberger caught all three of his targets for 35 yards – but he needs to stay healthy. There is nothing to report on the other three. For the offensive line, three inside guys who have been working with the first team, and two backup tackles started – that group never practiced together in camp. Perhaps that results in the lack of cohesion in preseason game one. OC Josh Meyers and OG Lucas Patrick played well. OT Yosh Nijam, had one glaringly bad play, but PFF says he was one of the best Packer performers otherwise and played the entire game. Later OT Royce Newman played well enough to get a chance with the first team offensive line at guard at practice on Monday. OT Billy Turner did not play. OT Dennis Kelley did all right. But the line as a unit did not mesh well in this game and the running game suffered. When OT David Bakhtari returns, one of the two guards will be back on the bench.

On defense, the Packers did not show enough. Of the two touchdowns allowed only one was the result of a longer drive by the Texans. The other scores were field goals. CB Josh Jackson has been traded to the Giants for CB Isaac Yiadom. The Texans were completing passes at will against Jackson. If he did play better, the 26 points that the Texans scored could have been cut in half easily. However, the starting defense gave the Jets fits in a joint practice today racking up 7 sacks. On the line, DL Kenny Clark and DL Dean Lowry did not play. DL TJ Slaton and DL Tyler Lancaster did well until they ran out of gas early in the third quarter. DL Kingsley Keke is now practicing with the team again. DL Jack Heflin seemed to do well. Also on the team are DL Willington Previlon, DL Josh Avery, and DL Carlo Kemp – who was being tried at outside linebacker but is moved back to the defensive line. At outside linebacker, the trio of OLB Za’Darius Smith, OLB Preston Smith, and OLB Rashan Gary are back on the practice field together. OLB Jonathan Garvin continues to have the inside track for the fourth spot. OLB Randy Ramsey, who sustained an ankle injury in a camp practice, has been moved to the Injured Reserve List. As such he does not count against the 53 man roster. And because he was not put on injured reserve after the final cuts to the 53 man squad, he does not qualify to come off IR during the season. That should be good news for OLB Delontae Scott, OLB Tipa Galeai, or OLB Chauncey Rivers – a recent roster addition. At inside linebacker, ILB Kyrs Barnes, ILB Kamal Martin, and ILB De’Vondre Campbell did not play. ILB Ty Summers and ILB Owen Burks played well. But Burks was the surprise showing the decisiveness that he lacked in past years. It resulted in 6 tackles, 2 for loss, and 1 sack. ILB Isaiah McDuffie, ILB De’Jon Harris, and ILB Ray Wilborn are the others competing at this position. At cornerback, CB Jaira Alexander and CB Kevin King appear to be the starters. CB Eric Stokes did well in his first action in an NFL game. CB Kabion Ento also did well with pass deflected and an interception. But as in the past, Ento’s challenge will be to stay healthy. No one can help a team if they are not available to play. It is not clear how CB Isaac Yiadom fits into the Packers plans. CB Chandon Sullivan is the nickel corner. Competing for depth are CB Shemar Jean-Charles, CB Dominique Martin, and CB KaDar Hollman. At safety, the top four appear to be S Adrian Amos, S Darnell Savage, S Henry Black, and S Vernon Scott. Black and Scott are doing well with playing various hybrid positions. S Christian Uphoff and S Innis Gaines are intriguing prospects, but Gaines is the better of the two. As far as I know, S Will Redmond is still on the NFI list. This could be a good fantasy defense, but the players and coaching will have to make it happen. Your best Packer fantasy options are; QB Aaron Rodgers, RB Aaron Jones and RB AJ Dillion, TE Robert Tonyan, WR Davante Adams and WR Marques Valdes-Scantling, and K Mason Crosby. I will reserve judgment on the defense. One preseason game down – two to go. The only thing I know about Saturdays is that they come once a week.

My next report comes before week one of the regular season. Good luck with your fantasy draft.

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