After wrapping up their second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Green Bay Packers in that game.
I started this series last week with the Houston Texans’ game, but throughout the season I will be highlighting the good, the bad, and the ugly from each Green Bay Packers’ performance.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers ended up sitting this one out with back tightness and it turned into a 26 – 13 victory for the Baltimore Ravens in what was otherwise a pretty lack-luster performance from Green Bay.
As they prepare for their trip to Canada to face the Oakland Raiders over the next week, there will be a number of positives to take away from this game, but also some areas that need work as well.
So without further ado, let’s dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly from Green Bay’s second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Good
Curtis Bolton
For the second week in a row, “the good” category is held by a rookie inside linebacker. However, instead of Ty Summers – who we will discuss shortly – it was the undrafted rookie, Curtis Bolton.
After the injury to Oren Burks against the Houston Texans, Bolton received quite a few reps with the first-team defense during practice this past week. As a result, against Baltimore he was given the chance to start alongside of Blake Martinez and boy did he impress.
Despite Summers having the more noticeable performance last week, Bolton has become a favorite of this coaching staff with his ability to blitz, drop into coverage and be an effective run-stopper even though he is a bit undersized. Bolton has a knack for finding his way into the backfield and that was on full display in Baltimore.
In the game, Bolton would total six tackles, including one for a loss, as well as a pass deflection, an interception and although he didn’t come away with any sacks, he did force the quarterback to leave the pocket in a few instances.
It’s still early but Bolton looks like he has what it takes to be a three-down linebacker, and moving forward he has to be the favorite to start with Martinez come week one when the Green Bay Packers head to Chicago.
Darrius Shepherd
I had to do an Honorable Mention for wide receiver Darrius Shepherd, who in the absence of Trevor Davis is making a strong push for the 53-man roster, and in my opinion, he should make it.
Through Training Camp, Shepherd has stood out against some of the Packers’ top defenders including Jaire Alexander and Adrian Amos. Then against Baltimore, he would haul in another touchdown reception and totaled 51 yards on his two kick returns, along with 15 yards on a pair of punt returns.
The longer that Trevor Davis is out, the more likely it is that Shepherd is going to take his roster spot.
The Bad
Ty Summers’ tackling
As much as Ty Summers jumped off the television screen last week against Houston, he did the same in Baltimore, however, it was for negative reasons.
A big knock against Summers coming out of TCU was his inconsistent tackling ability. And even with last week’s impressive performance, we saw those miss tackles occasionally pop up. However, against the Ravens, it was much more prevalent.
While it is difficult to know the exact number of tackles that he missed since I haven’t had the opportunity to rewatch the game yet, I would bet it is at least in the range of six to eight. It was more than just a few.
Summers has a nose for the ball and will usually be in the correct position but when it comes to bringing the ball carrier down, his tackling has to improve.
The Ugly
Green Bay’s running game
The running game for the Green Bay Packers wasn’t just an issue tonight, but it has been for much of Training Camp.
In the handful of practices that I’ve attended, the offense has struggled to move the ball on the ground. Last week against Houston, the Packers would average just 3.3 yards per carry. Then in last night’s game, Green Bay would total only 55 rushing yards and a measly 3.1 yards per carry.
Granted, their lead back has been rookie Dexter Williams while Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are sidelined with injuries, but you would still hope to see more production, especially in an offense where the running game will be more of a focal point.