3 tips for watching Packers’ preseason finale at Chiefs
The Green Bay Packers wrap up their preseason slate on Thursday night when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
Matt Lafleur recently said he wouldn’t be playing his starters outside of the offensive line–a decision that cost them big time in their season opener last year. However, Green Bay will have 16 days off before their first regular season game against the Minnesota Vikings, giving them plenty of time to get some additional work in. Plus, they’ll cut their roster down to 53 players next Tuesday to increase the reps their starters can get.
Still, a lot is riding on the line in their preseason finale so here are three tips about what to watch.
Here are three tips to help you watch the Green Bay Packers’ preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.
Tip 1: Keep your eye on roster battles
Green Bay’s roster is far from settled, as they have several roster battles raging throughout their depth chart. Although Thursday night’s performance won’t exclusively decide them, it will go a long way in determining the outcome.
Patrick Taylor will take on Tyler Goodson in a battle for the third running back spot, Juwann Winfree looks to prove he’s worthy of Green Bay keeping a seventh wide receiver, Jonathan Garvin, Tipa Galeai, Kingsley Enagbare, La’Darius Hamilton and Kobe Jones battle it out for the pecking order at outside linebacker and Shemar Jean-Charles tries to lock down his spot as the fourth corner. Those battles are all worth watching.
Tip 2: Health
LaFleur has always placed the health and safety of his players first since arriving in Green Bay, leading to some pretty healthy teams. The Packers have several key players returning from significant injuries and won’t be suiting up on Thursday. They’ve also been fortunate enough to avoid any new major injuries and we hope that continues on Thursday. For this reason, Green Bay is sitting most of their starters, but keep your eye on the health of players who do play.
Tip 3: The Future
The Packers have a lot of young players going on Thursday who will be key ingredients to a successful future. It begins with Jordan Love, who showed excellent progression from the first preseason game to the second. This will be the first time in his NFL career he’s started three games in a row and I’m excited to see what he does with the opportunity.
The guys he’s throwing to could also have bright futures in Green Bay as well. Romeo Doubs has flashed big-play potential all training camp and needs to work on making the routine plays. Christian Watson might suit up for his first game action and the Packers have big plans for his future. Finally, Samori Toure, who likely won’t make the roster but can earn a practice squad spot, will also be out there.
Next. 8 young Packers with bright futures. dark
As for defense, first-rounders Devonte Wyatt and Quay Walker have been very quiet throughout training camp. Can they make an impact? Also, Kinglsey Enagbare will be relentlessly chasing the quarterback all night.