2023 Preseason Game 1 Green Bay Packers @ Cincinatti Bengals Game Thread

Tom's size/weight is his biggest issue, and why he fell as far as he did in the draft. He has the smarts and athleticism to probably play any spot on the line, it's just that his frame is somewhat limited. Center is probably his best position, especially since I think he can pull better than most guys at the position when the scheme calls for it as well as all the other stuff with the position. He reminds me a bit of JC Tretter and Flanny in that regard.

It's part of the reason I was hoping for Darnell Wright or Broderick Jones in the first. It would be great to see a "set it and forget it" line again rather than the constant juggling. If Bakhtiari's knee flares up again the line may be in trouble, which isn't good for any QB, let alone a developing one in his first year starting.

Bummer about TE Tyler Davis torn ACL . Officially out for year? We will miss him esp on STs

Forget about the final score.....

Ummmm......The QB play was interesting from TWO players and honestly a breath of fresh air

People saying they "reached" for Clifford are flat out Rong. Period.

Love looks smooth and he just needs to settle down a bit. That over throw to Luke Musgrave was one he certainly would've loved back. Pun intended.

Some good and some bad......Gives plenty of tape with things to work on for Love and Clifford.

Is it just me or was that one of the most fun pre-season games we've seen in quite a while??

That game had it all!

I agree on Clifford, mentioned it earlier, and it was a fun game. Actually exciting and plenty of energy from the Packers. Really liked Clifford bouncing back from the 2nd pick and driving for a TD in the final minute of the first half. Our WRs look much, much better than they did last year at this point.

@Boris posted:

Forget about the final score.....

Ummmm......The QB play was interesting from TWO players and honestly a breath of fresh air

People saying they "reached" for Clifford are flat out Rong. Period.

Love looks smooth and he just needs to settle down a bit. That over throw to Luke Musgrave was one he certainly would've loved back. Pun intended.

Some good and some bad......Gives plenty of tape with things to work on for Love and Clifford.

Is it just me or was that one of the most fun pre-season games we've seen in quite a while??

That game had it all!

Totally agree, Boris.  Even minus the score, like you said, there was a lot to be excited about.

Love - Man, he has a pretty deep ball, doesn't he?  He can throw it on a dime too, that's a refreshing change.  I think we'll be OK with him.  If not, he's got this guy looking over his shoulder...

Clifford - I think enough has been said about him.  I'm excited because, based on one game, we have a better than average QB to rely on if Love goes down.  Already, he's better than any washed up veteran we can put there.

Valentine - what a steal this guy could turn out to be.

Dline - lots of juice coming from there.  I continue to be impressed with Engbare because he can rush and he can stop the run, a lot like P Smiff.

LB'ers - Some good competition in that group, they're playing like their hair's on fire and  it's only preseason.  That's a good sign.

Wilson - nice moves and breakaway speed.  If he keeps it up, he has #3 locked up.

Caleb Jones - that dude's a monster.  He was a blocking mad man.  Needs a little refinement on pass pro, but he held his own.  That guy's got the potential to be really, really good.

Van Ness - unfortunately, looks like a project.  He wasn't even a factor.  But, they got him for his potential, so we'll see.  So far, not looking like a wise choice for the #1 draft pick.

Our kicker - can't even remember his name, but we better be giving Mason a call.  He sucks.

Overall, there seems  to be  a lot of really good, young talent on this team.  I don't even care what our record is this year, I just want them to bring fire.  This is looking like a team that if we don't make it to the playoffs this year, we are definitely looking at playoffs the following year.  It's a refreshing change to see them playing as a team, we have a lot to be excited about this year.  It will have its ups and downs, but it will be fun.

@Harry Manback posted:

Clifford - I think enough has been said about him.  I'm excited because, based on one game, we have a better than average QB to rely on if Love goes down.  Already, he's better than any washed up veteran we can put there.

I spent the better part of four years rooting against Clifford. But during his stint at Penn State, his lack of blue chip talent quickly revealed a guy who was a gamer. He never let his team quit and he's resilient as it gets. He's the kind of mid round pick you can't help but root for. It was great watching him respond after the pick six to have such a good night overall. This is a team who may have to scratch and claw to get some wins, and he's the type you want on that battle front.

The Packers all but handed Clifford the #2 QB position the day they drafted him. That shows a lot and I think the Packer correctly saw something in Clifford the others missed. He appears to be the perfect backup for a young QB like Love. The last thing we want is Love looking over his shoulder at a veteran backup like Wentz or Ryan.

I also liked the  decisiveness by both QB's and the offense in general around the goal line.  That was a refreshing change from the last two years of AR and MLF trying to get too cute versus just getting it done.   I got tired of three and outs passing the ball when we only needed a yard.

Another thing we probably all saw is that Newsome is probably, and should be, a cut.

I agree Boris, this was really a fun game. In addition, the play-by-play was enjoyable because they weren’t total homers who couldn’t be bothered to identify which players were involved in the action for the opposing team. How many times over the years have we watched preseason away games and the homer announcers totally gloss over the other team. Granted, some of our players had ties to Ohio, but I thought their crew did a really good job.

Fun game to watch, and I like what MLF is doing so far. Sometimes, he can be too cute but as someone else mentioned, the straightforward plays just got the TDs. One thing: was it just me or did anyone else notice that it looked like Love seemed to keep his eyes on his primary receiver from snap to throw? I know it was a short sample, but I felt like he tended to lock onto his receiver from the get-go.

As long as we see improvement and the fire to give it all, it's going to be a fun year! There's a new spirit in town! 

Link

You know MLF loves to see this from Heath. Can see him making the final cut with a role like Lazard had.

Valentine is the steal of the draft. What a player!  Our CB room appears to be set.

Love played well and as expected. The naysayers can give it a rest.

I also loved the extended playing time they gave Clifford. Bringing him up to NFL speed, in a hurry, says he is definitely our #2 QB. I did not see any lack of arm strength from Clifford, as was talked about, pre draft.  Loved his poise after the INTs, as well.

Musgrave and Kraft will be solid TEs for a long time, in GB. Kraft, getting the ball stolen from him was why Clifford had his 2nd INT. Hang onto that ball until the play is dead, young man!

Enagbare is picking up where he left off, last season. Love his motor.

I loved Keshawn Banks's TFL, late in the game. He burst through the line and nailed the RB for about a 4 yard loss. More of that, please!

Emanuel Wilson had a great game. Whether he makes the team will be how he plays on STs, more than as a RB, though. Hope he balls out on STs. I still feel Patrick Taylor will be our #3 RB, though.

I thought Samori Toure had a nice game, overall. Returning punts, he muffed that one in the end zone after which, I'm sure Bissaccia chewed him out for not just taking a knee. Toure caught some passes and ran some sweeps, as well. Another late round gem that Gute gave us.

Van Ness looked a bit stiff. That will change when he gets up to game speed. I expected to see more of him on STs, as well. Maybe he was there, but I just didn't see him.

Malik Heath wants to play! He is the steal of the UDFAs!

Dontayvion Wicks can also catch the ball! How many WRs will GB keep on the 53?

I liked the way Brenton Cox played, on the line. He has the physical traits to be a solid pass rusher and was pressuring the QB from the left side of the line. A work in progress. I do not care what issues he or anyone else had, in the past. He, they, are being given a clean slate. Play football and have some fun. GO PACK, GO!!!

@michiganjoe posted:

Link

You know MLF loves to see this from Heath. Can see him making the final cut with a role like Lazard had.

Loved that from Heath!

"Malik’s more your big, goonish type of guy that you guys know we love around here. He’s very physical."

MLF more or less saying he's a possible replacement for Lazard.

@Harry Manback posted:

Dline - lots of juice coming from there.  I continue to be impressed with Engbare because he can rush and he can stop the run, a lot like P Smiff.

LB'ers - Some good competition in that group, they're playing like their hair's on fire and  it's only preseason.  That's a good sign.

Van Ness - unfortunately, looks like a project.  He wasn't even a factor.  But, they got him for his potential, so we'll see.  So far, not looking like a wise choice for the #1 draft pick.

Our kicker - can't even remember his name, but we better be giving Mason a call.  He sucks.

The biggest issue with Enagbare is he simply lacks the burst to be a top pass rusher. His size and skillset is otherwise solid, but Hollins is ahead of him because he offers more juice.

To be fair, we knew Van Ness was going to be a project. He was drafted on traits and mad rhyming skills, not his plug & play ability.

Don't give up on rookie kickers too soon. The Vikings did on his brother and he's now one of the better kickers in the league. At least the Packers finally have a decent ST coach to work with him.

@Fandame posted:

Fun game to watch, and I like what MLF is doing so far. Sometimes, he can be too cute but as someone else mentioned, the straightforward plays just got the TDs.

Dude, you know it's preseason?

Dudette

What pronoun do they use?

The Luke Ness monster looked like Gary did early in his rookie year. Kinda lost, and unable to put his talent to use. They'll coach him up.

Van Ness has a lot of the physical traits you can’t teach or coach, and it’s not like he coasted at Iowa or doesn’t know how to work hard.  My sense is that he’ll get some playing time this year.  

Van Ness was compared to Trey Hendrickson of the Bengals as a prospect coming out of college.  Hendrickson is an excellent player but he really didn’t show greatness until his 4th year.  

I think some of that was Hendrickson came from a lower level of competition at the college level and had some injury issues before emerging.  Hopefully if Van Ness can become that good, he does it a couple years sooner than Hendrickson did.

@lovepack posted:

The Luke Ness monster looked like Gary did early in his rookie year. Kinda lost, and unable to put his talent to use. They'll coach him up.

Exactly what I thought watching the game. I can see him getting on the field some on passing downs. Had difficulty vs. the run Friday night.

@JimBobDuggar posted:

Dude, you know it's preseason?

Yes, I know! But hopefully, MLF realizes that at the goal line, less can mean more.

ps: she/her, for those wondering.

Hopefully...but I'd even settle for just a little better clock management.  My confidence is pretty low that he won't continue to f*ck up both when games matter.

Apologies on the pronoun.  It was more a term of endearment.

@DH13 posted:

Rap on Cox is he's got a record.  He needs to stay clean to have any success.

Dismissed by 2 teams despite having talent...hope.hes turned around...but not a great sign.

Cox was ranked among the top 20 recruits in the country in 2018, staying in-state by signing with Georgia out of Stockbridge High School. He played in 13 games for the Bulldogs as a true freshman (20 tackles, two for loss, three pass breakups), earning a start against Texas in the Sugar Bowl. Cox was arrested for marijuana possession in April 2019, however, and eventually dismissed from the team. Florida signed him from the transfer portal for 2019, though he was required to redshirt, per NCAA rules. Despite not playing a game for the Gators, Cox received the No. 1 jersey previously worn by outstanding talents like Vernon Hargreaves III, Percy Harvin, C.J. Henderson, Reggie Nelson, Keiwan Ratliff and Kadarius Toney. He led the team with 9.5 tackles for loss among his 41 total stops, which included four sacks in 12 starts. Cox started all 13 games in 2021, leading Florida with 14.5 tackles for loss with 8.5 sacks among his 41 tackles (also breaking up four passes). He started the first eight games of the 2022 season for the Gators (35 tackles, two sacks), leading the team with eight tackles for loss before being dismissed from the program. -- by Chad Reuter

@mrtundra posted:

Emanuel Wilson had a great game. Whether he makes the team will be how he plays on STs, more than as a RB, though. Hope he balls out on STs. I still feel Patrick Taylor will be our #3 RB, though.

Oh yeah! The speed around the corner and down the sideline. I actually stood up out of my chair! That wasn't a LB'er he outran that was a DB.  😲

Wanted to mention (2) Cinci players too.

The DB who had 2 INT's - Nice game sir!

The Princeton WR. That guy looks fluid and smooth. Cinci has some good WR scouts for certain. Maybe time for a little poaching 😈

@Sufferinginmn posted:

Dismissed by 2 teams despite having talent...hope.hes turned around...but not a great sign.

He started the first eight games of the 2022 season for the Gators (35 tackles, two sacks), leading the team with eight tackles for loss before being dismissed from the program. -- by Chad Reuter

This was the main cause of the 2nd dismissal. Apparently there was an accumulation of other things.  https://twitter.com/JordanDeAr...CSEToD2IUif7ZdlzUj8w

That’s the most tasteless nothing burger I’ve ever clicked on.

@Sufferinginmn posted:

Dismissed by 2 teams despite having talent...hope.hes turned around...but not a great sign.

Cox was ranked among the top 20 recruits in the country in 2018, staying in-state by signing with Georgia out of Stockbridge High School. He played in 13 games for the Bulldogs as a true freshman (20 tackles, two for loss, three pass breakups), earning a start against Texas in the Sugar Bowl. Cox was arrested for marijuana possession in April 2019, however, and eventually dismissed from the team. Florida signed him from the transfer portal for 2019, though he was required to redshirt, per NCAA rules. Despite not playing a game for the Gators, Cox received the No. 1 jersey previously worn by outstanding talents like Vernon Hargreaves III, Percy Harvin, C.J. Henderson, Reggie Nelson, Keiwan Ratliff and Kadarius Toney. He led the team with 9.5 tackles for loss among his 41 total stops, which included four sacks in 12 starts. Cox started all 13 games in 2021, leading Florida with 14.5 tackles for loss with 8.5 sacks among his 41 tackles (also breaking up four passes). He started the first eight games of the 2022 season for the Gators (35 tackles, two sacks), leading the team with eight tackles for loss before being dismissed from the program. -- by Chad Reuter

If he can stay out of trouble, he could be a good pick.  Remember what Wolf said about linebackers?  I can't, but to paraphrase it was something about not wanting your linebackers to be pussy cats.

@FLPACKER posted:

Exactly what I thought watching the game. I can see him getting on the field some on passing downs. Had difficulty vs. the run Friday night.

I know he was picked based on his immense potential, and maybe I'm rong and he was the best choice to use our first round draft pick on, but I'm familiar with Iowa football because  my wife's family are from Iowa and they're all Hawkeye fans, so I end up watching more of those games than I do Badgers games.  He was good, but he certainly wasn't a dominant player there by any means.  But he's a rookie, and most of them get better.  I just hope for the  price, he gets a lot better.

This thread has kind of developed into paws v negs.  I was surprised not to see one.  Do we not do those for preseason?  I don't remember.

Why Elgton Jenkins played on Friday.

https://x.com/byryanwood/statu...103918674116608?s=46

😂

@JimBobDuggar posted:

Hopefully...but I'd even settle for just a little better clock management.  My confidence is pretty low that he won't continue to f*ck up both when games matter.

Apologies on the pronoun.  It was more a term of endearment.

Dude, no problem! If you overstep I'll let you know, but I don't get too bent out of shape over small stuff. Life's too short. My son says, "Bruh, I need the car tonight" to me all the time. (I tell him I'm not a bra.) And my daughter will often say, "Dude, I need the car" to me, and I tell her to duke it out with her brother. I am stranded on Home Island.