Thursday, August 30, 2012

2012 Preseason Week 4 - Packers/Chiefs Review

For the second week in a row the Packers looked very impressive, here are my quick thoughts on the Week 4 Packers/Chiefs preseason game:

#1) Player that hurt his stock most
: Everyone played pretty well so it was hard to pick on anyone specifically thus I am going to say all the backup offensive lineman in general.  I could see the Packers claiming at least one and possibly two offensive lineman off waivers once everything shakes out, especially if they put Derek Sherrod on the PUP list.

#2) Player that helped his stock most
: There were a ton of backups that played very well: Jarrett Boykin, Alex Green, Tori Gurley, Graham Harrell, Terrell Manning, Dezman Moses, Sean Richardson, and Sam Shields.  Although all of them deserve more discussion, Harrell put together the most impressive performance going 13 for 15, throwing for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns for a perfect NFL passer rating of 158.3.  The impressive performance by Harrell solidified his spot as the backup quarterback to Aaron Rodgers. 

#3) Position to watch
: So far I've talked about linebackers, running backs, and secondary so let's go back to the offensive side of the ball and look at the wide receivers.  Yesterday I finally kept 6 wide receivers for the first time in my weekly advice for general manager Ted Thompson.  I honestly think the Packers have nine receivers on their current roster that look worthy of being on an active 53-man NFL roster in 2012.  The "Big Five" wide receivers are Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, Randall Cobb, and James Jones.  The more interesting guys to keep an eye on are the next four receivers: Diondre Borel, Jarrett Boykin, Tori Gurley, and Dale Moss.  All four could end up on a 53-man NFL roster at some point this season.  Boykins (5 catches for 82 yards and 1 touchdown) and Gurley (2 catches for 69 yards) picked a good time to perform well, which makes choosing between those two a tough decision for Thompson.  I personally would keep Boykins but would be fine with the Packers keeping either receiver.

Final Note
: Things were feisty all night between both teams.  Mike Neal took it too far drawing a 15-yard personal foul, which is not what your want to do in your last live action ahead of a four-game suspension for using a banned substance.  In all fairness though, after almost every play there was shoving and jostling between both teams.  Since backups played almost the entire game, I can't blame them for trying to play with a little chip on their shoulder but players on the bubble can't afford to commit stupid penalties like Neal did.

Check back tomorrow for my quick thoughts on the initial 53-man roster for the 2012 Green Bay Packers.

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