Even more "yay" that it seems as if for at least last night the Pack escaped without another injury to a key player. Perhaps that was because few key players actually saw any action. QB Aaron Rodgers was once again in sweats along the sideline, as was his entire starting offensive line...well, maybe not all in sweats but along the sideline. You get the point. The Pack's top two running backs, Eddie Lacey and James Starks, were also not exposed to possible injury before the first game. FB John Kuhn, DE Mike Daniels and OLB Mike Neal were actually and factually the only regular starters seeing action. So it went. The night, instead, was given over to the backups. Many young men were playing if not for their football careers at least for their place on the final 53-man roster or, perhaps, the practice squad or a team elsewhere.
Photo by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Hundley impresses again
One of the clear standouts in last night's action was rookie QB Brett Hundley. While Scott Tolzein is Rodgers' primary backup, the performance of Hundley in these preseason games confirm what the Packers braintrust knew about him in the draft. That's why they traded up in the fifth round to get him, amazed that he was still there. Head coach Mike McCarthy said, "We knew when we drafted him there was a lot there to work with. He has a lot to learn, but it's been exciting watching him get off to a good start." You bet. He had a passer rating of 142.4 against the Saints, pushing his four-game mark to 129.7 which, by the way, is one of the best in Packers' history. The young man looked very poised, in control, and -- dare we say -- Rodgers-esque at times in his movement within the pocket and his scrambling ability.
Other positives
- WR Jeff Janis continuing to progress and perhaps develop (quickly, we hope) into a serious downfield threat that can somewhat mitigate the loss of Jordy Nelson for the season.
- WR Myles White making a strong case to be part of the receiving corps again.
- RBs Rajion Neal and John Crockett having strong performances once again...although Crockett may be a casualty of too many good backs ahead of him when cut-down time comes.
- Solid play from the backup offensive linemen.
- A much-needed good punting performance by veteran Tim Masthay.
- Another good outing by undrafted DB LaDarius Gunter, making a strong case to be on the opening day roster.
- Finally getting to see former Wisconsin Badger Jared Abbrederis take the field in the game both as punt returner and wide receiver. He only had once catch, but averaged more than 11 yards per return on punts...with -- oh-oh -- a fumble (recovered by the Packers). Coach McCarthy likes him, but he's more likely a candidate for the practice squad than the 53-man roster just because he's missed so much training camp with the concussion sustained in the first practice of camp. Let's also remember he missed all of his rookie season with an ACL injury sustained during last year's camp. He could bring a lot to the table, but he's got to stay healthy enough to actually be on the field. (Can you tell I'm rooting for him?).
Keep checking back for details on our Packers house flag giveaway contest!
Within the next few days we'll post the details for our first-ever Packers flag giveaway contest. So keep checking back or follow us on Twitter @packfansunited.
The flag's a beauty, as you can see in this image.
So...stay tuned! In the meantime...Go Pack Go!!
