Saturday nights Packers and Patriots preseason game ended prematurely with 10:29 left in the 4th quarter when both teams mutually agreed to suspend the game after Patriots DB Isaiah Bolden was carted off the field with a head injury following a scary collision with his teammate. The game ended in a 21-17 New England victory.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bolden and his family, and we hope he has a speedy recovering and is able to get back out on the field soon.
Here are five players who I believe stood out above the rest:
1. EDGE Kingsley Enagbare
Right from the jump the most impactful player on the defense was second year edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare. “JJ” turned out to be a massive steal for the Packers last year in the 5th round, as he ranked 4th out of 32 rookie edge rushers in pressure rate at 17%.
Enagbare was all over the field in the first half, recording a pair of sacks including one where he stripped the ball from QB Mac Jones and recovered it by himself. The turnover set up a 62-yard touchdown drive.
The continued emergence of Enagbare is huge for the Packers. While Gary will be good to go week 1, it is likely they with choose to limit his snaps early, leaving plenty of playing time for young players like Enagbare and Van Ness.
“He performed just like he had practiced,” LaFleur said at halftime, “It’s funny, because I ran into him right before kickoff and I was like, ‘Hey, you’re going to get yourself a couple sacks today,’ and he went out there and did it.”
2. Wr Malik Heath
The Packers leading receiver was UDFA Malik Heath from Ole Miss. Heath flashed his talents in camp, but has done what many players haven’t been able to do, by continuing that performance into the preseason.
Heath caught all five of his targets for 75 yards. His first catch was a 10 yarder across the middle of the field, where he was able to break a tackle. He drew a 23-yard DPI call, and had a terrific leaping grab in traffic for 25 yards. He caught the last pass of the game, and 7-yarder to get the Packers in the red zone, before the game was called.
The Packers receiving room is packed with young talent, and Heath is making a name for himself. He has 8 catches for 111 yards this preseason, and with another solid showing next week it’s hard to believe that he won’t make the 53-man roster.
3. RB Emanuel Wilson
The darling from week 1 against the Bengals, Wilson was the third RB to check into the game after being listed as the 6th stringer prior to last week and he proved his performance wasn’t a fluke.
The man from Fort Valley State carried the rock 15 times for 63 yards, once again showcasing his vision and agility, to go with his speed. He also showcased his hands out of the backfield, adding 2 catches for 15 yards.
Tyler Goodson and Lew Nichols both missed the game with injuries. Emanuel Wilson and Patrick Taylor are embroiled in a battle for the 3rd running back spot. Taylor has the experience and is a solid all around contributor, but Wilson has more flash and time to develop. Wilson touched the ball 17 times to Taylor’s 5, which is usually a tell-tale sign. He’ll need another strong outing next week, but Wilson is well on his way to securing his spot on the 53, and if the Packers let him go, there will certainly be a suitor elsewhere.
4. QB Jordan Love
Including QB1 on this list kills two birds with one stone. We can once again highlight the positives HE displayed, while also highlighting the other players involved in those plays.
Love finished the day 5/8 for 84 yards and a touchdown, after leading the offense on an impressive 93-yard touchdown drive. One of the key plays was a beautiful deep ball down the side lines to Romeo Doubs for 42 yards. The play was initially ruled incomplete, but was overturned after a Packers challenge.
He also showed off his wheels by escaping a sack and scampering for 11 yards and 15 more after a late hit penalty. His touchdown pass came on a crossing route, throwing a dime to rookie Jayden Reed. The play was a thing of beauty, a great throw and a great catch.
There was a miscommunication on the first drive of the game, where C Josh Myers snapped the ball over Love’s head, resulting in a Patriots recovery. There were also a few throws that make you hold your breath, including one to Deguara in the flat when he was covered and a pass across the middle that was thankfully behind Musgrave, otherwise it would’ve been picked.
That being said, there will be ups and downs in the season, but the positives have massively outweighed the negatives so far this preseason. Love showed a great connection with TE Luke Musgrave, keep an eye on what they can do this season.
5. K Anders Carlson
Carlson’s struggles have been well documented so far this year. The rookie out of Auburn likely shut some of his critics up, going 2/2 on extra points, and nailing a 52-yarder at the end of the first half that had plenty of distance.
It’s important for Packers fans to be patient with Carlson. The truth is that Mason Crosby can’t kick forever, and eventually the Packers would have to move on. The timing was right. With a young offense that will have their ups and downs, now is the time to develop a new kicker and live with the struggles they will have, rather than trying to do so in 2 or 3 years if the Packers find themselves in the playoffs.
As we see time and time again, finding and keeping a reliable kicker is critical to winning games late in the season. We can even see this with the elder Carlson brother, Daniel, who was cut in 2018 after 2 games with the Vikings where he went 1/4. Fast forward to present day, and Carlson sits 3rd all time in FG%.
We can even look back a decade at 2012 Mason Crosby, who had an abysmal 63.6% FG%. Despite the outcry from fans, the Packers stuck with him, and in hindsight it was a critical decision, as Crosby would go on to win the Packers many important games.
So please be patient with Anders and allow him the time to develop.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment down below, or let us know on Twitter @WeLikeSportzPC what you think!
– Zachary Lory
Follow me on Twitter for more sports content @Swervin32_
*Photo courtesy of ClutchPoints
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