GREEN BAY, Wis. — Jordan Love scrambled left from his own 46-yard line during the end-of-practice two-minute drill on Wednesday. He had plenty of green grass ahead of him to advance at least 10 yards on first-and-10. The drill began on the offense’s 35-yard line with 1:40 remaining and the defense leading, 28-21. Though the offense started with no timeouts, there was enough time left to earn those 10 yards and another first down, spike the ball and be able to reach the end zone in another couple of plays.
Wisconsin’s Green Bay Jordan Love raced to the left from his own 46-yard line during Wednesday’s two-minute drill, which signaled the conclusion of practice. He had enough green grass in front of him on first-and-10 to advance at least ten yards. The drill began on the offensive team’s 35-yard line with 1:40 remaining, with the defense leading 28–21. The offense had ample time to gain those 10 yards and another first down, spike the ball, and eventually cross the end zone in a few more plays, even though they had not used any timeouts in the first place.
“I’m not going to lie, I ran the wrong route on that play,” Reed said. “We were in scramble mode. We talked after it and Jordan said I had space behind and could have kept running. He directed me where to go and he threw it up and I had to make the catch.”
The play exemplified one of Love’s areas of improvement from the previous season, which veteran QB coach Tom Clements identified this offseason. During scramble drills, Clements stated that Love held his head up more as the season went on in quest of bigger throwing plays downfield rather than running off as soon as space opened up when the pocket collapsed.
Jordan Love on the offense: “I think it’s definitely still a work in progress, but compared to last year, there’s a lot less question marks. Guys understand where they need to be a lot better and we have a better feel for the offense. But something we’ve got to keep building on… pic.twitter.com/N1YFOkCNHz
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) July 31, 2024
Why take an easy 10 yards when being more patient amid chaos could get you 20?
“I think that is definitely a goal of mine to keep working scramble drill when I get outside the pocket, just keep trying to find those big plays down the field,” Love said after practice. “I think for everybody, too — the receivers, tight ends — just keep working the scramble drill when it goes off-schedule, finding the space they can work. Especially in practice, I don’t want to just take off and run.”
The offense was confronted with a third-and-10 from the 33 two plays after the spike. The scrambling drill demanded that Love step up this time. Defensive end Rashan Gary applied pressure, but he sidestepped it and raced up the right sideline for 22 yards. The next play, Love brought the offense within one touchdown with an 11-yard pass to wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks in the back middle of the end zone. In the next two-point conversion, Love hit Wicks for the score while backing up and under pressure from defensive end Lukas Van Ness. Love and Greg Joseph were not having a good day with the kick, so there was no one to kick an extra point.
“It’s like our two-point staple,” Love said. “I was kind of looking back side, got back to front side and it looked like everybody was gloved. And then I saw Wicks kind of last second. I was about to start scrambling and I just tried to get it out there before the back side was able to get there. Another good route by him. Way to stay open in the back of the end zone and make a play.”
Despite Love missing the first four sessions in anticipation of a contract extension, his camp had not gone smoothly at all, but the conclusion of practice on Wednesday provided a small sample size for one of the reasons the Packers believe Love is their guy. As seen by the two scramble drills, his poise and quick thinking under duress lead to big plays. In crucial situations, he can also manufacture something out of nothing, as demonstrated by the game-winning two-point convert.
“I’m definitely getting back in that rhythm,” Love said. “I feel like training camp, the speed is always so much faster. I feel like everybody’s got that energy and they’re flying around, especially at the start. Definitely something I’m just getting back to playing fast and trying to keep myself slowed down in the midst of all it, trying to not get sped up myself with my feet and my reads, which I think is something I’m trying to focus on right now.”
These are six more things you should be aware of from the eighth training camp practice on Wednesday.
Romeo Doubs, the wide receiver, outperformed Jaire Alexander, the cornerback, in one-on-one drills the day before, receiving high accolades from Alexander following practice. On their first play against each other, the third-year receiver cut up the middle, leaving Alexander in his wake, and then caught a throw from backup quarterback Sean Clifford. Late in his route on their second, Doubs broke loose toward the left sideline in an attempt to grab Alexander again. Reed made three catches against Nixon in three reps on Wednesday, including one where he scorched Nixon deep down the left sideline while Love threw a perfect ball to him. Nixon stood out in one-on-ones on Tuesday in two reps against Reed and one against Wicks.
2. Safety Xavier McKinney exacted retribution on Love during a move-the-ball phase on another pass that was thrown directly to him, a day after he failed to pick up what should have been an easy interception in the end zone. But McKinney seemed to stumble as he stood up, and the offensive rallied.
“I didn’t see him,” Love said of McKinney. “We talked a little about it after. I think he said he started backside, kind of dropped middle like a hook player and one of those plays I didn’t see him … I was looking front side and I just totally missed him. I tried to throw it over the middle and right when it came out of my hand is when I saw him, so something I’ll be able to go back and watch on tape, learn from that rep, grow from it, try to recognize what they’re in pre-snap a little bit better. But really good job by him just disguising it, playing off my eyes and making a play on the ball.”
No WR1 at practice, you say?
Here’s Matt LaFleur greeting Jordy Nelson pic.twitter.com/qhAN0IQ2k1
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) July 31, 2024
3. This Packers defense does not only play between the tackles or with the starters; it is aggressive all the way around the line of scrimmage. T.J. Slaton, a defensive tackle, showed promise early in training and crushed an outside run by Josh Jacobs on Wednesday. Security Cornerback Gemon Green did the same on a screen throw to wideout Julian Hicks, and Tyler Coyle did the same on a short pass to tight end Wilson. Running back AJ Dillon dropped the ball after Corey Ballentine misread a swing pass to him, and shortly after, defender Eric Wilson stopped Dillon from running a shotgun. Security Christian Watson’s swing pass was mishandled by Anthony Johnson Jr., costing two yards, and defensive end Colby Wooden stuffed running back Emanuel Wilson.
“I would say they put us in good situations to just run and hit and I feel like that’s what I do best,” said McDuffie, who also had a pressure against left tackle Rasheed Walker that led to a Nixon pass breakup against receiver Samori Toure. “I get to the ball, I get there violently, so I feel like it’s going to be good. I feel like they’re putting us in those situations to be most successful, so I think it’s going to be fun.”
Bullard blew up another swing ball to Jacobs on the following play, and Walker had another stop for loss on a swing pass to Jacobs. Alexander quickly caught a swing pass from Jacobs on the opening play of the starters’ two-minute drill, and McDuffie looked to stuff Jacobs on a fourth-down dump-off before the chains, but the offense was awarded a first down by the coaches. The aggressive style of defense that new coordinator Jeff Hafley’s team has been discussing within the building appears to be manifesting itself on the field.
4. A two-play sequence on Wednesday showed that Love’s deep balls have not always been flawless and that his deep connections with receivers are still a work in progress. Love did not throw the tightest spiral on the opening play; instead, he put Watson in position to gain almost 40 yards down the left sideline over Nixon with a long pass. The ball deflected off Wicks’ hands when he juggled it on the following play after Love threw it an inch too far, and he was eventually unable to come down with a catch of a comparable length.
“I think it all comes down to that chemistry,” Love said. “I have a better feel for where guys are going to be at, where I need to put the ball on some of those deep balls, what the leverage might be of the DB and just playing with confidence and putting it out there for them to go make plays and go catch and understanding the speed of some of our guys out there. I’m just putting it out there as far as I can and letting them go out there and make a play and try not to overthrow them.”
5. During practice on Wednesday, a couple of unsung heroes made an impression. During an offensive get-back-on-track phase, defensive end Kingsley Enagbare broke up a pass intended for Love at the line of scrimmage and applied pressure on the opening play of the backups’ two-minute drill. On Wednesday, Clifford—who has struggled with interceptions this summer—did not have any. His first two passes during a move-the-ball phase were a dime to wide receiver Grant DuBose, which resulted in a first down up the right sideline past cornerback Robert Rochell’s diving stop, and a 30-yard completion to Toure. During a move-the-ball phase, Rochell broke up a fourth-down throw against Malik Heath and made a fourth-down tackle short of the sticks against the running back.
“Last year this time around, I was sidelined still,” the 2023 seventh-rounder DuBose said. “I didn’t come back until the second preseason game. I’ve taken a big leap from last year. I’m feeling a lot stronger. I’m feeling faster, just healthier overall, so I’m in a good spot … free play, we all going to take a shot. Sean Clifford gave me a chance and I just do what I do best. Went up and attacked the ball at the highest point and just tried to make a play for the team.”
6. After missing the first week of camp due to a hip ailment, third-round rookie Lloyd fumbled the handoff from quarterback Jacob Eason on his second snap of 11-on-11 practice. Additionally, since the rookie quit after stopping the ball from touching the ground, running backs coach Ben Sirmans forced Lloyd to complete his run. Lloyd resumed team activities, while offensive lineman Donovan Jennings is now missing time due to a knee ailment for the second time, and cornerback Carrington Valentine was sidelined due to a hamstring injury. Prior to practice, head coach Matt LaFleur announced that tight end Tucker Kraft, a second-year player, is close to making a comeback after suffering a torn pectoral over the offseason. Kraft also requested to train every day.
(Photo: Tork Mason / USA Today)
