Green Bay Packers: 3 Big takeaways from Preseason Week 2
By Joe Kipp
The Green Bay Packers routed the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 51-34 victory on Thursday night. What were the biggest storylines from their second preseason game?
The Green Bay Packers came out firing on all cylinders in Week 2 of the preseason, getting off to a quick 14-0 lead early in the first quarter on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. On the very first play of the game, Steelers rookie quarterback Mason Rudolph threw a pick-six to Tramon Williams. Shortly after, Aaron Rodgers drove the offense down the field for a touchdown to Jimmy Graham.
But it wasn’t all sunshines and rainbows. Soon after, Pittsburgh’s running game got in a groove, as backup running back James Conner led the way with five carries for 57 yards and a touchdown. Green Bay’s run defense looked suspect, although a few starters — most notably run-stuffer extraordinaire Mike Daniels — were not in the game.
It should also be noted that defensive coordinator Mike Pettine wasn’t employing a full amount of defensive packages that he might otherwise during the regular season. After all, it’d be foolish to give opponents good tape to study before the season even started.
Other highlights of the night included a Josh Jackson pick-six, which put the Packers up, 41-14. Camp-darling Jake Kumerow got in on the action as well, scoring an 82-yard touchdown. It was a special moment for Kumerow, whose parents were in attendance. Finally, Mason Crosby had a heck of a night, going 3/3 on field goals, two of which were from 50+ yards.
All in all, it was an impressive performance by Green Bay as a whole. The combined 85 points was the largest-ever for a Packers preseason game. It was a game that gave us a lot to talk about, and we could pick and choose several different storylines.
However, here are three big takeaways from Green Bay’s second preseason game.