Coming into the week, it was unknown who would be taking the field for the Green Bay Packers in their preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks. Head coach Matt LaFleur was leaning toward playing his starters in the game, but it would take a few days for a final decision to be made.
A decision has been reached, and you will see the first-team offense and defense for the Packers on the field Saturday afternoon. “Yeah, they’re going to play,” LaFleur said before the team had practice on Thursday.
Everyone is going to be on the field on Saturday afternoon except Rashan Gary. The star pass rusher has been working his way back from the ACL tear he suffered last season and just started working in 11-on-11 competitions this week in practice.
How much they will play is anyone’s guess at this point. In the first preseason game, Jordan Love played two series; in the second, he played three. There isn’t a concrete plan on how much the starters will play against Seattle, as LaFleur said it would be on a case-by-case basis.
“It’s going to be more of a gut feeling, I would say, on my part, where we’re at. I do think there’s a lot of value in getting ready for a noon kickoff,” LaFleur said.
In the last few seasons, the Packers have struggled out of the gate in Week 1. That is something LaFleur is looking to change, which is part of the reason why the starters are going to have played in every preseason game this year.
“You always learn and grow and you try to get a feel for where you’re at as a football team and what your team needs,” LaFleur said.
Given how youthful the Packers’ roster is, having them prepare and play in an afternoon weekend game makes sense. It is how most of their games will be during the regular season, so simulating how those would go in the exhibition season is a great way to prepare.
Saturday afternoon will be the last chance many players have to prove why they should make the 53-man roster. Tuesday, August 29th is when the roster needs to be trimmed down. After that, it is all systems go preparing for the Chicago Bears in Week 1.
