The Green Bay Packers fell short in their preseason Week 2 game against the New England Patriots, losing 21-17. The game was suspended and called early after Patriots rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden had to be stretchered off the field following a hit from a teammate. With 10:29 left in the fourth quarter, referee John Hussey announced to the crowd that both sides agreed to suspend the game, making it officially over. Bolden’s well-being is the most important thing to watch for after this game.
For Green Bay, there were a few takeaways as well from the game. Once again it was a slow start for the first-team offense led by Jordan Love. The first drive ended because of a fumble by center, Josh Myers. The Patriots took full advantage, taking five plays to go 18 yards for a touchdown.
On the second drive, the Packers gained only 24 yards on seven plays and punted. But, the third time’s the charm as Love got the team going.
The big play on the drive was a 42-yard bomb to Romeo Doubs, which Love followed up with an 11-yard scramble to keep the drive moving. On the team’s third drive, he led an impressive 93-yard drive for a touchdown, which was capped off by a 19-yard pass to rookie Jayden Reed.
That ended the night for Love, who completed 5-of-8 passes for 84 yards and the score. For the second straight week, it was undrafted rookie Emanuel Wilson that led the backfield in rushing once again. He gained 63 yards on 15 carries as production on the ground remains a work in progress for Green Bay.
Through the air, it was once again undrafted free agent wide receiver Malik Heath that put on a show. He was the leading receiving with five receptions for 75 yards, making another strong case for the sixth and likely final wide receiver spot on the 53-man roster. He took full advantage of Bo Melton being sidelined with an injury as the only player with more than two catches on the evening.
Defensively, the star against the Patriots was pass rusher Kingsley Enagbare. The pass rush was dominant during the joint practices this week and he was the only one who carried that production over into the game on Saturday night.
Enagbare had two sacks and one tackle for loss in the game along with two quarterback hits. One of his sacks forced a fumble on Mac Jones, which Enagbare also recovered as one of the only highlights for the Packers’ defense on the night.
Another standout defensive was Carrington Valentine, who recorded two tackles with two passes defended. A 53-man roster spot looks all but sewed up for the seventh-round pick, who could be in the starting lineup in Week 1 if Eric Stokes isn’t back in the mix yet.
A second rookie that had a good showing at Lambeau Field on Saturday evening was kicker Anders Carlson. His performance has been sporadic at times during camp, as he has taken the Packers on a roller coaster ride.
After missing two extra points last week against the Bengals, Carlson nailed both of his attempts this week. He also showed off the immense leg power that he has, knocking a 52-yard field goal attempt through the uprights. The Packers’ had to feel a little better about their kicking situation seeing that.
