The Packers and 49ers kicked off Week 1 of the preseason on Friday night in Santa Clara, California. The Packers were defeated, 28-21. Below are the notes I took, observations I made and several video highlights from the game, in chronological order from start to finish.

For those that don’t want to sort through the notes, quick hitters:

  1. It’s only one game, and it’s far from perfect but Jordan Love looks improved. He passed the eye test. He made several down the field throws that were spot-on, as well as some quick, decisive throws in rhythm.
  2. With that said, the stat line is very erratic for Love. He finished 13-24, with 176 yards passing, 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Of those 3 interceptions, one was absolutely not his fault, one was a fluky play and the last one was a poor route from WR Amari Rodgers. You could make a case that all 3 interceptions shouldn’t have happened.
  3. For all the hype we’ve heard about Romeo Doubs in training camp, he certainly proved why in his first preseason game. He’s another player that passed the eye test on Friday night and finished the game with 3 receptions and 45 yards, including a gorgeous 33 yard touchdown reception.
  4. Danny Davis, the undrafted WR from University of Wisconsin, made some plays tonight, including a beautiful 33 yard touchdown grab from Love.
  5. WR Samori Toure, the Packers 7th round pick from University of Nebraska, had a solid outing.
  6. Packers second year WR Amari Rodgers had a 50 yard kick return, as well as a nifty touchdown reception where he scooted down the left sideline and dived into the end zone.
  7. Jack Heflin found himself in the backfield quite frequently. A strong start for the Packers DT.
  8. Jonathan Garvin and Kingsley Enagbare had several nice pass-rushes.
  9. The Packers starting O-line group of Nijman, Runyan, Myers, Hanson and Newman weren’t great, especially in the run game.

First Quarter: Start of Game

*Packers are flagged for holding on opening kickoff of game.

*First throw of the game by Packers QB Jordan Love comes on 3rd and 4. He overthrew the pass to TE Josiah Deguara in tight coverage. There may have been defensive holding but still, not the start you’re looking for. No flags on the play. Punt.

*Pat O’Donnell’s first punt as a Packer is not blocked by the 49ers.

*Nice pressure by Jonathan Garvin off the edge. 49ers QB Trey Lance was able to move up in the pocket and scrambled for 7 yards.

*Nice tackle by Packers CB Keisean Nixon. He was signed by the Packers in free agency from the Raiders.

*49ers Kicker Robbie Gould drills a long field goal after a 3rd and 9 incomplete pass by Lance. The 49ers strike first.

*Not a great kick off return by Amari Rodgers.

*Love has a nice keeper to the left. The Packers faked the run to the HB out of the shotgun, who was lined up to the left of Love. There was plenty of real estate.

*Very effective screen to the right. Good rhythm on 2nd and 6. Goes for about 20 yards.

*Love overthrows rookie WR Romeo Doubs, the darling of Packers training camp, on a go route. He was open by a full step.

*Love in rhythm throw to Juwann Winfree on an out for 8 yards.

*Doubs smokes his man on 4th and 3. Love laid it perfectly to him on a go route. Doubs had a step and a half, maybe two. Touchdown Packers. 33 yard connection from Love to Doubs. Beautiful.

*Tipa Galeai with a sack on the first play of the 49ers drive (My stream stopped working when this happened, I didn’t actually see the play)

*49ers QB Trey Lance connects on a deep pass for a 76 yard touchdown. Dallin Leavitt (another former Raider) appeared to be in coverage on the play and it looks like he got toasted.

*Amari Rodgers with a 50 yard kick return. Started left, found a lot of open real estate to the right. Good to see.

*Nice in-rhythm throw by Love and very good catch by Doubs on a slant for 9 yards.

*Packers starting offensive line struggling in short down situations. Packers RB Patrick Taylor stuffed on 3rd and 1, Newman got beat pretty bad.

*Good quick decision by Love on 4th and 1, hits Deguara in the flat out of the backfield for a first down.

*Love hits Deguara on a bootleg to his right. Another quick decision and a sharp, crisp throw – gain of 7.

*Nice blocking on a sweep to the left to Goodson on the next play, gain of about 8.

*Love intercepted in the redzone from the 49ers 14 yard line. Slant route bounces off Tyler Davis, a ball he should’ve caught. The ball ricocheted into the air and intercepted by the 49ers, ran back about 55 yards into Packers territory.

*Very next play, touchdown 49ers. Nate Sudfeld with the throw. Rico Gafford absolutely smoked by Ray-Ray McCloud. Another nice pressure off the edge from Garvin but Sedfeld was able to step up.

*17-7 49ers. First play for the Packers offense, a quick out from empty set by Love to Doubs (again) for 3 yards.

*Deguara fails to reach 49ers linebacker on HB Draw and the play is blown up.

*3rd and 10, Love goes deep down the left sideline to Doubs. The ball was there, great throw but Doubs couldn’t hold on. However there was a lot contact and PI could’ve been called when the ball arrived. Instead, they called illegal contact on the route. First down Packers.

*Love another keeper to the left for about 5 yards, face mask penalty called on former Packer Oren Burks, now a 49er. 15 yards and a first down.

*Love to Doubs on an out-route on 3rd and 5. Coverage was extremely tight. What a catch by Doubs, adjusting in mid air, twisting his body to make the grab…challenge on the way though by the 49ers, ball may have been moving coming out.

*Call was overturned and ruled 49ers interception. Really nice play by the Niner DB. Just kind of a fluky play that went against the Packers, no one’s fault per se.

*Really nice pentration by DL Chris Slayton, #60 on the Packers. He was claimed off waivers from the 49ers in the offseason.

*On the next play, TJ Slaton does a good job in the middle. 2 yard run by the 49ers.

*Packers CB Shemar Jean-Charles may have gotten away with a holding on the WR on 3rd and 6, tough to tell without a replay. 49ers punt coming.

*Love incomplete on 15 yard come back route to Doubs. Good coverage by the Niner DB.

*Love to Winfree on a quick decisive throw for 7.

*Packers 0/4 on 3rd down conversions tonight, here comes 3rd and 3.

*Loves makes a high, bad throw to Winfree on a slant to the left with a collapsing pocket. Ball is deflected into air at point of contact between Winfree and 49ers DB. Winfree somehow comes down with catch on the deflection. Very fortunate for Packers. First down.

*Love does a nice job maneuvering pressure off play action, scrambles for a first down. However, holding called on Jake Hanson and play doesn’t count. Love showed good presence and athleticism.

*Danny Davis with a 9 yard reception. Another quick throw by Love on a square out to the right side, showing good rhythm and timing.

*3rd and 1, Tyler Goodson picks up the first down on a run from shotgun. Packers finally convert on short down and distance on the ground.

*Deguara getting plenty of snaps as the FB out of the backfield.

*Love looks more comfortable. It’s noticeable with the eye test.

*And just as I type that, Love is intercepted on a throw over the middle. Pass was intended for Amari Rodgers, the DB undercut the route and picked it. Rodgers absolutely needs to get inside on this play. You cannot do that to your QB.

*Another nice tackle by Keisean Nixon. That’s two solid tackles for him tonight.

*Strong penetration by Packers DL Jack Heflin on a 3rd down run, blows the play up and forces a FG attempt.

*Zach Tom is in the game at RT with 3 minutes to go in the first half. Royce Newman moves from RT to RG, who replaces Jake Hanson.

*3rd and 10 after the two minute warning. Love has moderate time in the pocket, looked like Newman was beat. He scrambled for about 4 yards. However, 2 flags on 49ers secondary gives GB a first down.

*The quick throws to the RB’s in the flat have not been effective tonight. That shouldn’t ever be Love’s primary read unless he sees something pre-snap that indicates it will be effective. We’ve seen too many of those throws tonight and none of them have worked.

*Love hits Samori Toure over the middle for 23 yards on 3rd and 6. He was wide open. Good job by Love to recognize the open man on another collapsing pocket with pressure in his face.

*Nice push by Packers O-line on first down hand off out of shotgun. Gain of 6.

*ANOTHER quick pass to RB in flat by Love and another incomplete.

*Beautiful throw and catch by Love to Danny Davis on the next play, down the right sideline for a 33 yard touchdown. Love threw it to the inside, Davis made a fantastic adjustment, made the catch and finished the play for a touchdown. Danny Davis, the undrafted rookie from University of Wisconsin, is making some plays tonight.

*Gabe Brkic (Rookie from Oklahoma) is doing the kicking tonight and he makes the extra point, he’s 2/2 on extra points tonight.

*Brkic shanks the ensuing kickoff to the 49ers. The ball was destined to go out of bounds but the 49ers return man made a dumb play and touched the ball before he was out of bounds. Instead of starting at the 40 yard line, the 49ers start at the 5.

*Kobe Jones with a sack for the Packers.

*CB Rico Gafford contested a throw about 20 yards down the field, pretty good coverage.

*Leavitt is hurt after making a big hit on Ray-Ray McCloud on a catch and run about 10-15 yards down the field. He was down for a few minutes until eventually getting off the field with a trainer.

*The 49ers lead the Packers 20-14 at the end of the first half.

*Ray Wilborn shaken up on opening kickoff to 49ers coming out of the half. He jogs off the field after being down for a few minutes

*Another nice play by Heflin. He got into the backfield on a play action pass and disrupted QB Sedfeld.

*Packers QB Danny Etling hits RB BJ Baylor on a little swing route out of the backfield. Gorgeous throw by Etling and Baylor took it down the field for about 50 yards. Very well executed.

*Sean Rhyan, the Packers 3rd round rookie, is hurt on the ensuing play.

*4th and 4 for the Packers in the red zone. Danny Etling had Patrick Taylor wide open in the left flat for a 1st down. He didn’t see him. He ended up scrambling to the right for a first touchdown, showing good speed. However, the Packers lined up offsides (yes, on offense, weird) and the 5 yard penalty negates the first down and here comes the field goal unit.

*Gabe Brkic with a very ugly shank to the left on a short field goal. 49ers still up 20-14.

*LB Kingsley Enagbare shows pretty good discipline on a 3rd down boot leg, who’s able to pressure Sudfeld. Packers CB Kiondre Thomas had strong coverage on the back end, who was able to break up the pass down field. Punt coming.

*Nice pressure off the edge by Enagbare on 3rd and long, which results in a sack.

*Big run by Dexter Williams to the left for 28 yards. Williams is a former Packer who was re-signed to the team earlier this week. Nice moment for him.

*Amari Rodgers on an end-around, is able to get to the edge for 4 yards.

*Quick throw from Etling to Toure on a play that was definitely a run. However, Etling noticed Toure was open on the snap and fired the ball to him. Toure did a nice job running after the catch to pick up about 10-12 yards and a first down.

*Amari Rodgers with a catch in the flat, lined up in the left slot. A very quick throw by Etling, ball was slightly tipped but he held on. Amari Rodgers is able to elude the incoming tackler, scamper up the left sideline and dives to the pylon. Touchdown Packers. Brkic makes the extra point and the Packers take a 21-20 lead.

*Packers CB Kabion Ento was beat on the play but the ball was late. He recovered nicely and broke up the pass down the field, about 20 yards.

*Decent pressure by the Packers (Enagbare again) on 3rd and 10 but 49ers QB Brock Purdy found a wide open receiver down the field.

*Another nice run stop by Jack Heflin. He’s made some plays tonight.

*On the following play, Heflin almosttt got off his blocker to make another stop but the 49ers RB scooted by him for a first down.

*Heflin in the backfield yet again on the very next play on a PA Boot to the left. He was unblocked but still, he was there causing problems.

*3rd and goal from the 5 yard line and Brock Purdy bought time in the pocket, slipped out to the right and fires a touchdown pass. Pass rush was poor on that one from the Packers. 26-21 49ers lead, going for the two point conversion.

*Purdy fires a fade route over Packers DB Kiondre Thomas. The coverage was pretty good but the 49ers WR made a better catch and Thomas couldn’t make a play on the ball. 28-21, 49ers lead.

*Danny Etling with a 14 yard run on a designed zone-read. Man, that guy is fast. He was in the Patriots organization at one point and Bill Belichick wanted to make him a WR – I can see why.

*Toure with a reception on 3rd and 8 on an out-route from the slot. He’s made some plays tonight. That sets up 4th and 1 for the Packers with 4:40 remaining in the 4th quarter from the 49ers 42 yard line.

*QB Sneak on 4th and 1 and the Packers do not convert.

*The 49ers have picked up a couple first downs and are chewing the clock. The Packers reserves are struggling to stop the San Francisco rushing attack on this drive and they are on the Packers 34 yard line with 3 minutes to play.

*Packers are called for a PI deep into their territory. The 49ers will have 1st and Goal from the 8 yard line with 2 minutes to play and the Packers only have 1 timeout.

*That will do it folks. The 49ers defeat the Packers, 28-21 in Week 1 of the Preseason.

Will Mason Crosby be the Packers’ opening game kicker? – Powered By PickUp
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Alex grew up in a family of Chicago Bears fans in the suburbs of Chicago but was always a Packers guy. Alex\'s AIM name when he was in elementary/middle school was PackerAlex. He now lives in Nashville, Tennessee and you can follow him on twitter at @Alex_Mayer93.

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