On Thursday the Packers traveled to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers in their first preseason game. A reunion with Aaron Rodgers and the first official look at this Green Bay team. Here’s a short analysis of the Packers in their first preseason game.
Special Teams Looked the Part
Yes, you read that correctly. If there was anything that stood out from Green Bay’s preseason game on Thursday, it was their performance on special teams. The Rich Bisaccia era is over, and it already looks promising.
The Packers hired Cam Achord as their new special teams coordinator. Whatever Achord has been doing this offseason has been working. Yes, this was the first preseason game but it’s hard not to be excited considering the unit has been terrible for quite some time now.
The punt coverage was impressive as the Steelers returned four punts for just 10 yards combined. Despite the many looks seen in training camp at punt returner, Skyy Moore was the guy for the Packers and returned one for 14 yards.
Additionally, Green Bay gained 27, 25 and 25 yards on kickoff returns. Pittsburgh’s longest return was 25 yards. The Packers average starting field position was the 26-yard line while they held the Steelers to just the 19.
Lastly, rookie kicker Trey Smack had quite the debut. On the first drive, Smack nailed a 58 yarder which was no longer counted due to penalty by the Steelers that put the Packers offense back on the field.
Smack finished the night, officially, going 3/3 with makes from 37, 58 (again), and 38. A solid night for the rookie and a confidence booster for not only him but for the team. All in all, a fantastic night for special teams as the energy already seems way better than previous years.
Corner Room Remains a Concern
It was a no brainer when Green Bay used their second-round pick on cornerback Brandon Cisse in April. At this point, Cisse might be the best corner on the roster, which isn’t saying a ton.
That isn’t to discredit Cisse, it’s just reminding everyone that he is a rookie, and it speaks volumes as to how thin the corner room remains. Keisean Nixon was disappointing to watch, lacking effort and making similar mistakes that he did last year.
Nixon is entering a contract year but between the copious amounts of videos of him getting burned in training camp, and his poor performance last night, things look bleak. Nixon isn’t a bad corner by any means. He would likely benefit from not having to be a CB1.
Unfortunately, that isn’t his current situation, and the Packers are having to rely on a guy who would most likely be a more reliable option as a CB2 or CB3. Despite the situation, Nixon has to be better.
The Packers next preseason game is next Friday, August 21st against the Denver Broncos. To be determined if the special teams performance sticks and if the Packers shake up the corner room until then.
