Bought NFL's game pass and watched all four preseason games "condensed" this afternoon.
Here, FWIW, are my impressions:
Offense:Passing game:LT still a worry IMO.
Backup OL still a worry IMO.
Will still score a lot.
Running game:Still struggles to run on right side.
On plays where Sitton and LInsley are key blockers, run game will be aweome.
Personnel:Based on what he did before injury, Bahktiari is still average at best at LT, and alternatives are worse.
I still don’t see what people see in Adams at WR.
Ditto with Rodgers at TE. Backman showed as much at TE as Rodgers did in these four games.
Montgomery looks for real at WR, and has the body of a TE. Beast!
White at WR looked much better than I expected given what people had been saying here. He didn't lose the spot because Jones got signed. He lost the spot because they needed someone better than Adams and/or Montgomery behind Cobb.
I wish they had better run blockers than Lang and Bulaga.
I liked Neal quite a bit more, but all three of the contestants for #3 RB showed some stuff. In my opinion, Neal offers more than Starks (though Starks is still ahead of him now, the more I saw of Neal, the gap looked smaller all the time.
Defense:Running game:
I see no real improvement from last year.
Passing game:
The middle of the field is going to continue to be the Achilles heel of the pass defense.
Personnel:
Raji is as underwhelming as ever. Way too often handled with a single blocker. Too often seen jogging after the play without anyone blocking him. Pennell looked better to me, more penetrating, though I’m not sure I’d want to see him a whole lot either. DT is just going to be a weak spot, I think..
Hayward looked better than I thought he’d look. I still want a better starter on that side, but he’s okay.
Randall and Rollins. They look like “rookies with potential”. Better than I expected on draft day, but there are going to be some growing pains this year.
Gunter to by mind is ready to play now. I’d rather see him in front of both high rounders, but that’s not where he’ll be.
Did Burnett play in the preseason?? I saw him making like two plays.
Barrington is slight upgrade over Hawk/Jones, but ILB still weak link on the defense. Will see a lot of ILB tackles 5 yards and more from the line of scrimmage, and lots of easy TE/RB receptions over the middle. I do think there is potential with Ryan and Bradford, though.
Special teams:I liked Neal better than Montgomery or Janis at KR.
Masthay — WTF? Two years ago I wouldn’t have traded him for any punter; now he’s mediocre.
Ripkowski looked good.
Packers generally had pretty good punt coverage giving the quality of the punting.
Miscellaneous:The first half of the Philadelphia game was seriously ugly.
The New Orleans game was nice to watch.
Way too many penalties throughout the preseason.
McCarthy’s beard makes him look old, like he’s been living in a shack somewhere in hillbilly land.
I like being able to watch the game without commercials and inane sideline interviews.
Jeff Triplette hasn’t improved any as a referee.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)