The Packers opened preparations for their home opener against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field today. The Division rivals will kick it off in the empty stadium at 12:00 PM on Sunday.
First impressions for each team were a bit different. The Lions couldn’t hold a 23-6 lead going into the 4th quarter and lost to the Chicago Bears at Ford Field 27-23 while the Packers built a lead and never let the Minnesota Vikings come all the way back in a 43-34 win at US Bank Stadium.
Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams displayed once again why they are arguably the most productive quarterback-receiver tandem going, connecting 14 times for 156 yards and two scores. Rodgers finished with 364 yards and 4 touchdowns in the opener as Adams tied Don Hutson’s single game reception record in the process.
Both players met reporters today to talk about how their relationship has evolved first off the field, and then spectacularly, on the field in recent years.
Rodgers was asked what he saw in Adams as a second round pick out of Fresno State that others didn’t as his pro career took a couple of years before taking off:
As for Adams, he joined an imposing wide receiver room as a rookie with the likes of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. He quietly observed how those veterans interacted with Rodgers and in time, felt comfortable enough himself to engage the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player.
At the pace these two are on, Adams will finish with 224 catches, 2184 yards and 32 touchdowns. I’m not gonna put it past them.
Wednesday’s practice was in helmets and shorts and my eye was on two key players. Kenny Clark didn’t show up on the field but Billy Turner was. Clark left the Viking game with a groin injury while Turner missed the opener with a bad knee. The only other two players who didn’t practice were linebacker Randy Ramsey (groin) and Lane Taylor who is headed to injured reserve after suffering the bad knee injury in the 4th quarter last Sunday. Taylor’s hard luck continues for a second year, playing in only two games last season and just one this year. He’ll undergo knee surgery soon.
Turner was among of handful of players officially listed as limited in practice. Those names included Lucas Patrick, who started game one at left guard but left with a shoulder injury. Montravius Adams (toe), Josiah Deguara (shin), Raven Greene (quad), Elgton Jenkins (ankle) and Equanimeous St. Brown )(knee) were the others.
Oren Burks was a full participant coming off a groin injury.
General Manager Brian Gutekunst made a couple more practice squad moves today, waiving former Baltimore Raven draft choice, defensive tackle Daylon Mack. He added two to the squad, offensive tackle Ryan Pope and defensive lineman Billy Winn. Pope is a first year player who spent time on the practice squads of Detroit, San Francisco and Jacksonville last year. Winn is an 8 year veteran, a former 6th round pick of Cleveland in 2012. He had stops in Indianapolis and Denver before injuries wiped out his 2017, 18 and 19 seasons. That’s perserverance.
