We made it Packers fans. The long draught of Packers football missing from our TV screens is finally over. Today the Green Bay Packers take on the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium for a 3:25 CST kickoff. 

This is the first time the Packers have taken on the Browns in Preseason action since 2016. They were slated to take on the Browns in the second preseason game of the 2020 season but as most of us know the 2020 preseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before 2016, the teams had seen each other in four straight Preseason contests from 2009-2012, three of those being Preseason openers. 

The last time these two teams saw each other was on Christmas Day in 2021 when the Packers were victorious 24-22. This game was famous for Baker Mayfield throwing four interceptions, two of which were to former Packers cornerback, Rasul Douglas. 

What to see on Offense

Jordan Love is expected to start this game. How long he plays I would anticipate will depend on how much work gets done and if coaches like what they see. If the game starts with a long methodical drive with Love completing 3-4 passes and the Packers put up 7 points, I wouldn't be surprised if Matt LaFleur decides he's seen enough and wraps up Love for the rest of the evening. 

The offensive line has seen much shuffling during training camp so far. But, I think we have at least 4 out of 5 starters ironed out pretty well. The only question is Right Guard. First-round draft pick, Jordan Morgan has looked pretty good in that position so far, but he will be out a week or so with a shoulder injury. Therefore, I think we will likely see Sean Rhyan in the RG position. However, rookie 5th-round pick Jacob Monk has gotten some work in at RG, so he could be a possibility at the position at some point in the game. Monk was drafted as a Center, but as we all know the Packers love their versatility and he could end up at any position if he fits.

With Jayden Reed returning to practice Thursday and Christian Watson also appearing to be fine after getting hit in the knee Wednesday, the Packers will have their full complement of receivers. I'd anticipate Watson, Doubs, Reed, and Wicks getting work in while Jordan Love is on the field, but with 11 receivers on the roster, I wouldn't be surprised to see them pulled at the same time as Love to give the others some playing time. 

Tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft will likely see the bulk of their reps when Jordan Love is available and possibly a little further beyond. With Kraft just getting into practice in the last week he may see a little more time after Jordan Love is pulled but overall it has looked so far like Jordan Love and his receivers haven't missed much between this season and last so no need to push unnecessary reps in game 1 of the preseason. 

I'm looking forward to seeing Josh Jacobs get a few carries in a Packers jersey. There hasn't been any indication of how much he'll play, but Coach LaFleur has given some split opinions on it. He's stated that you can't judge his action until the reps are real, but then again he's said that they know what he can do and don't need to push anything. So, it may be a cautious approach with Jacobs if he plays. Maybe a few handoffs on the first drive and then he'll be put on the shelf. The rest of the running backs, however, should see a decent workload. AJ Dillon may not see as much action as the rest given his experience, but he's playing for a job this year so he could see a good amount of preseason action. I think we will see a heavy dose of Marshawn Lloyd and Emanuel Wilson from the end of the first quarter till maybe the middle of the third. Lloyd is making this roster given his draft status, but I think his camp performance seeing where he's at is going to determine other jobs around him like Emanuel Wilson. I can't see the Packers keeping four running backs on the 53-man roster, but Emanuel Wilson is going to make it hard not to. 

When it comes to the backup QB's I think we will see a heavy dose of Sean Clifford.  He got off to a rough start to camp but he's gotten it under control lately and he will be given every chance in the preseason to show us again why he should be QB2. Michael Pratt has had a good camp so far that's kind of sailed under the radar. But nothing eye-popping as of yet to push Clifford off the QB2 pedestal. LaFleur stated Clifford will see more action than Pratt, but I'm hoping it's not too much as I'd love to see what Pratt can do and see if he can seize the opportunity to shine in preseason and make the backup role a stronger competition. 

What to See on Defense

It's been 16 years since the Green Bay Packers ran a 4-3 defense. When Dom Capers was hired in 2009 bringing the 3-4 with him, it was a foreign concept to me as the Packers had run a 4-3 for the majority of my fandom the previous 22 years. Saturday we will see the Packer's new 4-3 defense under Jeff Hafley get its first game action. When Dom Capers was hired in 2009, he blitzed relentlessly in the preseason. It'll be interesting to see if Hafley chooses to go the same aggressive route to show off his new defense's capabilities.

We will have the chance today to see Xavier McKinney in a Packers game uniform for the first time. He was at the top of many fans' free agent wish lists back in March and so far McKinney has met the hype in Training Camp by making plays and showing the skill value and leadership he is going to provide this defense. We have yet to hear any game status for McKinney, however, if he does play I'd anticipate a few series' as this defense will need some battle testing with their new players and scheme. 

The defensive line will be fun to watch to see who lines up where. Those previously shown as edge rushers like Rashan Gary and Preston Smith will have their hands in the dirt as defensive ends. But what about defensive linemen like Kenny Clark, Karl Brooks, DeVonte Wyatt, or TJ Slaton? They'll likely line up as the middle two on the line, but I've read there could be some shuffling where an edge rusher like Lukas Van Ness ends up in the middle and an interior lineman on the edge. Whether or not that's brought out on Saturday we will have to see, but it will be interesting to see how everyone lines up play-by-play. 

When it comes to the linebackers I would be looking forward to seeing Edgerrin Cooper and Ty'Ron Hopper's first action in Packers jerseys but with both players out of Thursday's practice, that could have to wait until next week. Hopper was newly added to the injury list and I haven't seen anything regarding his status for today's game but I would imagine unless it was a very minor injury, the Packers may err on the side of caution. We won't get a true showing of the linebackers in this preseason game if those two are out but I will be paying particular attention to the roles of Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie. I've felt the Packers need to let Quay Walker roam around the field more and blitz, he has that sideline-to-sideline speed and I just don't think we've seen what he is capable of yet, so I'm hoping under Jeff Hafley we will get that chance to see.

Easily the most intriguing defensive attraction in this training camp has been the second safety position next to Xavier McKinney. Rookies Javon Bullard and Evan Williams have been showing out in practice so far. Bullard was an interception machine at the start of camp and has shown a lot of maturity for a rookie so far. Evan Williams has shown that he's a flat-out baller. He's just all over the place, dropping into the box, staying in the back, and directing traffic with the rest of the defense, he's truly been impressive in camp so far. Back in 2013, I was driving home from a Packers preseason game listening to the Packers radio network, and Larry McCarren was calling a rookie safety, not just a safety, but a football player. He was referring to rookie Micah Hyde. It's a fun coincidence that Evan Williams wears the number 33 as that's the same number Hyde wore when he was a Packer. I compare Evan Williams to Micah Hyde in that way that he is just everywhere, he's not just confined to the description of his position, he's just a football player. I don't know how much of the game Xavier McKinney will play but I'm sure Evan Williams and Javon Bullard will get their shots next to him or at least early in the game to show what they are capable of.

Extra Notes

We've been able to watch the new kickoff format in other preseason games already, but we haven't seen the Packers do it yet. It's been a bit sloppy in some games with offsides calls being plentiful, and some confusing touchbacks, hopefully, the Packers will be right on par if not better at it than others so far. Many say that one of your best bets to make the team if you're a roster bubble player is to show up on Special Teams. Well, with this new rule change, this may be the most important preseason for Special Teams in a very long time to ensure the kickoff is done right. 

Kickers. The Packers have three kickers on the roster right now. Anders Carlson, Greg Joseph, and the newly signed Alex Hale. There hasn't been a clear leader yet, but Greg Joseph has kind of pulled ahead of Anders Carlson by a small margin. Alex Hale had three attempts in his first and only Packers practice and nailed all three. I've seen kicker battles in preseason before but that's usually with two kickers switching off. What are they going to do with three? I have to imagine there's a chance Alex Hale stays on the sidelines unless there's a plethora of kicking opportunities and if he makes it to next week maybe he'll get a few chances in Denver. The battle is likely between Joseph and Carlson right now, but Hale could end up being a surprise if he stays consistent in practice. 

In the End

It's preseason. I like to compare preseason in a way to the show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" where "It's all made up and the points don't matter." It isn't made up, but honestly, the points don't matter. It's all about evaluating talent and getting your players ready for the regular season. So sit back and relax, have a choice of beverage, maybe a snack or two, and just enjoy the fact that Packers football is back on your TV. And do me a favor, keep that TV on well into the 3rd and 4th quarters. You never know, you could be watching those first steps in the career of the next Lambeau Legend. Have fun, and as always, Go Pack Go.