The Green Bay Packers are in San Francisco to face the 49ers in the 2022 preseason opener on Friday night at Levi’s Stadium.
The game can be viewed by a national audience on NFL Network. Don’t expect to see Aaron Rodgers or Rashan Gary or Jaire Alexander or any other star player, but there’s still plenty to monitor as Matt LaFleur’s team takes the playing field for the first time this season.
Here are five things to watch on Friday night at Levi’s Stadium:
Love's opportunity
The obvious one first. Love, who will start at quarterback, could play the entire first half or more. This is a great opportunity for Love to show all the progress he’s made between his second and third NFL seasons. He’s being showcased not just as the Packers’ No. 2 quarterback, but also as a future starter, whether it’s in Green Bay next year as Aaron Rodgers’ successor or elsewhere. Nothing will be more valuable than the on-field snaps Love takes over the next three weeks. Can he be accurate, make good decisions, handle pressure and put up points? The Packers will be playing the No. 1 offensive line and should have more than enough intriguing talent at wide receiver for Love to be effective.
Romeo. Doubs.
After two weeks of lighting up the practice field at Ray Nitschke Field, Doubs – the unexpected star of Packers camp – will get an opportunity to do it big under the bright lights. His roster spot is secure. But now is Doubs’ chance to start winning important roles for Matt LaFleur’s team, whether it’s as a complementary receiver in the passing game or as a returner on punts. He’s put himself into a terrific position. The next step is showing off his skill set during games. With deep speed and contested-catch ability, Doubs could make a big impression during preseason games.
Amari and Samori
Doubs isn’t the only wide receiver worth watching. Amari Rodgers is still trying to find his identity and role within the Packers offense, while seventh-round pick Samori Toure stood out during Family Night but is still fighting for a roster spot. Rodgers should get plenty of run in the slot and as a returner during the preseason. Will he finally look explosive? Toure is a big play waiting to happen. He’s played a lot of reps with Jordan Love during camp and should be primed for targets. Both Rodgers and Toure need to play their way onto the 53-man roster over the next three weeks.
Offensive tackle play
The Packers will play their “starting” offensive line, which means the top six so far in camp – Yosh Nijman, Jon Runyan Jr., Josh Myers, Royce Newman, Jake Hanson and Zach Tom – are all going to get a decent run on Friday night. The offensive tackle spot is especially interesting. Nijman could be a really important player until David Bakhtiari or Elgton Jenkins returns, while the Packers would love if Tom kept developing as a tackle over live-game reps. Expect Newman and Cole Van Lanen to also play snaps at tackle. This is an important position with a lot of moving parts at this point in the process.
Defensive depth
While the Packers are five or six strong along the defensive line, the rest of the defense needs to figure out who is going to handle key backup roles. Jonathan Garvin, Tipa Galeai and Ladarius Hamilton should get a majority of the snaps at edge rusher in San Francisco. Isaiah McDuffie, Ty Summers and Ray Wilborn are competing at inside linebacker. Rico Gafford, Kabion Ento and Kiondre Thomas must play well during preseason games to push Keisean Nixon and Shemar Jean-Charles at cornerback. And Vernon Scott, Dallin Leavitt, Shawn Davis and Innis Gaines are the top options at safety. So much is still to be decided at the backend of the defense. Who shines in the preseason will go a long way in determining who wins these important spots on the 53-man roster later this month.
