Somehow we’re already back for the fourth season of Maggie’s Pre-Game Six Pack. You remember how this works. Each Friday during the season, I’ll be bringing you six things to keep an eye on going into that week’s Packers game (or in this case, preseason game). This week, the Packers travel to Cleveland to face off in their first preseason matchup against the Browns. Let’s get into it. 

1. No Rest For the Pack

Head Coach Matt LaFleur announced earlier this week that quarterback Jordan Love would play Saturday against the Browns. He added that starters on both sides of the ball will see game action, though he didn’t commit to how much. While the news came as a surprise, Love did play in all three preseason games during the 2023 season. He threw for 193 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions. 

It makes sense that LaFleur would want the Packers to replicate the hot start he saw from them in Week 1 last season when Green Bay traveled to Chicago and won handily, 38-20.  

This will also be fans’ first chance to get a glimpse at the new Jeff Hafley defense, though we can expect things to look pretty vanilla during preseason action. Still, it’ll be the first time safety Xavier McKinney will see game reps in green and gold, and the first time we see Hafley’s base defense in a 4-3 alignment. 

2. Links Across the North

There are a number of noteworthy connections to Cleveland heading into Saturday’s first preseason game. Both defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and defensive backs coach Ryan Downard were part of the Browns’ defensive staff from 2014-15. Tight end Luke Musgrave’s uncle, Bill Musgrave, is the senior offensive assistant for the Browns and has been in Cleveland since 2023. 

Browns guard Wyatt Davis’s grandfather is the late Willie Davis, who was with both the Browns and Packers during his career. Willie played with the Browns in 1958-59, then joined the Packers from 1960-69, winning two Super Bowls under Vince Lombardi. Wyatt is a former third-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2021 NFL Draft but has yet to find a permanent home in the NFL. 

When it comes to former players, Packers kicker Greg Joseph played for the Browns during his rookie season in 2018. There are quite a few former Packers in Cleveland, perhaps most notably edge rusher Za’Darius Smith who was with Green Bay from 2019-21. Punter Corey Bojorquez was also in Green Bay during the 2021 season, and Browns cornerback Tony Brown played for the Packers from 2018-19 as well. 

3. Along the Same Lines

The Packers released their first unofficial depth chart on Monday. In doing so, some questions were answered about Green Bay’s preferred starting five on the offensive line. From left to right it’s Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, rookie Jordan Morgan, and Zach Tom.

While Morgan was drafted as a left tackle, it seemed clear early that Walker wasn’t going to give up his starting job. In order for the Packers to get their first-round pick on the field, it looked like he’d need to move inside. By all accounts, Morgan has been impressive making the transition to right guard and his comfort has grown with each practice. However, on Wednesday LaFleur announced that Morgan would likely be out a week with a shoulder injury, so fans won’t get to see his debut for another week or so. It’s likely Sean Rhyan will get the start in his place. 

In this week’s good news, Tom is back practicing in 11-on-11 team periods but has been ruled out for Saturday’s game. LaFleur made it sound like the backup swing tackle job behind Walker and Tom is down to three names, free agent signing and former first-round pick Andre Dillard, the towering 6-9 Caleb Jones, and second-year player Kadeem Telfort who’s come on strong in training camp. Who gets the nod Saturday when the starters are playing may help us determine who’s currently the frontrunner for the job. 

4. Kickin’ It New School

It’s been the talk of the offseason. The NFL had its lowest kickoff return rate in NFL history during the 2023 season. Coupling that with kickoffs being one of the most dangerous plays in football, the league felt it was time to approve a new kickoff rule for 2024. If you’re unfamiliar with the new rules, I’ll try to walk you through it as best I can. 

To start, the kicking team’s kicker will kick off from its 35-yard line. That part hasn’t changed. But now, the other 10 members of the kicking team will line up at the receiving team’s 40-yard line. The receiving team must have at least nine of its players lined up between its 30 and 35-yard lines with the remaining player(s) in what’s called the landing zone. (The landing zone is the space between the goal line and the 20-yard line.)

Once the ball is kicked, the play officially begins when the ball is either caught or hits the ground in the landing zone. Any kick that stays inside the landing zone must be returned. Kicks that bounce into the end zone must be returned or downed by the receiving team, resulting in a touchback with possession beginning at the 20-yard line. 

If a kickoff doesn’t reach the 20-yard line, the receiving team is given possession of the ball at its own 40-yard line. If a kickoff enters the end zone through the air (not by bouncing), the receiving team can either return it or down it and take possession at its 30-yard line. If a kickoff goes out the back of the end zone either by bouncing or through the air, this also results in a touchback with the ball being placed at the 30-yard line. And, as always, if a kickoff goes out of bounds before the end zone, the receiving team is granted possession at the 40-yard line. 

PHEW. That was a mouthful, huh? Here’s the official documentation from NFL Football Operations if you want to review everything for yourself. But, stay tuned Saturday to see the new kickoffs in action, and expect Keisean Nixon to make a few house calls under these new rules during the regular season. 

5. A Foot in the Race

After an up-and-down rookie season for kicker Anders Carlson, the Packers brought in Greg Joseph as competition during training camp. On Family Night last Saturday, Carlson went 9-of-10 on kicks and Joseph went 8-of-10, though Joseph seems to have a bit of a lead statistically throughout camp thus far. 

Even after some pretty solid kicking, the Packers worked out three additional kickers on Monday. When camp resumed on Wednesday, a third kicker, Alex Hale, was on the field for practice. It’s clear the Packers aren’t satisfied with the kicking competition as it stands and want to explore every avenue. 

All three kickers will have their work cut out for them this Saturday, as FirstEnergy Stadium is a notoriously difficult place to kick. While the forecast seems to be favorable with sunshine expected, the stadium being right on the shores of Lake Erie can make conditions incredibly challenging with winds coming off the lake. We’ll see if someone is able to pull ahead in the kicking competition after the first preseason game. 

6. Stand Out in the Crowd

There are some position groups on the roster that feel all but solidified even before the start of the preseason. Inside linebacker, for example, is going to be a tough spot to break into. The Packers have Quay Walker, a former first-round pick, then drafted two additional linebackers in Edgerrin Cooper and Ty’Ron Hopper. That’s three spots, and that doesn’t include both Isaiah McDuffie who’s played for Jeff Hafley previously and veteran Eric Wilson who’s played with the starters all camp. 

Safety, too, is another loaded position group. Green Bay signed Xavier McKinney in free agency, are high on returning second-year player Anthony Johnson Jr., and drafted three safeties in the 2024 NFL Draft in Javon Bullard, Evan Williams, and Kitan Oladapo. Maybe the Packers keep a sixth safety, but the initial five feel pretty solidified given how Brian Gutekunst feels about his draft picks. 

There are other spots, though, with some potential openings. Edge rusher, for example, is all but finalized. While Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Lukas Van Ness are the headliners, it’s unclear if fourth rusher J.J. Enagbare will be ready to start the season. That leaves at least one if not multiple openings on the initial 53-man roster. Both Deslin Alexandre and Keshawn Banks aren’t currently practicing, so Brenton Cox Jr., Aaron Mosby, Kenneth Odumegwu, and the newly signed Zach Morton and Brevin Allen should see a ton of playing time. 

The Packers also typically roster six or seven receivers. Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks are locks. That leaves plenty of competition during the preseason for Grant DuBose, Malik Heath, Julian Hicks, Bo Melton, Dimitri Stanley, Samori Toure, and Jalen Wayne (that is a crowded room!).