Packers' Rookies Delivered In Sunday's Victory
The Packers started two rookies in the secondary, who more than held their own. Other rookies contributed as well.
By rex.sheild
The Green Bay Packers’ youth, on both sides of the ball, is certainly one reason why the franchise experienced a four-game losing streak this season prior to Sunday’s victory against the Los Angeles Rams at Lambeau Field. And even though that four-game losing streak will likely impede them from making a playoff push late in the season, you want to see the young talent get better as the season goes on. The Week 9 performance was a step in the right direction, especially for the 2023 draft class.
General manager Brian Gutekunst’s trade of cornerback Rasul Douglas forced cornerback Carrington Valentine, the team’s seventh-round selection, into action as a starter opposite of Jaire Alexander against the Rams, and the Kentucky product delivered. Matched up primarily against fellow rookie Puka Nacua, Valentine lead the team in pass breakups with three and also tacked on two solo tackles. He held Nacua to three receptions (seven targets) for 32 yards. Nacua entered the Week 9 contest averaging nearly eight receptions for 99 yards per game.
“[Valentine] played like a top-tier corner in the league, and it’s exciting to see. And he’ll continue to do that, because that’s his standard now,” Alexander said after the game, according to Ryan Wood. “He’s young – we’ve seen it in camp – he’s young, he’s hungry, he wants to make plays. He wants to be the best. And I can’t be more happy to play alongside somebody like that.”
Tight end Luke Musgrave, the 42nd overall pick, scored his first NFL touchdown on an A+ play design by head coach Matt LaFleur while also leading the team in receiving yards (51). His three receptions and four targets were both tied for second. Wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, despite a fluky fumble, finished with four receptions, tied for the team lead, for 49 yards, the most among the team’s wide receivers.
Defensive linemen Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks, picked in the fourth and sixth round, respectively, were both stout against the run. First-round selection Lukas Van Ness, largely viewed as a project when the Packers drafted him with the 13th overall selection, had some flash plays on Sunday, including a tackle for a loss.
Finally, safety Anthony Johnson Jr. made his first career start on Sunday as Rudy Ford was inactive, and the seventh-round pick recorded his first career interception to go along with two pass breakups. “I envisioned myself getting an interception this week, and it happened,” Johnson Jr. said during post-game media availability.
It is just one game at the end of the day, against a subpar backup quarterback, but the play that Green Bay got from the 2023 draft class against the Rams is something to build on, both for the rest of the season and beyond.
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Rex is a lifelong Packers fan but was sick of the cold, so he moved to the heart of Cowboys country. Follow him on Twitter (@Sheild92) and Instagram (@rex.sheild).
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Comments (33)
T7Steve
November 06, 2023 at 12:21 pm
"It is just one game at the end of the day, against a subpar backup quarterback"
We've lost to a bunch of those, Rex. Remember last season?
I like our rookies and second year guys. Just keep improving!
dblbogey
November 06, 2023 at 02:14 pm
We know what we have in Runyan, and it's a weak spot. It's time to see Rhyan and keep playing all the young guys like Van Ness. I'm starting to wonder if Gute missed when drafting Wyatt.
mnbadger
November 06, 2023 at 12:22 pm
Beautiful, I've been waiting for an aggressively played game for a long time, not just this season.
It was beautiful, albeit far from perfect.
Now, take at least one small step forward again next week, defensively and offensively. Then again and again.
Stack success until we are back where we belong hoisting our own trophy at the conclusion of the season!
Welcome back Pack!
Go Pack Go!
Since'75
November 06, 2023 at 04:00 pm
Beautiful?
Did we watch the same game?
Hoisting our own trophy? Seriously?
You Carry The G faithfully mnbadger!!
What i see is we won a game, i hardly see us hoisting a trophy at the conclusion of the season, but dare to dream right?
Enjoy this week, enjoy the season and it's cush schedule.
We have to play 4 teams this season with winning records, and i'm assuming they are going to have better QB's than practice squad guy Bret Rypien.
We're at 3 wins so far, lets keep stacking those wins, who knows, we could have 5 or 6 wins under the leadership of Murphy/Gute before it's over
THE PACK IS BACK!!.
Keep The Faith Brother!!
mnbadger
November 08, 2023 at 12:15 pm
Sorry I wasn't clear about hoisting the trophy.
I meant that we'd continue to improve until we finish a season hoisting the trophy.
GPG!
TarynsEyes
November 06, 2023 at 02:58 pm
I chose to put this here, because putting it in the article comments it responds to, Gut Reactions, seems useless. I'll place it here where it can be easily seen and read, being the latest article posted.
Having been called out, and again suffered many dislikes for what I said in the Gut Reactions article of the GB-LA game for using the term 'false positives' and was asked to mention them, but they're so obvious, needing to mention them individually is mundane.
This team has, again, achieved a victory over a bad team, which had to play a QB who shouldn't even be in the league, and a Defense that is very young, though youth on the Packers is excused when losses come to them.
Love had a good statistical game, but it's just another sheet to hide the dead play that he still offers against bad teams. Trust me, this dead QB play could have been the model for the zombies in The Walking Dead series, you just know they'll get a fed here and there, but they continue to roam 'aimlessly'. Love is the epitome of throwing away a decade of winning football, unless .500 or worst is your thing. A sure bottom third QB in the league.
The excuse of this being his 'FIRST YEAR STARTING' is total bs, and is proven by looking at the play of true first year QBs and their play. Stroud, Levis, after two games, Howell, and guys who have been backups like Heineke, Minschew, Dobbs, and now consider the talent coming this draft, Love is now the model of outdated without ever having a date stamped on him as being viable.
The worst thing for GB and LV was winning against dumpster fire teams. It feels great, but the issues will return quickly, like next week. The next feel good game might be the Giants, maybe.
At least GB didn't celebrate like the Raiders, cigars, dumping beer on each other, like they won the SB., sheesh, at least I hope not.
So revel in the great victory over near bottom 'mirror' team, deny for a week that all were demanding the HC be fired, etc.
I'm glad they got a win, but it was a win, not ''the win' that will suggest them to be anything other than they are, a better dumpster fire than a couple of other dumpster fires. I expect another 4 game losing streak, and hoping the FO eyes a QB in the draft that isn't already expired at the time of drafting him.
Cheering this win is like the musicians on the Titanic, just a sad farewell to the inevitable.
Lipstick on a pig, the difference is GB isn't the ugliest pig in the pen.
It isn't a step forward, or up, when you're walking backwards on the down escalator.
Dislike, all you desire, but truth, like me, will always be around.
GOPACKGO, I just accept where they are and aren't going.
Perhaps next year will bring better from the team, and my thoughts.
Rarescope
November 06, 2023 at 03:39 pm
L.O.L.
“I chose to put this here, because putting it in the article comments it responds to, Gut Reactions, seems useless. I'll place it here where it can be easily seen and read, being the latest article posted.“
If you can’t stand the heat don’t jump in the frying pan. We’ve all been reading your constant negativity here for years. It’s about time it caught up to you.
Packerpasty
November 06, 2023 at 03:43 pm
it may be negative but it also may very well be true...
TarynsEyes
November 06, 2023 at 03:51 pm
"If you can’t stand the heat, don’t jump in the frying pan."
Putting this where all can see it, and not lost among the 100+ comments, is considered afraid of the heat? Sure, whatever you say.
Rarescope
November 06, 2023 at 05:55 pm
“Putting this where all can see it, and not lost among the 100+ comments, is considered afraid of the heat? Sure, whatever you say.”
Translation: no one was buying your bs on the other thread so you abandoned it and started a new post here in the hopes of finding a more sympathetic audience.
Packerpasty
November 06, 2023 at 03:43 pm
sadly I think you are correct and will be proven correct...ill keep this article till next season...
TarynsEyes
November 06, 2023 at 03:51 pm
Please do.
WestCoastPackerBacker
November 06, 2023 at 04:37 pm
You might well be right, but it's just too dang early to call it. There's nothing wrong with cheering for a win ever, even if it's against a greatly inferior QB and team. A win is a win and there were some cheerable things.
That's what we have as Packer fans, until we have something better. GB is not a playoff team, not even close, but showing a bit of improvement against a bad team with a backup QB is better than losing again to the likes of DEN and LV.
In terms of determining whether Love has NFL talent, what's the difference what we think? The FO is watching to see what they think and then they will have to make a decision on his future. Not sure what you're getting at by Love being "expired," or "dead" or an outdated model. He's either got NFL starting talent or he doesn't regardless of whether he is a first year rookie starter, a 4th year first time starter, or whatever, With the crappy offensive line play and play of the WR/TE/RB group, it's pretty hard to compare to other situations.
PearlyBakerBest
November 06, 2023 at 05:05 pm
“Perhaps next year will bring better from the team, and my thoughts.”
Except you won’t. I’ve read some of the long timers say that even when the Pack won it all in 2011, you were arguing why they weren’t deserving.
TarynsEyes
November 06, 2023 at 09:16 pm
Like when they sat the starters for week 16 and then came back unprepared to play and got ass kicked by the Giants. How about blowing the game against SF because the then highly regarded Perry (not me) jumped offside on an FG, and they turned it into a TD, and we lost, or perhaps the second half meltdown against Sea. This doesn't even touch on the last few years of pathetic things that could be listed. You, and others, believe I should not have been upset and say something, because good fans don't talk about the failures. Don't even start with all the bad drafts, the horrible FA signings and non-signings, those they overpaid and those they let go. All those things shouldn't upset a fan. Sorry, I can't shrug things off that reek of incompetence, whether play, coaching, or FO actions. I'll never live up to you and others standards of being a fan, and I'm happy as heck not to.
PearlyBakerBest
November 07, 2023 at 05:07 am
You’re reading comprehension is in the gutter. I said when they won it all. You know, on February 6th in 2011. Typical of you to spin what is being said to what you want to be said. No one gives a shit what kind of fan you are. Just stop projecting.
SicSemperTyrannis
November 06, 2023 at 05:30 pm
Taryn, your take is a mixed bag, at least as much as JL.
Obviously, this is no time for anyone in GB to be over confident. They have glaring problems to improve.
Winning is never a bad thing. What progress was eeked out can be built upon. We'll see.
MainePackFan
November 06, 2023 at 07:14 pm
I gave you a thumbs up Taryn. Not because I agree with everything you wrote, but you wrote it as a Packers fan. Not to mention it's more of a borderline essay than a post, which in itself is impressive that you would take that much time out your day to inform us of where your thoughts are regarding this team.
That being said, I think it is reasonable for Packers fans to be optimistic and realistic at the same time. That's where I am. I agree that, on paper based on what we have seen thus far, the Packers could easily lose the next 4 games.
However, being a Packers fan that saw this team suck so bad for so many years back in the day, I do not see the same futile incompetence that I saw then. I will lower my expectations and raise my hope that perhaps next week against the Steelers on the road , that our beloved Packers will take another step.
To be honest, many of us are playing the "I know we have sucked so far, but what if " emotional self preservation thought process, but for me, the glass is neither half full, nor half empty. It's just a glass I can hold up and say GoPacKGo!!!! Cheers!!!
TarynsEyes
November 06, 2023 at 09:31 pm
Too many 'ifs' and not nearly enough answers to them over the season. I'm not anti-optimistic, I watch the games, admittedly with much less enthusiasm, but my purpose isn't to be negative, it's to not be run over by runaway optimism that should be throttled back or parked, at least until some real progress has taken hold. This win, and overall play, coaching is not the glue or has even shown the ability to hold up against bad, less what coming fast upon them.
The Rams, used up all they knew was a short supply with Rypien, and it still took the Packers until then to put the game away late in the game. That wasn't progress, that was outlasting a worse team.
Coldworld
November 07, 2023 at 07:21 am
On this point we agree. No matter how bad a team is, there is always worse. We were again largely impotent on O in the first half against a team that clearly posed no offensive threat and thus had its 2 active weapons negated. That helped Barry in more ways than one. He could just stop the run (not a great rushing attack either) and let his DBs play without the caution he typically imposes.
This team has shown it can score 15 points plus a game. That opponent was always going to struggle to do that without major turnovers. We gave them a couple but they still couldn’t capitalize. It still took us until late to put it away after first half futility. Yes, this team can score more than a Stafford-less Rams that we’re struggling even with him.
We can win against opponents that are that challenged. If opponents score less than 10 we are a fair bet. If they score 15 it’s tight … not firm ground to be excited about progress as a team.
The good part is signs that there is unused, better talent in this roster we’ve been hiding and signs of growing gradually from some of the young players. If anything this points to the roster being better than the coaches get from it. That should not constitute a justification for optimism but strengthened impetus for off field change.
Since'75
November 06, 2023 at 04:25 pm
I'll go with Taryns on this one.
She/he's (not sure) right about Rypien, he looked clueless out there.
But then again, he's been mostly a practice squad guy.
The Rams didn't prepare much in case Stafford got hurt as their 2nd guy is horrible, and their 3rd guy has never taken a snap.
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But the biggest thing i agree with.....
Is describing realities about this team, and game situations, or what i'll call, describing and articulating intelligent reality and more importantly, the truth.
Not everyone can be smart enough, or put down the kool aid and deal with it.
That is your grade school "thumbing dumb" crowd , they can't think and articulate well enough to leave a comment why they disagree.
I like comments that take some thought, sometimes it's being honest and fact based commentary.
Intelligent people call it critical thinking.
We're not trying to make anyone cry, but some things need to be said in the interest of keeping it 💯
Being a cheerleader is great, but when i read comments saying we need to stack more wins and hoist a trophy at the end of the season, then all i can do is enjoy the entertainment value in that and think the writer is trying to make me laugh.
SicSemperTyrannis
November 06, 2023 at 05:14 pm
"when i read comments saying we need to stack more wins and hoist a trophy at the end of the season,"
You didn't read that because it's not what was said.
Start there.
Since'75
November 07, 2023 at 01:27 am
How about i start here smart ass.....
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mnbadger
November 06, 2023 at 12:22 pm
Stack success until we are back where we belong hoisting our own trophy at the conclusion of the season!
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Now tell me again how i didn't read that because it wasn't said.
Crawl back under your rock until you have something intelligent to say.
Bitternotsour
November 07, 2023 at 09:49 am
Ooohh, i love it when you talk tough. so masculine. surprising in some ways based on your lingerie clad avatar.
Since'75
November 07, 2023 at 10:47 am
Well..lol
Who was talking tough?
I got called out.
Was i wrong?
I didn't think so.
But thanks for trying Bitter.
START THERE
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Too many people whining and crying in here.
Lets all put on our big boy pants shall we.
Are some of you converted Bear or Viking fans?
Thank God there are some intelligent, thoughtful, comments from some of the readers in here who possess some football acumen
Because i don't have enough tissues for everyone.
Holy chit.
I'll take my down votes being honest and wear them with pride, over someone who is obviously lying maliciously and getting thumbs up, for doing it....lmao, what a joke.
HarryHodag
November 06, 2023 at 04:26 pm
I realized going into the season that if a bunch of miracles happened the team would be 8-9. Too many holes to fill with too many young players. What I was hoping for was a slow, steady progress by the young players that showed potential. We saw at times that potential last Sunday. I concur that the rookies made the difference.
But...and there's usually a but...the next four games will reveal if that potential is real, imagined or just not ready yet. This includes Jordan Love who is starting to look more like an NFL quarterback though his deep accuracy remains elusive.
But lets cheer a win and hope the future shows that there is hope.
SicSemperTyrannis
November 06, 2023 at 05:27 pm
JL still had a very rough game. While some rookies came through, to me the big difference was Myers actually blocked on some run plays. I could not tell if that's because he actually improved, or if it's just that he could manhandle the people he was up against. Hopefully Mike Wahle will cover this in his breakdown, and also how Rhyan did. And if he sees any signs of improved technique across the O line. Dusty Everly hasn't had to cover many plays in recent games, because just a few were able to tell the tale; this one had more variety, at least because there was some success to go along with failed plays. JT's QB school will hopefully analyze JL's play, as he did some things well and some things poorly. I keep hoping missing layups is a mental error, because those are usually easier to fix. I put that at the top of the list of what he needs to improve.
More important than any player, coaching improved! MLF muffed no clock management, no time outs, and seemed to have a reasonable game plan. JB let the D play sensibly. This might be a case of "winning fixes everything," and it might result in real problems not getting addressed, much less fixed. Obviously, that would be a shame. It's also possible that they build on this progress.
Progress, from everyone, is what I wanted to see this season. Half of it can't be amended, half remains. I also await injury updates ...
THESZOTMAN1
November 06, 2023 at 04:40 pm
Good article, Rex, but "Playoffs? / Playoffs??"
Coldworld
November 06, 2023 at 04:44 pm
There was progress shown by some young players. That’s a good thing. There wasn’t much progress shown by the coaches in other respects. That was a team unable to put pressure on Barry’s D without Stafford and a defense that just isn’t that good. The players have the talent to grow. Sadly I see little evidence that the coaching staff can. We did see Rhyan getting a chance. We need to see more of him. Yet again, posing more questions than answers.
SicSemperTyrannis
November 06, 2023 at 05:35 pm
Two turnovers on back to back possessions, and our defense allowed 0 points on that - I'LL TAKE THAT AS A POSITIVE!
GPG
Still a bad team. Still a ton of problems to fix. At least right now it seems like somebody is at least trying ...
Coldworld
November 06, 2023 at 06:24 pm
You can’t give up much less than 3. My point was that Barry defenses flatter to deceive until threatened and thus game we weren’t. He let the DBs play as a result. If he did that when teams were throwing, we might see better from our talent. Certainly, those we have need to play like that, not soft.
WD
November 07, 2023 at 07:32 am
It is okay to give credit where credit is due. Both offense and defense had a great game. Keep it up!
CoachJV
November 07, 2023 at 08:27 am
I like that kid Valentine... and on O, I like that kid Wicks. I think they'll become legit rookie contributors this season.