The 2023 Preseason is coming to a close, and for many teams, the last game is a showcase of depth players who are trying to make a play or two to remain on the roster. Sometimes these games can go from borderline unwatchable to some of the most thrilling action of the early weeks of football. For the Packers, they face an "old friend" in the Seahawks, who've mutually benefitted with the Packers through the years with several front-office deals. I'm curious if that respect will be reciprocated on the field this weekend as well.

The Seahawks' 2022 season is probably what the Packers hope their 2023 season will look like, a "come from out of nowhere" moment. The Seahawks jettisoned Russell Wilson to the Broncos and were left for dead. But Geno Smith resurrected his career, throwing for 4,000 yards and producing two 1,000-yard receivers in Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, bringing the Seahawks to a 9-8 season and a Wildcard birth. Rookie Kenneth Walker III out of Michigan St. was a regular season(and fantasy) darling who combined with a renewed passion on the defensive side of the ball made Seattle a threat to any opponent.

Fast forward to 2023, and the Packers have a new quarterback under center, two rookie weapons at the tight end position, and a host of young talent committed to the defense. Outsiders everywhere are marking the Packers for the bottom of the totem pole sans Aaron Rodgers, but right now the Packers just need to trust those inside the locker room and produce. While LaFleur was against joint practices this week with the Seahawks(which could be due to the possibility of both teams competing for a playoff spot just like last year), I hope there'll be some mutually beneficial conversations on the path that these two teams seem to currently share.

It's already guaranteed that Jordan Love will start the final contest with the Seahawks along with the rest of the "ones", and Head Coach Matt LaFleur already said this week's practices and schedule leading up to the game will be like during the regular season; I just wonder how much we'll see. Two to three drives seem to be the standard so far, but I'd like to see the starters out for perhaps at least half the first quarter. If the first drives result in 2 easy touchdowns I could see them getting pulled unfortunately, but three straight TDs, and I would say we've seen enough. We also don't want to see a Packers' starter getting injured from a Seahawks fringe player going all out to make a play(granted injuries are part of the game). My dream scenario would be to actually see the "ones" out there with Emanuel Wilson as the starter at RB. He's got some work to do in pass-pro, but I'd love to see what he could do behind the best offensive line the Packers can field. 

What I can't wait to see? The Packers' secondary against the Seahawks WR corps. The signing of Marvin Pierre and Elijah Hamilton on definitely to aid against the pass, if not allow Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas to sit sooner than later. D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and PackersNation Draft Crush Jaxon Smith-Njigba should pose quite the challenge for a defense that has questions at safety(it's not for certain how much they'll play if any though). I expect Pete Carroll to have at least one WR pushing deep at all times regardless of who gets fielded. Anthony Johnson has had a pretty good camp, and Carrington Valentine has had a great one(can I see him take a snap or two at SS?). I think one way or another we'll see who really deserves playing time at all the spots not belonging to Jaire, Rasul, and Darnell. Another hopeful wish is to see Lukas Van Ness have an expanded role reducing inside to help generate a rush. I think this is where we will see him early on during the regular season while he sharpens his finesse as an edge rusher; I'm envisioning a dream package where Van Ness and Gary can reduce inside on the same front while Preston Smith and Kingsley Enagbare provide containment, and we know Kenny Clark is somewhere in there as well...could you imagine the possibilities with them all on the field at the same time? Let's hope Barry can draw it up.

It's been a wildly successful preseason, let's see how the Packers close it out. A winning record in the preseason(I think they'd have gone undefeated if that Patriots game had gone the distance), while not meaning much on the surface, the motivation could propel this young and emerging roster to a tantalizing season opener. 

#GPG