Sean Clifford provides Packers with another clutch moment
In case you haven't heard, Wednesday was an extremely hot day to be out on a practice field. But, hey, this is the NFL and the Green Bay Packers have work to do. "You deal with it. That's part of the circumstances," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said before practice. "We talked about, you know, […]
In case you haven't heard, Wednesday was an extremely hot day to be out on a practice field. But, hey, this is the NFL and the Green Bay Packers have work to do.
"You deal with it. That's part of the circumstances," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said before practice. "We talked about, you know, competitive greatness [is] being your best when your best is required, regardless of the circumstance, and that's the situation. So we have to get our mind right for that. We gave the guys a heads up yesterday, in terms of making sure that [they] get the proper nutrition [and] proper hydration, so that it's a non-issue."
"It's kind of sick of me, but yeah, I don't mind it," he added, "I think going through something tough is good for you."
Operating in those circumstances can't be easy, especially in full pads, which the Packers were in. The heat certainly took its toll on the players. One player, in particular, dropped out of practice because of the heat; which just goes to show how serious the outside conditions were. Not to mention the heat advisory that warned against strenuous outdoor activity.
That didn't stop Packers backup quarterback -and rookie, at that- Sean Clifford from giving the team more clutch moments in practice, however. Per USA Today's Ryan Wood, it started with a 13-yard completion to H-back Josiah Deguara on 4th and 2 and then a completion to Deuce Watts on 3rd and 5 that helped move the chains.
That certainly wasn't the highlight of the day for Clifford, though. The former Nittany Lion was the reason the offense won the day. He was able to get the dub by throwing a clutch, 21-yard touchdown pass to Grant DuBose on 4th and 7. He then converted the two-point attempt needed to finish off the defense, once and for all.
“I just think he’s got great poise,” LaFleur said recently. “You can tell that the moment’s not too big for him and it’s about executing. It’s always more than just him. It takes all 11 to get it done, but I think he’s had really good command and he’s been in control out there.”
For a fifth-round rookie that had accuracy and decision-making issues coming out of college, Clifford has really impressed in the backup role.
The Packers may have young quarterbacks, but they're talented and so far, they've shown an ability to make big plays. That in itself is plenty to be encouraged about heading into 2023 and beyond.
Featured image via Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
