Packers roster moves tips hand at which QB will start vs Titans and raise special teams concerns
We're less than 24 hours until Packers-Titans kicks off, and Green Bay has made some interesting Saturday announcements. Starting QB It's been the question all week: who gets the start? Malik Willis was under center in the Packers' Week 2 win over the Colts, in which he was only marginally involved. Willis completed 12 passes […]
We're less than 24 hours until Packers-Titans kicks off, and Green Bay has made some interesting Saturday announcements.
Starting QB
It's been the question all week: who gets the start?
Malik Willis was under center in the Packers' Week 2 win over the Colts, in which he was only marginally involved. Willis completed 12 passes for 122 yards and a TD. Jordan Love sprained his MCL in Week 1 and has reportedly been trying to return to play quicker than originally planned.
What was thought to be a 3-4 week injury is now one he's considering coming back from after 16 days, or at least this is what the Packers are saying.
If you're wondering who the Titans should want to face, check out this article from earlier this week. But on Saturday afternoon, the Packers chose to elevate practice squad QB Sean Clifford.
This move signals they are, at the very least, far from confident Love will be ready to play. Head Coach Matt LaFleur said this week that they'd be giving Love all the way up until 90 minutes before kickoff to make a decision.
But that sounds a lot more like "we'll be waiting to announce our decision until right before gametime", because when LaFleur was later asked what else he needs to see for Jordan Love to play, he replied "There is nothing more to see. We put everything out there."
If Love has already shown you everything you need to see to make a decision, then you aren't really waiting until a pre-game warmup to decide, are you? And if he's shown you enough to inspire confidence that he's healthy enough to give it a go, then you aren't worrying about burning a practice squad elevation on a 3rd-string QB, are you?
Perhaps none of this is a smoke screen after all. Perhaps Love actually gives it a go. But I'll be shocked. Everything about this situation is ripped right from the hurt QB media interference playbook. On paper, it's textbook gamesmanship.
Special Teams trouble?
Lost in the QB speculation was another interesting update out of the Green Bay camp Saturday afternoon. The Packers starting kicker, Brayden Narveson, was a last-minute addition to the injury report.
It seems fair to say, the worst injury a right-footed kicker can sustain is an injury to their right foot.
Narveson was a Titans training camp player who got a lot of attention for one fantastic preseason performance. The rookie was never truly pushing veteran Nick Folk for the starting job (much to the dismay of some fans), but his heroics earned him a job elsewhere.
If he's unable to perform at the level required on Sunday, it could spell disaster for the Packers. We saw a similar situation in Week 2, as the Giants went into their matchup with the Commanders without a healthy kicker. K Graham Gano came into the weekend nursing a hamstring injury, which he aggravated on the opening kickoff.
The Giants were without a serviceable kicker, and it led to them losing in hilarious fashion. They scored 3 touchdowns and held their opponents to 0 touchdowns, and yet they still went home with a 18-21 loss; a score that would've been 21-21 if they'd only had someone to kick extra points.
The Packers would be wise to find an emergency option before kickoff to avoid a similar situation.
Titans fans should hope the Packers make the right QB decision between Jordan Love and Malik Willis
How hobbled would Jordan Love have to be for the Packers to prefer Malik Willis to him on game day?
