The Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals kick off joint practices this week, which means we are in the dead heat of training camp. 

Things will be a lot harder for both teams and that's the point: Joint practices are a great way for NFL teams to not only get a really good evaluation of where their roster stands, but it also breaks up the monotony of the day-in/day-out grind of going up against teammates. 

The Bengals defense is good to be a very good test for the young Packers offense. Lou Anarumo's unit is one of the NFL's best and it's certain to challenge Jordan Love and co.

But it's not just a challenge – it's a big opportunity for both sides of the ball to leave their mark on the Bengals.

All eyes will be on Love, especially with Joe Burrow out of the picture. Love won't be challenged by just the Bengals defense, however; Packers head coach Matt LaFleur plans on turning the heat up on Love, as well. 

"Yeah, it's gonna be a great challenge. And we're not treating him like he's got kids gloves on, either," LaFleur told reporters Wednesday before joint practice. "We're gonna make it challenging for Jordan. Certainly, I think you'd go into a game with a little different mindset in terms of trying to just be be really efficient and put them in the best situations possible. I want to challenge our guys to see where we're at."

Now is the time for the Packers to throw the kitchen sink at Jordan Love

LaFleur is 100% right in his thought process. Now is the time to max Love out, so to speak, in order to see what needs to be fixed moving forward. Especially with three preseason games still in tow. 

Granted, LaFleur doesn't want to completely overload the guy, because mistakes could crop up simply because of the environment/process and that's ultimately  counterproductive. LaFleur needs to be hard on Love, but he also needs to leave the door open for success.

But, don't get it twisted: The Bengals defense will certainly have a big hand in how Love performs on Wednesday. Whether it's good or bad.

"I think it's a great opportunity, like I said earlier, to go against one of the premier teams in the National Football League," said LaFleur. "I think when you look at their roster, it's  a pretty deep roster with a lot of great players. And I mean, they've performed at a really high level last couple of years. So, I've got a lot of respect for Zac and his coaching staff and what they've been able to accomplish. It's going to be a great test for our guys to see kind of where we're at against one of the better teams in this league."

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Featured image via Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.