Jclombardi reviews Family Night Scrimmage & Headlines (Updated).
Summary: Packers held their Family Night scrimmage on Saturday night. The stars for the evening included QB Rodgers, TE Finley, LB Hawk, RB Jackson, rookie CB Shields, LB Jones, LB Bishop, DT Raji, DE Jenkins, and K Crosby. You can review individual player’s rankings in a point system scrimmage breakdown.
Practice Notes: RB Jackson returned a kickoff for a touchdown. CB Shields had sensational 98-yard interception TD return. Fans might be calling for playmaking LB Bishop to take over LB Hawk’s starting spot, but LB Hawk had something to say about that in Saturday night’s Family Night Scrimmage. LB Hawk was outstanding in limited snaps with a sack, tackle for no gain and a tackle for a loss.
The No. 1 defense had a big night. Packers’ No. 1 offense produced only the one touchdown in three tries. TE Finley continued to excel with four catches for 55 yards. TE Finley’s touchdown catch came on the second of its two series against the No. 2 defense, and when it faced the starting defense in two-minute, it moved into scoring position but couldn’t put the ball in the end zone after having a second-and-1 at the 5. T Tauscher had trouble on at least two occasions as rookie DE Neal showed his strength by shoving Tauscher into the backfield to break up a 3rd-and-1 run and OLB Jones shoved Tauscher back nearly into Rodgers on one rush. QB Rodgers continued to be sharp (9 of 14, 127 yards, one TD), but his backups struggled again–Flynn and Harrell.
From Mason Crosby to the punters to Brandon Jackson, special teams coach Slocum’s units impressed during Saturday’s Family Night Scrimmage. Kicker Crosby made seven of his eight field-goal attempts, connecting from 26, 31, 36, 41, 47, 51 and 53 yards out with his lone miss from 44 yards. On five punts, P Bryan averaged 50.4 yards and 4.54 seconds of hang time while P Masthay averaged 47.2 yards and 4.42 seconds of hang time. CB Underwood and CB Shields had standout performances at Saturday’s Family NIght scrimmage. Their strong play is a promising development for a team with questions in the defensive backfield.
Headlines: Packers get taste of TE Finley’s playmaking ability in Family Night scrimmage. Fans flock to Lambeau Field for Family Night. Notebook: Crosby shows strong leg. Notebook: Injuries Worry McCarthy. Jackson gives Packers option in return game. Video: Demovskys take on Family Night scrimmage. Young cornerbacks shine in absence of veterans. Don’t count Hawk out as Packers starter. Insider: Jenkins brings potential punch to pass rush. Rodgers has come long way for Packers. Packers’ Crosby gets off on right foot. All in the family. Possible substitute Burnett cracks open playbook in free time. As the main running back, Grant carries a big load. Shields makes a splash.