"Was that not the most entertaining preseason game you've ever seen in your life?" said Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
He's not wrong. Phew. What a game. Someone needed to remind Matt and Mike LaFleur that this was just a preseason contest.
The Green Bay Packers picked up a 42-38 victory over the Arizona Cardinals after a last-gasp touchdown catch from Kisean Johnson. Most importantly, we learned a lot about the battles on the Packers' roster bubble, although general manager Brian Gutekunst may have a couple of sleepless nights finalizing the 53-man roster.
Who were the Packers' biggest winners and losers in an eventful preseason finale at Lambeau Field?
Biggest winners and losers for the Packers in wild preseason win over Cardinals
Winner: Dani Dennis-Sutton
Fourth-round rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton missed the opening two preseason games. Packers fans were ready to see him finally get his opportunity.
Talk about making up for lost time. Dennis-Sutton dominated with a performance that may ease some concerns about the Packers' pass rush without Micah Parsons.
The Penn State product made his first sack on the Cardinals' opening drive, throwing Gardner Minshew to the ground for a loss of 10 yards. Pro Football Focus credits Dennis-Sutton with a team-high four pressures, including two hurries, and one hit.
It will be much more challenging against starters in the regular season, but Dennis-Sutton put on a dominant display in the preseason finale. How much of an impact can he make this season?
Winner: Kyle McCord
Are the Packers planning on waiving Kyle McCord? They may need to rethink that plan.
McCord capped off an excellent preseason with a phenomenal performance. He played the entire game, completing 22 of 35 passes for 226 yards and four touchdowns, good for a 119.5 passer rating.
Tyrod Taylor didn't play, which strongly suggests he's the QB2. But can the Packers risk losing McCord on waivers? Their decision will be fascinating.
Winner: J. Michael Sturdivant
Good luck, Gutey. How on earth do you decide which wide receivers don't make the 53-man roster? It's difficult enough trying to find room for a WR7, and J. Michael Sturdivant hasn't made it any easier.
The undrafted rookie couldn't stop making plays under the Lambeau lights, catching six passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. His 29-yard score down the left sideline was a thing of beauty, both the pass from McCord and the catch by Sturdivant.
Green Bay has a long history of unearthing talented undrafted wide receivers. Allen Lazard is one of the most recent examples. Sturdivant sure looks like he can help this team in the regular season, and the Packers would be rolling the dice if they assume he'll clear waivers.
Winner: Will Sheppard
Sturdivant wasn't the only wide receiver to step up. Will Sheppard continues to stack success with yet another big performance.
His three-catch, 26-yard, one-touchdown stat line might not compare to Sturdivant's, but Sheppard's biggest moment came on special teams. He delivered arguably the play of the night with an 81-yard punt-return touchdown.
That's where it gets interesting. If Savion Williams' injury keeps him out of the first game (or more), Sheppard could give Green Bay another return option alongside Skyy Moore.
Winner: Anthony Campbell
As fans, we're often guilty of overrating players on the roster bubble and believing everyone will get claimed by other teams. In reality, most players don't. Anthony Campbell is likely an exception, though, and should be on multiple teams' radars. Don't be surprised if the Miami Dolphins, now led by two former Packers in Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley, put in a waiver claim.
Of course, that's only if the Packers waive Campbell, and that's no guarantee. He ended the preseason with a bang after becoming the team's most surprising training camp standout.
Campbell recorded a sack, a tackle for loss, and two QB hits against the Cardinals. PFF also credited him with two pressures. Next stop, 53-man roster?
Winner: Nyjalik Kelly
Perhaps it's too late for undrafted rookie Nyjalik Kelly to steal a spot on the 53-man roster, but the Packers will desperately hope he clears waivers and makes it back to the practice squad. He is a player for the future.
Kelly was everywhere on Friday night, recording six tackles, one sack, two QB hits, three tackles for loss, and an interception. I tried to tell you: He was everywhere!
Just what Gutekunst needed. Another reason for a sleepless night. Either the Packers find room on the 53-man roster for Kelly, or they'll have an anxious 24-hour wait to see if he gets claimed by another team.
Loser: Domani Jackson
Gutekunst is often reluctant to cut draft picks, but given the competition at cornerback, he may have no choice with Domani Jackson. The sixth-round rookie had a disastrous performance against Arizona.
Per PFF, Jackson allowed five catches on seven targets for 97 yards and a touchdown. Cardinals quarterbacks earned a passer rating of 153.3 when throwing into the rookie's coverage.
Jackson has missed a lot of time this summer due to injury, but his future may be on the Packers' practice squad. That certainly doesn't mean he can't become a contributor in the future, but for now, he looks a long way off from being ready for regular-season football.
Loser: Isaiah Neyor
Isaiah Neyor has enjoyed an excellent summer and didn't have a bad game on Friday night. He caught three passes for 19 yards, but his performance will be best remembered for a brutal drop on 3rd-and-21 that would've been a 65-yard touchdown.
What hurts Neyor the most is how good Sturdivant and Sheppard looked. If the Packers make room for an additional wide receiver on the 53-man roster, it'll likely be one of those two.
Green Bay will have to hope Neyor doesn't get picked up by another team, because he'd be a great developmental receiver to stash on the practice squad.
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