3 biggest overreactions to Packers Week 1 preseason game

Wins and losses might not count in the preseason, but performances do.

Jordan Love's preseason debut lasted three plays. That's all he needed to find Dontayvion Wicks for a touchdown, and his day was finished. The real work started after Love's departure, with the Packers getting a good look at the backups.

Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt split time at quarterback, and both kickers had opportunities to prove themselves.

Head coach Matt LaFleur can take positives away from the performance. The Packers won the turnover battle, many of the backups played well, and they didn't suffer too many injuries, although MarShawn Lloyd did exit with a hamstring issue.

Looking ahead to joint practices and a preseason contest with the Denver Broncos, what can the Packers take away from the opener?

Emanuel Wilson should be ahead of AJ Dillon on depth chart

Emanuel Wilson made the perfect start to the preseason, rushing for 67 yards and a touchdown. Wilson averaged a healthy 5.2 yards on a team-high 13 carries.

AJ Dillon had an afternoon to forget. All four of his carries came on the Packers' second possession, but he managed just two yards at an average of 0.5 per attempt. Dillon's failed conversion on 4th-and-1 ended the drive.

"Certainly, when you have three cracks at it to get a yard and you don't get it done, that's a problem," Matt LaFleur said. "We have to play with a little better leverage. Get our pad level down."

LaFleur put a lot of blame on the run blocking, as Dillon had to fight through multiple defenders in short-yardage situations. It's a fair point, and the offensive line needs to do a better job. That said, with Wilson building on his impressive training camp and Dillon making a slow start, the pressure is on.

Michael Pratt should make the roster over Sean Clifford

Sean Clifford played well in the preseason opener despite struggling earlier in training camp. However, Michael Pratt just won't go away. Many believe he should win the QB2 job ahead of Clifford, and his stock continues to rise after his Packers debut.

The seventh-round pick completed five of seven passes for 46 yards, and he even threw a block on an Emanuel Wilson carry. Pratt looked comfortable, as he has all summer. It's important to remember he played against backups, but it was a promising performance. If nothing else, he deserves more opportunities with the second-team offense.

Pratt picked up where he left off during Tuesday's practice.

"Packers might need to start thinking about Michael Pratt as number 2 even more. If he's this good and doesn't even know the playbook yet it's super intriguing," writes Andy Herman of Packer Report. "He's been absolute money lately."

Lukas Van Ness will make the Pro Bowl

The Packers received their share of criticism for drafting Lukas Van Ness. He never started a game for Iowa, we heard. He also didn't start a game in his rookie season, but that could quickly change.

In the final six games of the 2023 regular season, Van Ness made three sacks and six quarterback hits. He added another sack in the playoffs. The former first-round pick is building on his end-of-season success and was unblockable in the preseason opener, making a sack, three tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits.

Jeff Hafley's system is perfect for Van Ness, and we're seeing the early signs of a breakout season.

More Packers news and analysis