Preseason Game 4: Pack @ 49ers 9pm Central NBC 4 (MKE)

[HKPackFan]

When:
Friday Aug 26th 9pm Central
Where:
Levi's Stadium Santa Clara, CA
What channel:
NBC 4 (Milwaukee)
NFL Network 10pm Central (in progress)


Sorry to start this game thread so early but I'm excited about this game, and it is already Thursday night for me, so feels like this game is only 24hrs away (although for me actually 38+ hours).

I think this is an intriguing game, obviously Rodgers is starting, and this may be his only action of the preseason.

It's possible they may play a half or partially into the 3rd quarter.

For me it is intriguing because of the WR battle. All these guys have probably ONLY this game to catch balls from Rodgers under the big lights in game conditions.

Adams, Monty, Abby, Davis all are jockeying for position.

Current WR rankings (IMO of where the Packers see them):

#1)Nelson
#2)Cobb
#3)Adams
#4)Monty
#5) Abby
#6) Janis
#7) Davis
#8) Allison

#8) Geronimo is making a great case for the practice squad. If he can continue to improve especially in Friday night's game, with a couple big plays, he could earn himself a spot on 53 with another team being stolen from our PS (like Charles Johnson). If he stays with us for a year, he could make a play for the roster next year, or go the way of Myles White and many other PS hopefuls.

#7) Davis is fighting for a roster spot. He needs to prove he's better than the guy with the broken hand on the sidelines as a deep threat and as a special teamer. How is his rapport with Rodgers under game conditions? It has been a quiet summer and this is his one chance to catch deep balls and make a play with Rodgers to show he's earned a roster spot. TT will be rooting for him, we know TT hates cutting rookie draft picks (especially a 5th rounder!!). Davis has TT in his back pocket just ask Goodson, but Davis has to show something to force MM to give up a roster spot somewhere else and make room for Davis or cut fan favorite Janis. Being a 5th rounder I doubt TT wants to risk floating him out there with the hope of the PS, I just don't see TT taking that risk.

#6) Janis has to sit contently hoping he doesn't get passed up by Davis. If Davis is too good to cut, Janis faces the option of going on IR, just so the Packers don't lose him and save themselves a roster spot. It would be a blow to Janis to lose an entire season especially if he'd be ready in 2-3 weeks of the regular season. The other option is IR to Return but the Packers may need to keep that for Linsley. Janis is on pretty shaky ground. His fate could even be hurt by a non-WR. If a DB proves to be an awesome gunner, and part of the ST's core, than Janis looks more replaceable. The combination of Davis excelling and a guy like Hawkins or Brice or someone looking like Jarrett Bush could be a duel threat to Janis's roster spot on the 53.

#5) Abby has his spot almost locked up. He's been shining all preseason. Abby sometimes looks covered and can't get separation, maybe it is his lack of speed, but between his route running and good hands I think he can find a role as a 3rd or 4th WR. He could be better than old man Free, when he had lost his speed, but was smart enough to find the soft spots in coverage and was still a good possession receiver. Abby seems to have the football skills to just get open and make a play, even if he doesn't have the outstanding raw athletic abilities of some of his WR peers. This is Abby's chance to not just solidify his roster spot, but to try and leapfrog into the top 4 receiver set. I'm most excited to see Abby and Rodgers work some magic on the field. I can't hide my homerism.

#4) Monty has the benefit of a bad injury, and they are just being conservative with him, so I believe he's the #4 WR by default. He has no chance of being cut, he's too valuable a pick, and the tantalizing skills of him making plays like a RB and in space are still exciting. Yet if he fails to do much Friday night, he could be at risk of being leapfrogged by Abby and being nothing more than a couple gimmick plays with little rotation as the #5 wr during the season. Just ask Abby or Janis in 2015 how hard it is to move up the depth chart once it is set at the beginning of the season.

#3) Davante had a better Oakland game, so I don't believe he's in danger of getting cut, I think he would have had to fail enormously to be at risk of getting cut this year. I also think he's still the #3 WR by DEFAULT (based on age and PT, draft status vs the guys below him), HOWEVER this is an IMPORTANT game for him. If he struggles to make plays with Rodgers he could drop to #4 on the depth chart or the slight possibility to #5. If he continues his mediocre performance this year, he may not make it out of camp next summer. I don't see Davante dropping that low, I think MM is giving him every opportunity to shine, and has been talking highly of him again. But long term Davante could eventually be Derrick Mayes and just disappears and is cut unceremoniously next year. He's safe for now, but his future is cloudy.

#2) Cobb just needs to stay healthy, show he can get open, and get rid of the dropsies. He doesn't need to play as much with all these intriguing battles below him.

#1) Jordy just get healthy and watch the show.

Can't wait for Friday night! (Or rather my Saturday morning 11AM!)

[yellowknifer]

Some interesting things to watch for us Niners fans too. Hope your guys perform as you hope they do. Kaepernick, this is actually a pretty big game for him. Makes it that much more interesting

[HKPackFan]

Some interesting things to watch for us Niners fans too. Hope your guys perform as you hope they do. Kaepernick, this is actually a pretty big game for him. Makes it that much more interesting

Has it been declared a starters game for the 49ers as well?

[MickeyDavis]

Usually the third preseason game is the game where the starters play the most. At least a half. I don't know if Rodgers will play that long though.

[HKPackFan]

Usually the third preseason game is the game where the starters play the most. At least a half. I don't know if Rodgers will play that long though.

This is basically our 3rd since the first was canceled.....

[MickeyDavis]

Yes

[MickeyDavis]

Yes

[yellowknifer]

Some interesting things to watch for us Niners fans too. Hope your guys perform as you hope they do. Kaepernick, this is actually a pretty big game for him. Makes it that much more interesting

Has it been declared a starters game for the 49ers as well?

Still figuring out starters but yes. Should be interesting.

[WiscoKing13]

The way Rodgers has discussed the preseason, i'd be surprised if he's out there to start the second quarter. Although without Hundley it will be hard to judge the WR group once he leaves.

[WiscoKing13]

Also depends on how worried the Packers are with Hundley. Going to be extra cautious with Rodgers if they know Hundley can't be 100 percent week 1.

[MickeyDavis]

I'm fine with limiting Rodgers to a quarter and sitting him next week.

[Mags FTW]

Hope nobody gets hurt after getting hit in the foot by one of Kaep's passes.

[HKPackFan]

I'm fine with limiting Rodgers to a quarter and sitting him next week.

In terms of injuries I think all 11 starters on offense are fairly irreplaceable. Of course Rodgers being the biggest.

But this team is already down to it's 6th lineman, the current starting 5 cannot go down, below them all that's left is: below average, raw, and crap (with Barclay moving between below average and crap depending on the day).

Can't lose Eddie. Starks is a good second back, but he's no Lacy. This offense would truly suffer without lacy.

Can't lose Cook. We saw this offense suffering without a TE who could open things up in the middle last season, we desperately need Cook for this offense to function properly.

Jordy of course, and even Cobb to some extent. I'm not yet confident If Jordy is out there, that we would be fine humming along with Monty and Adams as the starting TRIO.


I would not be opposed to limiting the entire starting 11 to 1 quarter to 1.5 quarters of work and let them sit.

The risk is there might be some rust and conditioning and just being slightly off in Week 1 in JAX. Not taking them lightly but if there was an opponent where we were not playing on all cylinders I'd still feel OK about beating, it would be JAX.

Also as we saw in 2015, starting out undefeated in September does not win you any trophies. It's more important to be rising up to the playoffs instead of the opposite.

So what really is the harm in being conservative and allowing your starters to rest most of preseason?

[crkone]

I'd only keep Rodgers out there as long as the starting OL and Eddie/Starks are out there. No need to get him Romo'd.

[MickeyDavis]

Silverstein:

Green Bay Packers (2-0) vs. San Francisco 49ers (1-1)

When: 9 p.m. Friday.

Where: Levi’s Stadium.

Broadcast: TV — Channel 4 in Milwaukee and Channel 26 in Green Bay. Radio – 620-AM.

Injury report: WR Jeff Janis (hand), OL Josh Walker (knee), S Morgan Burnett (back), C Jacob Flores (knee) and QB Brett Hundley (ankle) will not play. NT Kenny Clark (back), WR Jordy Nelson (knee), ILB Jake Ryan (hamstring), ILB Joe Thomas (shin) and DT Mike Daniels (illness) are questionable. 49ers DL Glenn Dorsey (knee) and WR Eric Rogers (knee) will not play; WRs DeAndre Smelter (hamstring), Bryce Treggs (knee), RB Shaun Draughn (ribs), LB Nick Bellore (knee) and DL Arik Armstead (shoulder) are questionable.

5 THINGS TO WATCH:

1. First things first: The No. 1 offense is expected to play more than it has in any game thus far and QB Aaron Rodgers should be a part of it. But coach Mike McCarthy has been coy about Rodgers’ playing status all summer and it’s anyone’s guess how many snaps he gets. With Hundley out, Rodgers may play a little longer than originally planned so the offense can get its rhythm.

2. Puntathon: Through two games, free agent Peter Mortell has fared better than incumbent Tim Masthay in the race to be the Packers’ punter. Mortell has averaged 49.2 yards (48.8 net) on five attempts with four landing inside the 20-yard line. By comparison, Masthay has averaged 42.7 (26.7 net) with one inside the 20. This will be a chance for Mortell to keep the heat on and make the decision tougher for the coaches.

3. Tip of the Kaep: Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick can be credited with ending the Packers’ season twice during his career, but last year his career took a nosedive and he was a shell of himself in a 17-3 loss to the Packers at Levi’s Stadium. After suffering a dead arm in camp and missing about the first two games, Kaepernick will make his debut in coach Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offense. Blaine Gabbert has been the starter, but Kaepernick is still in the running.

4. Special moments: A couple of young players really need to show something on special teams this week. Linebacker Kyler Fackrell is one. It’s going to be his best chance of getting on the field this year. Undrafted free agents Josh Hawkins, Kentrell Brice and Marwin Evans are three others whose fates might be determined by special-teams play. In the return game, rookie Trevor Davis looked good returning kickoffs last week and in practice this week and needs to build on it.

5. Middle men: There’s a decent chance Clark won’t play and so the backup nose tackles will be Brian Price, Christian Ringo and Demetrius Anderson. One of those three could very well be on the 53-man roster Week 1, but which one? Price has had his moments, Ringo has been so-so and Anderson has been hurt. This will be a great opportunity for one of the three to prove himself worthy of a full-time job. If no one does, the Packers might be looking for someone on the street after cut-down day.

[jakecronus8]

Really wish we would've signed a vet backup by now. Hard to imagine Joe Callahan starting if the worst were to happen, his decent pre season not withstanding.

[MickeyDavis]

Go Pack Go

[BigDee]

Let's do this.

[BigDee]

I like Cook.

[WiscoKing13]

wow 3 bad ball on 3 throws....