Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ preseason win over Browns

The Green Bay Packers checked almost all the boxes in Saturday’s preseason-opening win over the Cleveland Browns. The No. 1 offense scored on the third play from scrimmage. There were no major injuries. The Packers led the whole way. They mostly dominated the line of scrimmage, didn’t have a turnover, committed only three penalties, converted nine third or fourth downs and went 5-for-5 kicking field goals and extra points.

The Packers led 17-3 at half time, at one point held a 23-3 advantage in the second half and eventually exited Cleveland Browns Stadium with a 23-10 win.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ preseason opening victory:

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Good

Aug 10, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (13) catches a touchdown pass as Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Hickman (33) defends during the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Opening touchdown: A beautiful route from Dontayvion Wicks on a slot fade and a perfect deep ball from Jordan Love created a 65-yard touchdown pass on the third play of the preseason.

Recent first-round picks along DL: Lukas Van Ness had a sack, three tackles for loss and several pressures, while Devonte Wyatt had a few near-sacks and pressures. They were both part of a disruptive defensive front.

WR Grant DuBose: He caught five passes, including one on fourth down to continue a drive and a diving 23-yarder in the two-minute to set up a field goal. His 66 receiving yards represented a game-high. DuBose was also an active blocker. This was a statement performance from a receiver fighting for a roster spot.

S Evan Williams: The rookie safety had a few impressive open-field tackles in the first half, and he opened the second half with a crunching hit that resulted in a fumble and a takeaway. No. 33 keeps finding the ball and making impact plays.

Bad

Red zone: The Packers were only 1-for-4 scoring touchdowns in the red zone, which meant settling for several short field goals. Good work for the kicking competition; not so great for scoring more points. One red zone failure came off Evan Williams forced a turnover to open the second half. You can bet Matt LaFleur will emphasize finishing drives this week.

MarShawn Lloyd injury: The rookie third-round pick was available for only two touches before he went out with a hamstring injury. Lloyd has now dealt with a hip injury and hamstring injury during his…