2022 Dynasty/Fantasy Preseason Week 2 Game Report: Packers 20, Saints 10 (by Ross Jacobs)
--by Ross Jacobs
All backups in this one. The 2nd teams played for a while and then the 3rd teams. The Packers are just better at every level. We also got a pretty good peek into what these two teams are going to be like in the regular season. Both are going to play slow-paced run games, control the clock, lots of short passes, and good defense. They are similarly constructed but again the Packers are just far deeper and more talented than the Saints plus, you know, Aaron Rodgers is a little better than Winston. I don't see much stopping the Packers for another 12 win season.
Taysom Hill looks like he's put on some more weight trying to be a real tight end. He'll be the 2nd guy behind Trautman, maybe take a few gadget plays here and there, some red zone touches. He's definitely going to have at least a game or two where he catches a goal line TD and rushes for another in a 20 point day, but good luck guessing which week that happens.
Jordan Love looks a lot like he did last year in the preseason...comfortable, accurate, and in control...except for one small issue which is going to be the death of him, the same flaw that separates so many good QB's from the great ones...he's fine so long as the pocket is clean but when someone gets in his face his accuracy falls off and he rushes the throw just a hair too much. Against backups in the preseason it's less noticeable but if/when he gets in with the starters it's going to be too much for him. I'd take Love over, say, Daniel Jones but ultimately they are fairly similar players. The Packers would do best trading Love for a 2nd round pick or something before Rodgers retires.
The best player on the field in this game had to be rookie tackle Zach Tom, one of my absolute favorites from the 2022 draft. I have no idea why Tom got overlooked but he's going to be a 10 year starter for the Packers once he gets in. I knew he was an excellent pass blocker but he was blowing people out of the way in the run game here. He's already better than anyone the Cowboys have to replace Tyron Smith.
I've seen some depth charts presuming that Tyler Goodson will be the 3rd RB over Patrick Taylor but that doesn't look to be the case based on the rotation and film. Goodson looks fine but very generic. Taylor doesn't look great either, he's not explosive at all, but he is very capable, gets what is blocked and is an excellent blocker. He's got a Jamaal Williams feel to him (a former Packer) and I have to think GB will roll with the more experienced, solid option for depth.
Ok let's talk Preseason Jerry Rice for a moment...I have to admit Romeo Doubs looks pretty dang good. Let me be clear about something. He's not going to start immediately. Day 1 the Packers are going to roll with Lazard, Cobb, and Watkins. Christian Watson will start to rotate in shortly in the MVS role, fades, posts, and deep crossers off of play action. Doubs is going to get his shot at some point later in the season or possibly 2023. He's going to play and he's going to be pretty good. How good, I'm not sure yet. He's got some Greg Jennings to his game, just a very smooth, polished receiver, excellent hands, not much to look at physically but gets the job done. The Packers are not going to rush this. They never do. Be patient. So long as Rodgers is the QB, Doubs is going to matter. If Rodgers retires and Love gets in though, Doubs is close to worthless.
Two Packers defensive notes and then I'll move on to the Saints: Kingsley Enagbare is going to be a nice rotational piece for the Packers in a couple years. He was a handful to block for the Saints backups. He's much quicker than his measurables would indicate. And second, I was sad to see Krys Barnes running with the backups after doing well as a starter the past few years. He really is a solid player and would start at inside linebacker for probably half the NFL. For the Packers he's just another backup. This defense is absolutely loaded.
Far fewer notes on the Saints. They just don't have as many interesting young players as the Packers.
Devine Ozigbo was third in the RB rotation behind Dwayne Washington and Tony Jones but ahead of Abram Smith. He was working like the Saints best backup RB but was cut this week for some odd reason and immediately picked up by the Broncos. He looked quicker and in better shape than I remember seeing him. Smith looked just like he did at Baylor, very good straight line burst but no wiggle or ability to change directions. He's capable but nothing special.
I was very surprised to see Kirk Merritt on the Saints. He looks like he's been working on his body, maybe added 5 lbs of muscle or so. Unfortunately he didn't look quite as explosive as he did for the Dolphins last year. He's still a high-end athlete though and showed it with an excellent kick return. If he wants to make the team that's how. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he gets a TD return or two this season.
And my final note is on a young Saints defender that I had high hopes for...Payton Turner looks like he ate Ian Book for lunch. He's huge and not in a good way. It looks like he's bulked up to 285 lbs or so and he looks dreadfully slow, more like a defensive tackle than an end. I think maybe they want him to play like a run-stopping 3-4 end which seems like such a waste of his pass rushing abilities.
