The Green Bay Packers welcomed the Baltimore Ravens to Ray Nitschke Field for a one-day joint practice on Thursday. The joint practice was the final open practice of training camp and the final practice before the Packers’ preseason finale against the Ravens on Saturday.
John Harbaugh’s team — with Lamar Jackson at quarterback and one of the best defenses in the NFL — is expected to be one of the best in football in 2024, so this was a tough test for the Packers after a disappointing few days in Denver.
Did the Packers manage to recoup their losses?
Here are six things to know:
Packers finish with massive wins in two minutes
We just watched six two-minute exercises:
Packers O 1s: Carlson 35 yards to tie
Packers O 2s: Joseph 51 yards to tie
Packers O 3s: Carlson 51 yards to tie
Packers D 1s: Tucker misses 62-yard field goal to tie the score
Packers D 2s: Evan Williams INT
Packers D 3: Force turnover on downs
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 22, 2024
The Packers and Ravens finished their joint practice with six different two-minute opportunities, with the Packers “winning” all three. All three offenses got into field goal range and traded tying points, while the defenses recorded three stops, including one on an Evan Williams interception. The No. 1 offense drove 50-plus yards to set up a miniature field goal for Anders Carlson, while the No. 1 defense won the opportunity after a sack helped force Justin Tucker to attempt a 62-yard field goal that he missed.
Strong day for Carlson
Carlson hits a 51-yard field goal to tie the game in the end zone.
Today:
Carlson 5/5
Joseph 3/4Total number of camp participants:
Anders Carlson: 59/72 – 81.9%
Greg Joseph: 57/73 – 78.1%
Alex Hale: 14/21 – 66.7% https://t.co/6P5cOWTLYs— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) August 22, 2024
Anders Carlson had a mighty day, completing 5 of 5 kicks, including a pair of game-tying conversions in a two-minute drill. The Packers need a kicker who can emerge from the competition, and Carlson seems to be building a lead slow. He was perfect in Friday’s joint practice in Denver and perfect Thursday, and he made all three of his kicks in the preseason opener. Carlson looks like he’ll have to lose the last few days of camp.
Jordan Love’s dominance in the red zone
In the red zone, Jordan Love completed 6-7 passes for 42 yards. 4 touchdowns inside the 10-yard line.
9-yard check to Tucker Kraft (great YAC)
Romeo Doubs 6-yard catch
4 yards to Christian Watson
3 yards to Doubs— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) August 22, 2024
Jordan Love was great in the red zone, throwing four touchdown passes on seven attempts. Romeo Doubs was picked off twice, Christian Watson made an impressive catch over Kyle Hamilton, and Tucker Kraft scored on a screen. Keep in mind that the Ravens were the second-best defense in football at denying touchdowns in the red zone last season. Situational, the Packers offense had a great workout.
Tucker Kraft emerges
Love almost gets caught again by Smith on a shallow cross. Gets a free play offside but can’t connect with Doubs. Watson’s diving attempt on the sideline is no good. He finishes the sequence with a bullet off to Kraft over the middle, Kraft’s fifth catch today.
— Mike Spofford (@mikespofford) August 22, 2024
He missed the first half of training camp while recovering from offseason surgery, but Kraft is starting to show as Week 1 approaches. He was productive Thursday, catching at least five passes in 11-on-11 play. The Packers found him in the passing game in a variety of ways, including a red-zone screen, another designed-roll pass and another massive gain over the middle of the field. Kraft will be a massive part of this offense in 2024.
Clifford and Heath connect
Clifford with another nice throw on Heath’s deep cut. That’s 2 explosive plays from this pair today. Ravens D reserves stiffened after that.
— Mike Spofford (@mikespofford) August 22, 2024
On Sunday in Denver, Sean Clifford narrowly missed Malik Heath, which would have given him a massive gain against the Broncos’ No. 1 defense. The quarterback-receiver duo connected twice Thursday, including on a deep pass to first-round pick Nate Wiggins early in practice. Michael Pratt also passed to Grant DuBose, which would have given him a massive gain down the field. Heath and DuBose could be competing for the one open receiver spot on the roster.
Win the line of scrimmage
Lamar is running for his life here, and it’s not intentional. https://t.co/nZJs0jAfYQ
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 22, 2024
Games are so often won and lost in the trenches, and the Packers had a good day on both ends of the field. The defensive front was disruptive to NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense, creating several pressures and potential sacks, while Jordan Love was mostly well-protected against one of the NFL’s best defenses from last year. The Ravens are tough and physical up front, so the Packers did a great job on the offensive and defensive lines and held up well.
