First preseason games can be dangerous, because people are so anxious to watch football that they make dramatic conclusions. Saturday night's Packers game certainly left plenty of room for pessimism. But, I would caution you that even the Packers had won, it wouldn't have meant much in the long run. Here are some quick impressions of the Packers 17-3 loss at San Diego.
The pass protection was awful. Brett Favre seemed to be mouthing the words "Why did I come back for this?" Even though the Chargers did a lot of blitzing, don't you think that other NFL teams are salivating at the chance to mess with the Packers inexperienced interior offensive line? That's why blitz pickup by running backs had better be good this season. It wasn't Saturday night.
Aaron Rodgers is vastly improved. All of that off-season quartertback school stuff has paid off. Despite throwing an interception (that looked like it should have been overturned by instant replay), Rodgers showed a poise and command that he didn't last year. That's only natural, since very few rookie quarterbacks (Dan Marino, Ben Roethlisberger) are able to immediately handle the move to the NFL.
The anointing of Abdul Hodge seems a bit premature. He looks lost in pass coverage. Then again, so does A.J. Hawk at times. Hawk did make a couple of good tackles, though.
The knee injury to safety Marviel Underwood could be very costly. With Marquand Manuel still recovering from a calf injury, the Packers safety corps is thinning. Underwood was having a terrific camp.
How does a special teams unit have to burn a time out in its very first punt of the preseason? Inexcusable.
Mike McCarthy didn't seem overwhelmed. He already showed a better grasp of replay challenges than Mike Sherman ever did.
If B.J. Sander can't punt longer than 35 yards, he'll be out of a job soon.
Charles Woodson made an impact. Unfortunately, it was by standing too close to the field and getting a penalty.
Greg Jennings dropped a 4th-and-2 pass he should have caught, but also flashed the promise that we've been hearing about.
Don't overreact to the first preseason game. The reality of this season could be better. Or even worse. "Serenity Now!"
Dennis Krause joined OnMilwaukee.com as a contributor on June 16, 2006. He is a two-time Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year and a regional Emmy-award winner. Dennis has been the color analyst on home games for the Milwaukee Bucks Radio Network for the last 10 years. He has also been involved with the Green Bay Packers Radio Network for 16 years and is currently the host of the "Packers Game Day" pre-game show.
Dennis started his broadcasting career as a radio air personality in the Fox Valley and Milwaukee.
He spent three years as a sportscaster at WMBD radio and television in Peoria, Illinois before joining WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee in 1987 as a weekend sports anchor. Dennis spent 16 years at Channel 4, serving as its Sports Director and 5 and 6 pm sports anchor from 1994-2003.
Dennis grew up in Hartford, Wisconsin and attended UW-Oshkosh. He lives in Thiensville with his wife and two children. He serves as the Community Resource Director for the Mequon-Thiensville School District.
