Jets 23, Packers 14: 2-minute drill

August 21, 2021
|In Packers
|By Zach Heilprin

A skeleton version of the Green Bay Packers turned the ball over three times and fell 23-14 to the New York Jets Saturday afternoon in preseason action at Lambeau Field.

Game Balls

Offense: QB Kurt Benkert

Getting the start in place of an injured Jordan Love and a resting Aaron Rodgers, Benkert looked good playing with second- and third-team guys all around him. He went 18-for-25 for 151 yards and led a pair of touchdown drives while playing all but one series in the game. It included a 19-play, 81-yard scoring drive that included him getting his foot stepped on two plays in a row and ended with him throwing a 5-yard touchdown to tight end Jace Sternberger. On the drive, Benkert went 5-for-6 on third or fourth down, and the Packers went 8-for-13 on third down when he was under center.

Benkert wasn’t perfect, throwing a ball behind a receiver that got tipped and intercepted. But he gave the Packers at least something to think about in terms of whether to keep two or three quarterbacks when they cut their roster to 53.

Defense: DT TJ Slaton

The fifth-round pick was good in the first game against Houston last week and followed that up with another solid outing Saturday against the Jets. At 6-foot-4, 330 pounds, Slaton is a tough guy to move in the run game but he also showed off his ability to get after the quarterback. The Florida product got free for a sack in the second quarter and on the next play hurried the quarterback into an incompletion. He finished with four tackles, the sack and a tackle for loss.

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In Case You Missed It

* First-round pick Eric Stokes got the start at corner and showed he has one the more ideal characteristics for a defensive back – a short memory. After getting beat on a double move by Corey Davis that allowed the Jets to convert on third down, the Georgia product came back on the next third down and broke up a pass to Davis that forced New York to punt.

* With Aaron Jones sitting out, backup AJ Dillon got the start for the Packers at running back. He got one series and finished with 40 yards on six touches, including 28 yards on the ground.

* Rookie Kylin Hill looks very much like he’s going to be the team’s third running back. He scored a touchdown for a second-straight preseason game, this one a nice 12-yard run to the outside that he finished by lowering his head and getting into the end zone. The seventh-round pick ended up with 29 yards rushing and 11 yards receiving.

Inside the Numbers

32 – That’s how many Packers did not dress for the game, two more than in the preseason opener

135 – That’s how many yards rushing the Packers had. That included 40 on the first drive of the game, which was just nine yards less than they had in four quarters against the Texans last week.

66 — That’s how many yards receiving Malik Taylor had in leading the team. With eight wide receivers sitting, it was a big opportunity for Taylor and he took advantage.

What’s Next

The Packers (0-2) will travel to Buffalo next Saturday to take on the Bills in the final preseason game for both teams.