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Packers vs. Saints: What to watch for

Which standouts from last week can follow up with another good outing?

LB Kingsley Enagbare
LB Kingsley Enagbare

GREEN BAY – Preseason game No. 2, and the Packers' lone home game in August, is slated for Friday night at Lambeau Field against the Saints.

The two teams practiced against one another for two days this week and now they wrap up their time together with a game.

Here are some items worth watching.

Repeat performances: A lot of talk this week surrounded avoiding repeat mistakes, but the opposite is also true – showing a strong preseason performance wasn't a flash in the pan, but can be replicated.

Several of the Packers' young players got off to a strong preseason start last Friday night at San Francisco, and now their task is to prove it was no fluke. Receiver Amari Rodgers (50-yard kickoff return, 22-yard TD), inside linebacker Isaiah McDuffie (six tackles, one TFL in 26 snaps), defensive lineman Jack Heflin (four tackles, one TFL) and edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare (sack, two QB hits) are among those looking to build on solid showings.

Enagbare in particular has been a steady presence on the practice field all week. The rookie fifth-round pick from South Carolina is making a push to be the No. 3 outside linebacker behind entrenched starters Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.

Young receivers: A major storyline this week was QB Aaron Rodgers expressing his dissatisfaction after Tuesday's practice with the mental mistakes and wrong routes he's seeing from Green Bay's young receivers.

That was followed by a pre-practice QB/WR meeting Wednesday and a better showing on the practice field, as fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs, seventh-rounder Samori Toure and third-year pro Juwann Winfree all made noteworthy plays.

Along with Amari Rodgers, who was criticized for a poor route in the game against the 49ers leading to an interception for Jordan Love, that group is looking to play cleaner football, both in terms of assignment and execution.

Competition up front: With Elgton Jenkins back on the practice field following his ACL rehab – though he's doing limited work and remains on the comeback trail – his reps appear to be at right tackle.

If Jenkins can be ready for Week 1, that would mean the competition for starting spots on the offensive line is focused on the guard positions. Jon Runyan and Royce Newman were the primary starters last season, but Jake Hanson has made a strong push this training camp, and rookie fourth-round pick Zach Tom is getting looks, too.

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