GREEN BAY – The Packers returned to Nitschke Field on Tuesday for their 17th practice open to the media.
Here are five things we learned:
- Edgerrin Cooper was back at practice after three-week absence.
The rookie second-round pick returned to individual drills, his first on-field work since injuring his hip in practice on July 31.
Prior to the injury, Cooper had been rotating between the first- and second-team defense through the offseason. After missing just a handful of games at Texas A&M, the 6-foot-2, 229-pound linebacker has been champing at the bit to return.
"Best feeling ever," said Cooper after practice. "I think that was the longest I've been without playing football and just missing out. It was mentally tough, but that's the thing about being a pro and just do what you have to do."
While sidelined, Cooper was active in meetings and wore a communication headset during practice. Concentrating on the "Mike" linebacker's assignments, Cooper watched most team periods 40 yards downfield while mimicking footwork.
Feeling healthy once again, Cooper joked about trying to sneak on the field for some 11-on-11 snaps but also understands the big picture. In that vein, he isn't sure whether he'll be cleared in time to play in Saturday's preseason finale against Baltimore.
"Missing this many practices and games, it kills me," Cooper said. "It kills me to not be out there competing with my brothers, just being able to try to practice and get right this week and continue my process."
The former Texas A&M standout is competing in a crowded linebacker room that includes veterans Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Eric Wilson and Kristian Welch, and fellow rookie Ty'Ron Hopper.
After missing the preseason opener with an ankle injury, Hopper returned during Sunday's preseason game in Denver and led Green Bay in both tackles (11) and defensive snaps (51).
Cooper hopes his return, and potential impact, isn't far behind.
"I get as much excitement as me being out there and seeing my teammates being out there and completing their assignments and making plays," Cooper said. "So it was good as far as watching (Hopper) but also putting myself in that situation – I had questions, asked him what he was seeing and stuff like that."
- Elgton Jenkins flashed his hands at the end of practice.
Quarterback Jordan Love connected with an unusual target during the final play of practice: two-time Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins.
The final competition period saw the starting offense and defense run three two-point conversions. On the third, Quay Walker batted a Love pass into the air that came down in the hands of Jenkins.
With 30 pushups on the line, Jenkins secured the ball with his right arm and pushed towards the end zone. The offense still had to do pushups afterwards, but Jenkins felt he might have scored.
"The ball in the air, you gotta make a play," said Jenkins, who joked defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt should've been flagged for defensive pass interference for grabbing his left arm. "We got a lot of playmakers on offense, and I feel like I'm one of those guys."
Jenkins used to play a little tight end in peewee football. Watching on from the end zone, receiver Christian Watson gave Jenkins' pass-catching ability high marks.
"I think the awareness was a 10/10 there and hands 10/10," Watson said. "He was obviously fighting to get in the end zone, especially in that situation, we got 30 pushups on the line. I know he's probably the first one that doesn't want to do those pushups. So, I definitely thought we saw that energy there on that one."
- Head Coach Matt LaFleur saw positives in Denver film; starters' status for Saturday still to be determined.
As disappointing as Sunday's 27-2 loss to the Broncos was, LaFleur saw the effort and strain he wanted from his players after reviewing the film from Denver.
"We had a bunch of mental mistakes, and we didn't execute all the time and that's why we struggled," LaFleur said. "You can even see it from the first play 'til the last play of the game, when they're running the football, we had 10 hats in the frame when you hit the pause button, there was 10 bodies at the ball. Our guys were definitely playing hard."
Two weeks ago, after the Packers' preseason opener, LaFleur forecasted most of the team's starters wouldn't play against the Broncos – instead getting their reps in the joint practice.
With the Packers set to welcome Baltimore for a joint practice Thursday, LaFleur said it hasn't been decided whether Love and the starters would play or sit against the Ravens on Saturday.
"We're working through things – some different stuff from a scheduling perspective in terms of what are the alternatives if we don't play them, what are the benefits if you do play them?" LaFleur said. "So I'm kinda working through that right now. We've had a lot of discussions internally. To be determined."
- Sean Clifford is eager to get back to work.
After his night in Denver ended on an interception, the Packers' second-year quarterback is counting down the days to Saturday's matchup with the Ravens at Lambeau Field.
Clifford, who went 6-of-10 for 43 yards, said he was mad more about the result of his pick to defensive back Keidron Smith than the thought process that got him there.
Still confident, Clifford hopes to re-establish momentum this week against the Ravens.
"I think the last four preseason games I played pretty clean, played pretty well. Didn't play as well this one," Clifford said. "Just looking to get back on track and play really well on Saturday."
- It was an up-and-down day for the Packers' kickers, though Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph finished on a high note.
Carlson fared the best of Green Bay's three kickers, going 4-for-5 with one miss from 47 yards off the right upright.
Joseph went 2-for-5, with misses from 43, 47, and 49, while rookie Alex Hale went 3-for-5, missing from 49 and the final 46-yard attempt following the No. 1's final two-minute period.
Carlson and Joseph both made the 46-yarder, as the Packers' kicking competition enters its final week.
"I think you can't see them kick enough," said LaFleur before practice. "Hopefully we can move the ball a little bit better than we did the other night and get into some situations where they can take a chance that they kick a field goal."
