CLEVELAND – The Packers opened the 2024 preseason with a 23-10 victory on Saturday at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Green Bay's No. 1 offense scored on its third snap, as QB Jordan Love hit WR Dontayvion Wicks for a 65-yard touchdown, and that was enough work for the starters.
Backup QB Sean Clifford then engineered three straight scoring drives spanning the end of the second quarter and start of the third, stretching Green Bay's lead to 20-3. RB Emanuel Wilson had a TD run, and kickers Greg Joseph and Anders Carlson each hit a field goal during that stretch.
Wilson finished with 13 carries for 67 yards, while WR Grant DuBose also turned in an impressive performance, catching five passes for 66 yards. Clifford was 10-of-19 for 111 yards.
Defensively, the Packers' starting unit gave up a short drive for a long field goal early. Then the reserve units managed two fourth-down stops in Green Bay territory to keep Cleveland off the board, and a turnover on the opening drive of the second half set up another Packers field goal for a 23-3 advantage.
Rookie safety Evan Williams forced the fumble after a completed pass, and LB Kristian Welch recovered. Williams led the defense with six solo tackles. The Browns managed just 56 rushing yards.
Packers rookie QB Michael Pratt was 5-of-7 for 46 yards, driving the Packers inside the 5-yard line on the game's final drive before taking a knee.
Here's a recap of all the action:
Packers lead Browns 7-3 after first quarter
The Browns won the opening coin toss and deferred. Green Bay started with the ball at the 30-yard line after a touchback. The Packers opened with a 7-yard draw to Josh Jacobs on first down before Jordan Love unfurled a 65-yard touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks to put the Packers up 7-0 with 13 minutes, 38 seconds left in the first quarter after Anders Carlson's made point after attempt.
Corey Ballentine started at cornerback in place of Jaire Alexander (personal matter), who was among 12 scratches for Saturday's preseason opener.
Cleveland drove to the Green Bay 34 before defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt pressured Jameis Winston into a Lukas Van Ness sack for a 7-yard loss. After a 4-yard pass to Michael Woods II, Cade York made a 55-yard field goal to cut Green Bay's lead to 7-3 with 8:46 left in the first quarter.
Sean Clifford stepped in at quarterback on the second series behind the second-team offensive line. Facing third-and-9, receiver Grant DuBose drew a defensive holding against Kahlef Hailassie for a first down. The Packers turned the ball over on downs after AJ Dillon was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1.
Taking over at the Green Bay 46, Eric Stokes held the edge on a second-and-2 run by Pierre Strong for no gain and then combined with Lukas Van Ness for a 1-yard tackle for loss. The Browns were forced to punt after Cedric Tillman was flagged for offensive pass interference after a pick on Green Bay linebacker Eric Wilson.
Joel Wilson caught a 9-yard pass across the middle from Clifford to convert on third-and-7. Clifford avoided a blitz with a 4-yard pass to DuBose off a hot read but his third-and-11 pass to Wilson came short of the first down.
Packers lead Browns 17-3 at halftime
The Packers opened the second quarter with a 51-yard Daniel Whelan punt after flyer Robert Rochell tackled Jaelon Darden after a 3-yard return. Behind No. 3 quarterback Tyler Huntley, the Browns drove down to the Green Bay 25 before safety Evan Williams made back-to-back tackles in the flat.
Cleveland tried to go for it on fourth-and-4, but Huntley's pass intended for Ahmarean Brown fell incomplete. The Packers took over at the Cleveland 23. Green Bay opened with a 14-yard pass to Malik Heath across the middle off playaction.
Emanuel Wilson paced the Packers on the series, carrying the ball seven times for 36 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown run to extend Green Bay's lead to 14-3 with 2:48 left in the first half.
The Packers faced fourth-and-3 after an incomplete pass to Melton. Green Bay went for it from its own 45, with Clifford hitting Grant DuBose on a 13-yard out to keep the series going.
Browns jumped offside two plays later, allowing Clifford to connect with DuBose again for a 14-yard completion to the Cleveland 26. Wilson picked up the next first down with a 9-yard run, followed by a 3-yard carry on third-and-1.
Wilson followed his blocks for a 9-yard gain to the Cleveland 5, setting up first-and-goal. He finished the drive with a 5-yard TD run to seal the 13-play, 77-yard scoring drive.
The Packers' defense forced a three-and-out after Van Ness pressured Huntley into the arms of Colby Wooden, who registered the sack for a 10-yard loss. Green Bay took over at its own 36 with 58 seconds left.
DuBose made a toe-tapping catch for 23 yards on third-and-9 to set up a 46-yard Anders Carlson field goal to extend Green Bay's lead to 17-3 at halftime.
Packers lead Browns 23-3 after three quarters
The Browns started with the ball in the second half, but rookie fourth-round pick Evan Williams got it right back when he forced a fumble of John Kelly Jr., which Kristian Welch recovered at the Green Bay 38.
Clifford found a wide-open Joel Wilson for a 17-yard gain off play-action, but the drive stalled at the Browns' 17. Greg Joseph made a 35-yard field goal to push the Packers' lead to 20-3 with 12:10 left in the third quarter.
Green Bay's defense forced another three-and-out, with Kalen King tackling Kelly for a 1-yard loss on a third-and-2 check down.
Michael Pratt replaced Clifford, who went 10-of-19 for 111 yards and led three straight scoring drives. Pratt threw a 12-yard slant to DuBose to convert on third-and-3. On the next play, Wilson busted a 23-yard run to the Cleveland 23 off read-option.
The Packers tacked on another three points with a 33-yard field goal by Carlson to extend their lead to 23-3 with 6:35 remaining in the third quarter. Green Bay announced after the series rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd has a hamstring injury.
The third quarter came to a close with Cleveland facing third-and-4 at the Green Bay 11.
Packers open preseason with a 23-10 win in Cleveland
The Packers got a big-time stop to start the fourth quarter, with defensive lineman James Ester pressuring Dorian Thompson-Robinson into a third-down incompletion and Arron Mosby deflecting a fourth-and-4 pass at the line of scrimmage for the turnover on downs.
Starting at the Green Bay 11, undrafted rookie Julian Hicks made a nice adjustment on a deep ball from Pratt for a 23-yard completion. The Packers were forced to punt after Ellis Merriweather was dropped for a 5-yard loss on a check down.
On third-and-1, Brenton Cox Jr. nearly sacked Thompson-Robinson, who threw it away. He converted on the next play with a 2-yard scramble. The Browns had an ineligible man downfield penalty wipe out a 15-yard touchdown pass to Brown with 6:45 remaining.
A personal foul penalty setup first-and-goal from the Green Bay 1 and Cleveland finally punched it in with a 1-yard Aidan Robbins touchdown to cut the Packers' lead to 23-10 with 5:08 remaining.
Rookie Jarveon Howard broke a 16-yard run to move the ball to the Green Bay 49-yard line. Hicks picked up a first down with a 14-yard reverse. After an 8-yard push pass to Samori Toure, Howard picked up 12 yards off a pitch to the right side.
The game reached the two-minute warning after a Howard 6-yard dive up the middle. Howard picked up the first down with a third-and-1 run and Green Bay kneeled out the victory. Howard finished with 44 yards on eight carries.
