100 years ago today, Curly Lambeau got together with George Whitney Calhoun at the offices of the Green Bay Press Gazette newspaper and they decided to start up a football team.
That same team was on the practice field Sunday wrapping another week of training camp in advance of the 2019 season.
And it was a good practice said the 15th Green Bay Packers Head Coach. Matt LaFleur liked the play from both sides of the ball in a spirited, two hour and seven minute padded workout.
The offense, particularly the starters, were lights out in a red zone drill. On four consecutive snaps, Aaron Rodgers hit Davante Adams on a tightly covered fade route to the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown. On the next snap, rolling left, Rodgers found Jake Kumerow wiggling free at the back line of the end zone and Kumerow made a terrific, toe tapping TD catch. Snap three Rodgers snapped a tight spiral over the middle to Jimmy Graham for a score and the final play, Rodgers jogged in himself around right tackle on a read option run.
LaFleur has repeatedly said the offense is a work in progress but it sure looked like they made progress today.
The defense continued knocking the ball out or taking it away. During one team period, Marquez Valdes-Scantling got deep behind Jaire Alexander and made a tough, over the shoulder catch, but Alexander denied a touchdown celebration by stripping the ball loose.
Chandon Sullivan, who picked off a pass last week against the Texans, got another one against Tim Boyle in a move the ball period. Tony Brown spent both Saturday and Sunday practices glued to receivers.
LaFleur said afterwards it looks like this will be a team that plays like it practices and if it plays like they went at it on Sunday, they'll be hard to beat.
On Saturday, Josh Jackson made his camp debut after missing the first two weeks with injury. Aaron Jones and Corey Linsley returned to practice.
The medical news doesn;'t sound good for linebacker Oren Burks. He left the Houston game last Thursday night in the second quarter and over the weekend, ESPN's Rob Demovsky reported he suffered a torn pectoral muscle that will require surgery and may well end his season. That would leave the Packers extremely inexperienced at inside linebacker opposite Blake Martinez.
Curtis Bolton got first crack with the one's next to Martinez on Sunday although 7th round pick Ty Summers had a big game against the Texans with 10 total tackles.
Other players sitting out Sunday were Trevor Davis, Kevin King, Jamaal Williams, Danny Vitale, Malcolm Johnson, Evan Bayliss, Greg Roberts and Kabian Ento.
Ibraheim Campbell will start his camp on the physically unable to perform list.
The Packers waived free agent rookie wide receiver Jawill Davis on Saturday and late Sunday, the signed another defensive back. Derrick Jones, a third year player, was claimed off waivers from the New York Jets. The 6-2, 188 pound corner was a sixth round pick of the Jets in 2017 but had seen limited duty in only a couple of games.
While all this was going on, the Packers celebrated their 100th birthday with a day long part inside the Lambeau Field Atrium. Fans lined up for a piece of cake and even packets of grass seed used to help grow the hallowed tundra itself.
Speaking of birthdays, The 5th Quarter Show, which I host, celebrates it's 40th year on the air Monday, August 12. Packers President Mark Murphy will be out special guest live from our brand new location. We'll be right outside the doors to "The Turn" Powered by Top Golf Swing Suite in the heart of the Titletown District. The new bar and restaurant isn't quite finished yet so the show will take place just outside beneath a tent and we'll move inside our new home as soon as it's ready.
We'll look for you at 5:00 PM every Monday for the 5th Quarter Show.
