GREEN BAY – The Packers held a full-pads practice Tuesday at Nitschke Field, their second-to-last public workout of training camp.
Here are five things we learned:
- Keisean Nixon is eager for the regular season to arrive.
The Packers’ No. 1 cornerback knows the process is important and keeps grinding away, but he’s admittedly “sick of this camp schedule.”
“I’m ready to get to really playing football,” he said.
He’s had his mind on the regular-season opener vs. the Lions for quite some time, saying he’s been watching film on Detroit since the players returned for offseason workouts back in April.
That’s not the only film he’s been studying, though. He also watches opposing receivers as well as two of his favorite press-man cornerbacks, Cleveland’s Denzel Ward and Washington’s Marshon Lattimore, especially now that he’s made the switch from the nickel/slot position to outside corner.
“I like how they play ball,” Nixon said. “They play man-to-man coverage, that’s what I like to do … and them boys can run just like me, so that’s who I study.”
Going from a return specialist to the Packers’ top corner in three years was a matter of “checking boxes” to Nixon. He didn’t allow himself to be pigeonholed into one role, took on anything additional the coaches asked him to do, and kept proving he could get the job done.
“Now I’ve got the biggest role they can give me,” he said.
Nixon and rookie receiver Matthew Golden had some good battles on the practice field Tuesday. In one-on-ones in the red zone, Nixon nearly intercepted the pass after deflecting it with tight coverage. In 11-on-11, Golden got a step on him and also got behind safety Evan Williams to haul in a perfectly thrown deep ball from Malik Willis, without a doubt the play of the day and one of the prettiest looking passes all training camp.
“He sometimes acts like he’s a vet but I try to remind him that he’s a rookie,” Nixon joked. “Other than that, M.G., helluva player. You can tell why he went first round. Strong at the catch point, strong hands, strong upper body. I think he’ll have a really good year.”
- Jordan Love continued his 7-on-7 work.
As he did Monday, Love practiced but protected his surgically repaired left thumb by taking 7-on-7 reps.
After completing 16-of-24 in two sessions on Monday, he went 10-of-11 in his first session Tuesday, with one defensive pass interference penalty. The lone miss was a high but catchable ball to Mecole Hardman on a crossing route.
Love took a few easy checkdown and underneath throws, but he did push it down the field on a crosser to tight end Tucker Kraft and on a go ball to Romeo Doubs over Carrington Valentine.
Love also ran a 7-on-7 two-minute drill, starting with back-to-back completions to Doubs covering 37 yards before the drive bogged down. On fourth-and-2, he led Kraft a tad too far and the ball went off his fingertips as Kraft collided with Williams.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur said there would be a 7-on-7 period in Thursday’s joint practice with the Seahawks to make sure Love continues to work.
- Two players returned from back injuries.
Both Kenny Clark and Lukas Van Ness sat out Monday’s practice with sore backs but returned to action on Tuesday.
Left guard Aaron Banks also has a back issue and he missed his second straight day. As was the case Monday, Jordan Morgan took Banks’ spot with the No. 1 offensive line, with Rasheed Walker playing left tackle.
Elsewhere on the injury front, as of Tuesday morning, safety Omar Brown had yet to be released from an Indianapolis hospital following his chest/lung injury from Saturday’s preseason game. LaFleur said he’s improving but still receiving care.
- Brandon McManus put on a different uniform.
It was not the veteran kicker’s day to kick – he made all six of his field goals in the rain Monday – so he had some fun putting on an official’s uniform and working as a side judge during practice.
Some of his teammates didn’t recognize him at first.
“It’s funny, I was standing next to a teammate, it was (Isaiah) Simmons, and they called a pass interference or something,” linebacker Kristian Welch said. “We were like, ‘Oh come on, that was not…’ I looked over there at the ref and I’m like, ‘What the heck?’ I’ve never seen that ref. I kind of stood there and Simmons was like, ‘That’s McManus.’
“I pointed it out to (Isaiah) McDuffie, too. I said, ‘Did you see McManus over there?’ He kept looking and he couldn’t find him. I’m like, ‘The ref.'”
His penchant for throwing DPI flags wasn’t appreciated by all.
“He gets on my nerves,” Nixon said, having fun with the bit. “He threw like three flags on me today. Anytime he saw I was trash talking, he threw a flag at me. Bogus.
“Yeah, that’s why I grabbed his flag and did like the Travis Kelce. I threw it back at him. I’m going to throw all his stuff in the cold tub and tell him to go get it. He’s an old man.”
The defensive players would rather see him stick to kicking.
“Yeah, I would say,” Welch said. “Don’t quit your day job.”
- Healthy starters need to be ready Saturday.
LaFleur said the starters “should expect to play a little bit” in the preseason finale against the Seahawks at Lambeau Field. He indicated it’s “more than likely” Willis will be the quarterback for the first-team offense.
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