GREEN BAY – The Packers conducted their annual Family Night practice Friday in front of 57,411 fans at Lambeau Field.
Here are five takeaways from the primetime action:
1. The longest practice of training camp so far was a challenge for the players.
The workout surpassed two hours on a humid summer night, which led to some choppy, uneven play across the board. It helped prepare the players for the more grueling regular season even if there were fewer highlights.
"Yeah, I thought it was definitely sloppy," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "It was our biggest workload we've had yet to date. So, I think it was really good for those guys to have to fight through fatigue. We'll look at it."
Referee Shawn Hochuli and his crew were on hand to officiate the practice, the first time in LaFleur's tenure that NFL officials monitored the action. A number of flags flew for contact in the defensive backfield, both during 11-on-11 and one-on-one periods, and the offense was flagged for holding a couple of times, too.
LaFleur appreciated the officials' diligence, even if it didn't allow for the smoothest or fastest-paced action.
"You'd love to have those guys every day out at practice because I think some of this stuff can be avoidable," LaFleur said. "But it's a lot of good stuff for our guys to look at and learn from and to teach off of."
That's not to say there weren't some impressive plays by the first units.
QB Jordan Love's biggest highlight was a bomb from 50-plus to WR Matthew Golden for a touchdown as he peeled away from S Javon Bullard at the goal line. Golden's strong training camp rolled on, as he made catches in his one-on-one reps vs. Keisean Nixon, too.
"I feel like the chemistry between us is growing for sure," Golden said of his connection with Love, whom he credited with a "great ball" on the deep shot.
Defensively, S Xavier McKinney nearly had an interception during the two-minute drill, and Barryn Sorrell had a couple of impressive run stops off the edge against RB MarShawn Lloyd. WR Christian Watson got free on a shallow cross near the goal line for a potential TD as well.
2. Rookie CB Brandon Cisse continues to impress.
The second-round pick from South Carolina won a pair of one-on-one reps against Watson near the goal line, reaching around to break up a pass on an in cut and then providing enough harassment to force a bad throw.
Then later in 11-on-11, he broke up a sideline pass for Watson on a corner route.
"I try to go against the best of the best and hold your own and that's what I'm trying to do every day," Cisse said. "I've still got a long way to go, trying to get better."
Toward the end of practice, Cisse dropped out with cramps and was replaced on the first unit by CB Benjamin St-Juste, but he said afterward he was fine.
Fellow rookie draft pick DT Chris McClellan also got medical attention at one point but said he was fine. OL Jacob Monk, who took a large share of first-team snaps at right guard, was getting looked at for something as well, but LaFleur said he wanted to go back in.
3. Several players on reserve units made standout plays.
Yet again, DT Anthony Campbell batted down a pass, and he had a pressure of QB Kyle McCord that nearly led to an INT by St-Juste. DT Jonathan Ford swallowed up RB Jaden Nixon in the backfield on one running play, and McClellan stuffed a run as well.
"I'll tell you what, those guys have shown up repeatedly," LaFleur said of the reserve D-tackles. "It's a tough battle in that room right now, not only for playing time but for roster spots."
WR Savion Williams made a great adjustment on a fade pass from QB Tyrod Taylor near the front pylon and came down with a highlight-reel catch against S Kitan Oladapo. WR Bo Melton also had a couple receptions over the middle and just missed a diving catch for a TD from Love on the first unit's two-minute drill late in practice.
On Taylor's two-minute drive, undrafted rookie WR J. Michael Sturdivant hauled in a deep ball for 38 yards along the sideline, showing good hands and body control to stay in bounds.
With the No. 2 offense backed up near its own goal line, LB Ty'Ron Hopper blasted through and wrapped up RB Damien Martinez in the end zone for what would've been a safety.
4. Rookie K Trey Smack was nearly perfect.
Rather than have one long kicking period with several attempts, Smack got just one field goal try at the end of various practice periods, and he wound up 6-for-7 on the night.
"It's good, definitely built a little bit of confidence up tonight," Smack said. "But we can always kick better."
He made his first four, from 33, 38, 43 and 45, before missing wide left from 51. Then at the end of the two-minute drills, he hit from 35 and 47.
"I know he missed the 51-yarder, but other than that, I mean, he was dead on," LaFleur said.
5. The DNP list was a bit longer than for a regular practice.
Players who haven't been taking 11-on-11 snaps in practice were held out entirely. That group included CBs Domani Jackson and Kamal Hadden, OL Zach Bako-Bewele and Aaron Banks, TE Tucker Kraft and DT Devonte Wyatt.
Also continuing to sit out due to injury were EDGE Micah Parsons, RB Josh Jacobs, CB Carrington Valentine, RB Chris Brooks, DB Johnathan Baldwin II, LS Matt Orzech, TE Luke Musgrave, and DTs Jordon Riley and Javon Hargrave.
