While the Green Bay Packers continue to see the development of star Jordan Love, they also have to figure out who the backup quarterback will be as the preseason finale provided more of a case for both Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur spoke about many position battles after the game, but specifically talked about the state of the backup quarterback competition between the two players.
Even though the hope is that Green Bay will not have to use a backup that often with Love staying healthy for most of the season, football is very unpredictable where it could be one play away until Clifford or Pratt steps in under center. However, it seems as if the Packers have not made up their mind yet as LaFleur said “it’s similar” to the aforementioned competition between the kickers according to the team’s website.
“We’ll see,” LaFleur said. “It’s similar to the kicking competition in terms of there were some really good moments, and then there were some things we absolutely have to do better, and then we’ll evaluate everything that’s out there for us. I thought they competed hard. There’s a couple throws you always want to have back.”
In the preseason finale win over the Baltimore Ravens, 30-7, Clifford and Pratt rotated every two possessions where the former threw for 53 yards on completing six of 14 pass attempts with a touchdown pass. On the other hand, Pratt arguably had the better game completing eight of 12 passes for 80 yards with a touchdown pass and interception.
Matt LaFleur touches on Michael Pratt, Packers QBs say their peace
There was a point in the game where Pratt experienced a scare where he was taken down hard and got the wind taken out of him after he threw a pick and tried to tackle the player that caught his pass on the opposing side. However, he would come back into the game the next drive as LaFleur called it a “good lesson for him” according to 247 Sports.
“It was a good lesson for him,” LaFleur said. “You don’t have to go like you’re running down on kickoff [coverage] to make that tackle…I thought they competed hard for the most part. They did what we asked them to do.”
Pratt is a rookie that was taken with the 245th overall pick coming out of Tulane University as he is trying to make a name for himself in the league which he’s already doing. As for Pratt’s outing as a whole, he would compliment the team as a whole and called it a “pretty good outing” overall.
“I thought it was a pretty good outing,” Pratt said via the team’s website. “I think we had some opportunities and drove the ball down the field and had a pretty good game all the way around.”
While most are saying he had the inferior game, Clifford still liked what he saw from himself and the team as a whole throughout his playing time.
“It was nice to be able to play throughout the whole game,” Clifford said on Saturday. “Going in and out, it was nice to be able to kind of practice your role. You just never know, maybe it’s a half a quarter and then boom you’re back in.”
