Sean Clifford's lead in the backup quarterback race is fading fast.
The Green Bay Packers held Jordan Love and the starters out of Sunday's preseason game against the Denver Broncos, giving them a good opportunity to evaluate Clifford and Michael Pratt.
Clifford started the game, but Green Bay's offense came away empty-handed after four drives. He completed 6 of 10 passes for 43 yards and one interception. He missed open targets and threw a bad pick.
It was only a matter of time before Pratt entered the game, but the timing was notable.
Packers pulled Sean Clifford with only seconds remaining in first half
The plan may have been to give Pratt the second half, but Matt LaFleur put him in the game with 30 seconds remaining in the first half. That couldn't have been the plan before the game, right?
The rookie had one pass batted down before the Packers ran out the clock with a handoff. So, why put in Pratt when they did?
It seemed like LaFleur was sending a message to Clifford. He didn't even give his second-year quarterback the opportunity to close out the first half.
Has LaFleur seen enough?
In two preseason games, Clifford has completed 16 of 29 passes for 154 yards and one interception.
After a difficult training camp with far too many interceptions, the Packers need to rethink their options at the backup quarterback spot. Pratt has outperformed the second-year quarterback and deserves more opportunities. It's even more impressive when you consider Pratt is a seventh-round rookie with less NFL experience.
If the Packers aren't confident in either player, they may need to consider signing a veteran.
Clifford's struggles continued in the second preseason game, and his first-half benching may signal the end of his time as the Packers' No. 2 quarterback.
