Packers vs. Titans, Preseason 2018: Game recap

Game Recap

For Thursday’s Packers preseason opener, Mike McCarthy says that Brett Hundley will start at quarterback and will stay in for 20-25 plays, then will be replaced by DeShone Kizer, who will get similar playing time. Not suiting up tonight are Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb, Jaire Alexander, Kevin King, Aaron Jones, Mike Daniels, and Clay Matthews, among others.

After the first quarter, the game was tied 7-7. The Titans picked up a score from Marcus Mariota to Darius Jennings on their opening drive, but the Packers got a response as Brett Hundley drove down the field with a touchdown pass to Jamaal Williams.

In the second quarter, the Titans got a field goal and Hundley turned the football over once before turning the football over to DeShone Kizer late in the half. Kizer led a long drive late in the but was unable to find the end zone and the Packers went into the break down 10-7.

In the second half, Kizer led a touchdown drive to start the third quarter, connecting with Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 61-yard bomb to set up a score by Joel Bouagnon. A forced fumble by Kendall Donnerson then set up a field goal by Mason Crosby to give the Packers a 17-10 lead.

Valdes-Scantling put an exclamation point on the game late in the fourth quarter, hauling in a 15-yard touchdown from Tim Boyle. That effectively sealed the game, but Boyle connected with Jake Kumerow on a 52-yard score on the next series to put the game well and truly out of reach. Tennessee added a touchdown late, but the final score went down as 31-17.

Game Primer

On Thursday, the Green Bay Packers finally kick off the 2018 preseason with their first game of the summer, a home affair against the Tennessee Titans of the AFC South. Green Bay and Tennessee opened the preseason against one another in 2014, the last time the two teams met during training camp.

While the Packers scuffled to a 7-9 record last season due in large part to Aaron Rodgers’ broken collarbone, the Titans found a way into the playoffs, going 9-7 and being one of two teams with that record in the AFC to win the tiebreaker and enter the postseason as Wild Card teams (the other being the Buffalo Bills). This was the second straight 9-7 campaign for Tennessee, though they lost a tiebreaker to the Houston Texans in 2016 for the division title and a playoff spot.

Since this is the first preseason game on both teams’ schedules, expect few snaps if any for most of the teams’ big stars. Aaron Rodgers is not expected to play, and the Titans will likely hold quarterback Marcus Mariota out for most if not all of the game as well.

One similarity shared between these teams is the fact that each has lost a prospective defensive starter to a torn ACL in camp. For the Packers, it was linebacker Jake Ryan; Tennessee safety Jonathan Cyprien tore his a few days later. The Titans signed free agent Kenny Vaccaro to help fill Cyprien’s void, however, while the Packers appear primed to move forward with a host of young players in Ryan’s absence, including rookie third-round pick Oren Burks.

Here are all the details you need to get ready for this year’s opening game.

WHO?

Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans

WHERE?

Lambeau Field
Green Bay, Wisconsin

WHEN?

Thursday, August 9th, 2018
7:00 PM Central Time

HOW?

TV Broadcast

Packers TV Network
Lead stations: NBC-4 (Milwaukee), NBC-26 (Green Bay), ABC-27 (Madison)
Commentators: Kevin Harlan, James Lofton

Titans TV Network
Lead stations: ABC-2 (Nashville), ABC-6 (Knoxville), NBC-3 (Chattanooga)
Commentators: Dan Hellie, Charles Davis

NFL Network Replays
Saturday, August 11, 1:30 AM ET and 12:00 Noon ET; Tuesday, August 14, 10:00 AM ET

Radio Broadcast

Packers Radio Network
Commentators: Wayne Larrivee, Larry McCarren

Online Streaming

NFL GamePass
(Free 7-day trial available)

ANYTHING ELSE?

Last Meetings

Preseason: 2014 — @Titans 20, Packers 16
Regular Season: Week 10 2016 — @Titans 47, Packers 25

PUP Lists

Packers: OLB Nick Perry
Titans: OT Jack Conklin, WR Rishard Matthews