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Next game: Saturday, August 21st at Seattle
Packers Gameday at 7:00 p.m. on Newsradio 620 WTMJ and 8:30 p.m. on TODAY'S TMJ4 HD; also text "sports" to 79008 for score updates and tweet comments about the game @620wtmj.  We'll post the best ones here!

4th Quarter

10:04 p.m. Browns' 4th Drive  1:00
Cleveland 27, Green Bay 24
Dawson 46 yard FG
Tick, tock, tick, tock....and Ratliff slowly marches the team down.

3rd-6 at 50 yd line: Ratliff finds Jake Allen - wide open - but incomplete!  Didn't have both feet in bounds.

68 yard field goal, Phil Dawson?  Nope, they're going for it.

4th down - Alex Smith to the 40 yard line...time continues to run...spiking the ball...7 seconds to go for a 57-yard attempt.

Nope...they're throwing one more pass....Allen makes a catch at the 28 yard line and stops the clock....which I think now makes Dawson's kick of mercy to overtime-loathing football fans much easier.

46 yarder.....game ender?  Yep.

9:58 p.m.  Packers' 4th Drive  1:27
Please, Packers, not only please win this game in regulation, but please do it so we don't have to sit here and endure preseason overtime football?

Lee bobbles the kickoff....gets to the 25 yard line. 

3rd-4 at GB 30: Harrell missed an open Dillon - and it's punting time with 1:09.  I never want the Packers to lose, but a Packers loss in regulation during preseason instead of meaningless overtime football?

A punt return across the Cleveland 40 yard line, and those that want the game done now get some help.

9:47 p.m.  Browns' 3rd Drive  2:30
Green Bay 24, Cleveland 24
Dawson 59 yard FG
Quin Johnson just destroyed Cleveland's returner after a 47-yard punt that will be replayed after a penalty

A bad punt this time....setting Cleveland up with a possesion at the 34 yard line.

C.J. Wilson stayed at home on a screen pass to turn it into a four-yard loss.

3rd-8 at Cleveland 36: 4 down territory with the game on the line here.

Ratliff gets blitzed and he finds a wide open Alex Smith for 23 yards, and Cleveland is suddenly near field goal range in the final 1:30.

3rd down: Levine stops Steptoe with a clean, hard hit to dislodge the ball after the pass.  The secondary - save that 23-yard gain, has knocked around this defense.

59 yard field goal by Dawson....uh oh...he can make this....he just did.

9:43 p.m.  Packers' 3rd Drive  4:59
Lumpkin doing even more...his 3rd or 4th six to eight yard gain tonight.  Second level running.  Love it.

Uh oh.  Larry is referencing Wayne Larrivee in a speedo.  Nothing more needs to be said.

9:39 p.m.  Browns' 2nd Drive  7:01
Davis gets a big hole on a 2nd down play - a 12-yard run - the best for Cleveland so far.  It's the 3rd-teamers now getting gashed on this run.

Bush makes a great break on the ball to stop a pass from Ratliff to Mitchell on a 2nd round play.

3rd down: Chillar makes another great pass defense to make Cleveland go three-and-out.  Backups doing OK against a bad team's 3rd and 4th stringers.

9:27 p.m.  Packers' 2nd Drive  12:20
Green Bay 24, Cleveland 21
Crosby 33 yd FG
NICE 15-yard gain by Quin Porter.

Graham Harrell seeing action this preseason.  I always thought he was a great decision maker back in college.

15,793 yards, average 351 passing yards per game in college.....nasty.

3rd-6: Harrell gets the benefit of the doubt on a pass interference malfeasance on Cleveland.

3rd-5 at Cleveland 17: not all the way to the first down marker by Porter...ah, they go for it.  :)

4th-2 at Cleveland 14: sneak by Harrell and it's a quick count first down!  Great job of keeping Cleveland off balance.

Harrell on 2nd down had to run for his life, backtracking about 15 yards before throwing the ball away.

3rd down pass completion went just for three yards, and we'll test Mason Crosby for the first time this preseason.

Crosby is perfect.  :)

9:22 p.m.  Browns' 1st Drive  13:48
Ratliff comes in for the Brownies at QB...4th of the night.

3rd-5 at Clev 11: a blitz by Chillar helped force an incompletion.  Nice.

9:18 p.m.  Packers' 1st Drive (continued from 3rd quarter)
3rd-15 at the Cleveland 30: they try running the ball with Lumpkin?  What?  Like that would actually work?

The yellow hankies descend: holding on Barbre.

3rd-25 at the 40: pushed out of field goal range?  Fumble.  Lost points.  Never good.

But a great job by Dillon and Clark to down it around the 6 yard line.  :)

3rd Quarter

9:14 p.m.  Packers' 3rd Drive  1:52
37 yards to the lead (or a field goal would work, too).

Lumpkin plays pinball and makes Wayne go into Bruce Springsteen-yell mode with a powerful 12-yard run.

Lumpkin then plays slippery ball and loses it in the backfield.  Thanks, Giacomini, for saving Lumpkin's rear.

9:11 p.m.  Browns' 2nd Drive  2:04
INTERCEPTION on the first throw by McCoy by Darrick Martin!  "Flat out wanted that ball worse than the receiver, Wayne." - Larry.

9:01 p.m.  Packers' 2nd Drive  5:59
Quin Porter made a mistake by not fair catching a punt at about the 15.  It rolled to the one.  How's a 99 yard drive sound, people?

Lumpkin with another great six-or-seven yard burst on 2nd down to move the pile from a super-dangerous position near their own goal to a somewhat-dangerous position.

Quinn with an "I don't know about you, Wayne, but that was kind of a crummy throw" (Larry) that was almost intercepted at the 35.

3rd-9 at GB 13: Quinn runs it himself...and does a Colt McCoy, just getting to the first down marker.

3rd-2 at GB 30: Flynn was smashed to the ground as he threw rather deep.  A clean shot right at Flynn.  It's better to have the backup go down rather than Rodgers, but still?

8:54 p.m.  Browns' 1st Drive  9:21
Haydn, the rookie cornerback, gets 36 yards on a return. WAYYYYYYY too much.  The Big Unit, Bill Michaels, will mention Shawn Slocum's name - over/under - 5 times tonight, at least.

Ah, Packers Radio Network coming out of break..."Smoke On The Water."  Nice.

3rd-7 at 38 yard line: McCoy has shown some real ability to scamper for first down yardage when he needs on 3rd down...and he's not getting much resistance from Packers' defenders.

AT LAST!  A big loss forced by a Packers defense.  Brad Jones stripping blockers to get to the ball carriers for a -5 loss.

McCoy is realizing he can scramble, because he has to. 

Steptoe gets destroyed on a screen to stop a 3rd down play, despite good blocking.

8:43 p.m.  Packers' 1st Drive  15:00
Green Bay 21, Cleveland 21
Lumpkin 1 yd TD run
Porter gets this opportunity and he doesn't go greasy-handed, with a 22-yard return.  Not bad.

Lumpkin gets another shot in this Packers camp.  Can he be as explosive this August as he was last time?  Hopefully yes, to give him a chance on the roster this time.

3rd-2 at GB 30: Corliss, a rookie tight end, making a good catch of a Flynn ball.

Porter gets some big burst on a seven-yard run.  This will be an interesting backup running back competition.  We've got some good ones.

Flynn has FOREVER to throw, but Porter's the only guy open for a six-yard gain.  Deep receiving corps not getting it done deep that play.

This time, though, YES - Jones for a GREAT gain to the cusp of the red zone.

3rd down from the 20....and Nelson gets interfered wtih in the end zone!  That's one of those "give our defense a chance because I got burned and had to do something to break up a touchdown" penalties.

Lumpkin up the mid-section of the Cleveland defense, and he just ran their intestines out.

2nd Quarter

8:23 p.m.  Packers' 4th Drive  0:37
Starts at the Packers 26, now, thanks to Spencer Havner's five-yard false start penalty.  Seemingly rather good game so far in the penalty department for the Packers - just two.

Flynn to Jones for 12 yards in the final 25 seconds....near midfield...field goal range may be their goal here.  Good to test Flynn in the two-minute situation.

Well, it'll actually be more like Hail Mary training with :05 left....and they failed.  A pick by the Browns there.  No big whoop.

8:17 p.m.  Browns' 4th Drive  1:59
Shields with a fumble that could get him cut if he's not smart.  Cleveland recovers.  Another shot.  Sad.  Very sad.  Buh-bye, Mr. Shields, if you fumble again.

Well, Mr. McCoy, you get your second shot at the Green Bay 30 yard line on the most hallowed ground in football.  Note: much more hollowed than any you ever played on in college.

Justin Harrell getting double teamed during a first-down run.  Why would you double him?

INTERCEPTION BY UNDERWOOD!  He wanted to go long distance from the end zone, but he'll gladly take it around the 30 yard line.

8:12 p.m.  Browns' 3rd Drive  5:35
Masthay 56 yard punt to the end zone.  Man, these guys have legs, and as I channel ZZ Top, they know how to use them.

"Pickett just destroyed Casey Bender, the Cleveland tackle...just ate him alive." - Larry McCarren, describing the first down run play that didn't produce much.

Well, we know Pickett can eat.

3rd-9 at Clev 21: McCoy takes to the run for a first down for a 13-yard sprint to a slide.  Mack Brown probably taught him that to keep him alive against Oklahoma's QB-hunting defenders.

BRANDON UNDERWOOD!  Destroying Jake Allen for a 3-yard gain with a hit that was reminiscent of Herb Adderley back in the old 60's highlight films.

3rd-7 at Clev 37: Hillis with a GREAT catch, but Mike Neil comes up from the d-line to make the play and keep him short of first down yardage.

8:10 p.m.  Packers' 3rd Drive  7:04
A great job by the Packers' kick block team in getting to the punter, but barely missing the block.  Still, credit deserved.

Flynn takes over at QB: first throw is a smart call for a young QB, a keep pass, but it goes for just a yard.

3rd down: the third completion short of a first down tonight.  AGAIN, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY?

8:04 p.m.  Browns' 2nd Drive  8:38
GREAT punt by Bryan - 57 yards - but you often can outkick your coverage with a punt that deep.

Colt McCoy comes into the game now for Cleveland...a slightly different shade of orange for him.

Pat Lee did a great job in diagnosing a Cleveland reverse to hold it to three yards on first down.

On 3rd down: McCoy's throw goes incomplete.  Expect a lot of that to happen early on as he takes his shots in the pros.

7:58 p.m.  Packers' 2nd Drive  11:17
Rodgers starts the drive at the 20....first incompletion of the night thanks to great coverage by the Browns' Sheldon Brown.

Oh well...he started another possible 10-throw completion streak with a pass to Driver.

3rd-6 at GB 37: a completion, but another one of those "WHY DO YOU THROW IT TO A RECEIVER WHO IS BEHIND THE FIRST DOWN MARKER" throws.

7:48 p.m.  Browns' 1st Drive  14:29
Cleveland 21, Green Bay 14
Wallace-Watson 20 yd TD pass
Some of the subs coming in for this drive - draft pick Mike Neil and Justin Harrell.

A big return for the Browns - 30 yards - by Lawson, and the Packers' coverage units not doing the job.

Wallace is chased by "BODABINGA" Poppinga for what is essentially a sack - defending the first "keep" pass of the year.  

Uh oh.  HUGE gain on a screen pass - 26 yards - thanks to a cut block by Alex Mack.  Textbook, and not dirty.

AGH!  Collins barely missed a heck of an interception.  "2nd Pro Bowl-type play in 18 minutes." - Larry

3rd-5 at GB 20: Ben Watson more wide open than a fan in the upper deck of a Florida Marlins game.  Ugh.

7:45 p.m.  Packers' 1st Drive (continued from 1st qtr)
Green Bay 14, Cleveland 14
Kuhn 2 yard TD run
Rodgers is 10-10 on a throw to Jackson to the 2 yard line!  This pass offense is incredible.

Kuhn pounds it in from two yards out!

7:45 p.m.
Update on Ryan Grant:

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Packers running back Ryan Grant took a hit to the head and needed help from trainers after being tackled in the first quarter of Green Bay's exhibition opener against the Cleveland Browns.

Grant's return was unlikely.

Grant was having a bad night before the injury on his third carry Saturday. He fumbled on his first touch, leading to a Browns touchdown.

He had a gain of 6 yards up the middle when he was hit hard by linebacker Chris Gocong and defensive end Robaire Smith.

Several trainers came to Grant's aid after he stumbled badly getting up and helped him off the field. They didn't appear to be testing him for anything on the side, but continued talking to him for several minutes.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)
 

1st Quarter

7:40 p.m.  Packers' 3rd Drive  2:40
Rodgers to Hall is even producing big time yardage on these plays.  The old key pass, where he leaks out of the background and gets 18 yards.  Nice.

The great sign in this game so far: Rodgers is 8-8.  If the Packers could throw the football every play and onside kick so the pass defense never has to show up  (with recoveries), this team could be incredible.

RODGERS - JENNINGS!  Wide open - he toasted the defender for 34 yards.  Burnt toast.  Throw that in the garbage.

Phew...next play was down by contact.  I have a feeling this season could be scarier than we think.

7:36 p.m.  Browns' 3rd Drive  4:01
Uh oh.

@Greg_A_Bedard: "Grant (hit to head) unlikely to return. Nice way to say possible concussion."

Browns decide to test their running game and get three yards a carry, and nothing more.  If a defense averages 3 yards a carry against them, that's a fantastic average.

3rd-4 at Clev 24: GREAT breakup by Brady "BODABINGA" Poppinga!  That's a strength for him now.  Used to be a weakness.

7:24 p.m.  Packers' 2nd Drive 8:32
Cleveland 14, Green Bay 7
Rodgers-Jennings 25 yd TD pass
"Aren't you glad this is preseason?" - Larry McCarren to Wayne Larrivee.

Sam Shields with the kickoff return this time, and the Packers' blockers gave him no room to work with.  13 yard return?  Thought we were supposed to have an improved kick return team.

Grant was limping rather noticably after his 2nd down 1-yard run.  Uh oh.

3rd-5 at GB 21: Rodgers gets Lee for the first down.  BARELY.  One of those throws to a guy behind the first down line.  WHY DO THEY THROW THOSE????

THERE WE GO!  Great throw to Finley for a 17-yard gain and a broken tackle to boot.  This team needed a jolt of adrenaline.

Rodgers goes 2-2...make that 3-3....loving the tight ends with Finley taking it 13 yards.  The throw to the tight end is Aaron Rodgers' friend.

Rodgers to Jones - GREAT back-hip throw on one of those one-step drops.  Those kind of patterns are offensive linemen's friends, because they mean the least amount of time getting pummeled while pass protecting.

Rodgers - end zone - JENNINGS in the corner!  We will be seeing a LOT 

of that this year.

7:20 p.m.  Browns' 1st Drive  8:48
Cleveland 14, Green Bay 0
Wallace-Robiskie 13 yd TD pass
Seneca Wallace comes in to replace Delhomme, who got the one series of rhythm he needed because the Packers' defense let him.

3rd-10 at the GB 13: Wallace flushed but he makes a heck of a throw going the other way, and the Packers' defense didn't stay with the Cleveland target, Robiskie, who beat Collins to the corner of the end zone.

7:16 p.m.  Packers' 1st Drive  9:04
Jackson with the kickoff return from teh 20 and he ran right into the wedge, letting Cleveland's coverage team halt his progress.  Part Cleveland excellence in destroying the wedge, part Jackson having no vision.

Grant FUMBLES!  Sheldon Brown recovery.  Boo birds rain down on Lambeau's turf, and expletives rain down here in the newsroom.

"This is about as ugly a start to a preseason game as you can get." - Larry McCarren

7:06 p.m.  Browns' 1st Drive  15:00 left in quarter as drive starts
Cleveland 7, Green Bay 0
11 plays, 80 yards, 5:56
Harrison 4 yd TD run
"It's great to have you with us wherever you're listening to Packers football." - Wayne

Love hearing those words.  It means life is back in this state - in some ways.

"Got a man wide open" - Wayne.  That's Evan Moore, the tight end, on the first play, and no one within five yards of him.

What is this, soft zone?  Two straight 17-yard gains to start the game? 

No pass rush, wide open guys?  This isn't Arizona w/Warner, Fitzgerald and Breaston in the playoffs, folks.  The Packers could get completely gashed this year if the first two plays are any statement.

This secondary has got a lot to prove after a third straight completion for good yardage.

Nick Collins makes the first good pass defense play of the game, reaching over the Cleveland receiver to make a stop on 2nd down.

3rd-long at the cusp of field goal range - Massaquoi makes a catch out of first down range, but in field goal range.

Still, they go on 4th down - and the Packers get gashed in the red zone by Massaquoi.  This time, Underwood at fault.

Noticing Mike McCarthy buttoning that top button on his summer shirt.  Loosen up, buddy...but tighten up your pass defense.

Delhomme looking like he did in that Super Bowl loss against Carolina - able to hit any receiver he wants at any time, seemingly.

Harrison gashes the line up the middle for the score.

Pregame

7:04 p.m.
Coin toss....the ref has to practice his toss, too.....Cleveland wins it and will receive.

6:55 p.m.
How good to hear the screams of the Lambeau Field crowd for the first time in more than seven months as the PA announcer gives the starting lineup.  It never, ever gets old.

6:46 p.m.
Brandon Chillar's not starting at a linebacker position tonight, but you will see lots of him.  How he might be used could be as a jack-of-all trades, shifting him around, because that's part of what makes the 3-4 dangerous when it's run right - you don't know where it's coming from.

6:40 p.m.
Interesting to see the move for Bryan Bulaga to left guard.  Could he beat out Daryn Colledge, as a rookie?  Hmmmm......not like he'll be massively tested tonight.  It's Cleveland, after all.

Preview

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- The Green Bay Packers are limping a bit as they begin their preseason schedule Saturday against the Cleveland Browns.

Coach Mike McCarthy said his starters, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers, will play about 20 snaps before they exit the game at Lambeau Field.

"The bottom line is I want to see these guys compete," McCarthy said. "I want to see them perform at a high level. There's more things that go on in a preseason game. It's not as much about winning and losing. It's trying to get certain segments of your football team intact, trying to get players the proper reps."

Since the first-stringers could be on the field for as few as two or three series, the backups are sure to get plenty of game action. Some of those reserves have been pressed into starting roles as the most demanding part of the preseason took a toll on the Packers' 80-man roster.

The Packers started training camp July 31 with half of their returning starting secondary -- cornerback Al Harris (knee) and safety Atari Bigby (ankle) -- on the physically unable to perform list.

Brad Jones, penciled in to replace departed free agent Aaron Kampman at outside linebacker, left the opening practice with a back injury and missed most of the first week.

Clay Matthews, who was a Pro Bowl player as a rookie last season at the other outside linebacker spot, dropped out of the team's scrimmage last Saturday with a hamstring injury. Matthews is sidelined for at least two weeks.

Other injuries at linebacker left the Packers so thin that they moved Spencer Havner back to defense in practice Thursday after he was converted to tight end last year.

"I think it's more of an emergency thing," said Havner, who McCarthy said could be used as a two-way player in a game.

With Bigby likely to miss the entire preseason after undergoing a second surgery on his troublesome left ankle Aug. 6, rookie Morgan Burnett will make first start at strong safety.

"You get your chance, opportunity to really show what you've got," said Burnett, a third-round draft pick from Georgia Tech. "So, I look forward to it, and I'm excited for it."

Offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga, the team's first-round pick, has made a favorable early impression on the coaches. The Packers planned to keep Bulaga as the understudy to veteran Chad Clifton at left tackle, but they moved the powerful rookie from Iowa to left guard earlier this week to challenge incumbent starter Daryn Colledge.

"He has earned this right," McCarthy said of Bulaga. "He's been impressive."

Other injured Packers not expected to play Saturday include safety Will Blackmon (knee) and offensive lineman Jason Spitz (calf). Wide receiver Donald Driver (calf) and linebacker Nick Barnett (knees) are questionable.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)