As the Packers work through their mini-bye (plus one day), they’ve worked out a trio of running backs.
Per a league source, Green Bay gave Monday tryouts to James Robinson, Clint Ratkovich, and Christian Young.
Robinson, undrafted in 2020, had a 1,000-yard rushing season in Jacksonville as a rookie. He was traded last October to the Jets. Not tendered as a restricted free agent, Robinson signed with the Patriots in March.
They released him in June. He landed with the Giants for training camp and the preseason before being released in late August.
He has had workouts with the Colts and Ravens while he waits for his next opportunity.
The Packers also worked out linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi and defensive backs Thakarius Keyes and Christian Young.
Green Bay visits the Raiders next Monday night.
The Falcons offense has disappeared after a 2-0 start to the season.
Week Three saw them score six points in a loss to the Lions and they managed seven points in Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars in London. They also turned the ball over three times, including interceptions on back-to-back throws by quarterback Desmond Ridder in the second quarter. The Jaguars returned the first one for a touchdown and they also sacked Ridder four times over the course of the game.
After the game, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said that it is on him to find ways to get the offense going again.
“We just have to find a way to jump-start early,” Smith said, via the team’s website. “It’s always going to start with me. We’ve got the right guys in that locker room, but [the offensive struggles early] is a reality. The other reality is that, thankfully, we’re 2-2. We have to get this thing back to Atlanta and get this thing jump-started.”
The Falcons have spent first-round draft picks on tackle Kaleb McGary, guard Chris Lindstrom, tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London, and running back Bijan Robinson since 2019. They are presumably some of the “right guys” Smith believes are in the locker room and further offensive struggles will likely increase discussion about whether Ridder and Smith are the right people to get the most out of those players.
After defeating the Falcons in London on Sunday, the Jaguars are staying across the pond to play the Bills in Week 5.
It’s the first time a team will play back-to-back games in London.
The Jaguars will move hotels in England, but aside from that head coach Doug Pederson said he’s trying to keep his team’s schedule as close to the norm as possible.
“I’ll keep the schedule the same, routine the same,” Pederson said in his postgame press conference. “I will give the guys some time, obviously once we move up to the other hotel, and tomorrow we give up some time to recoup and enjoy the area and then it’s back to work on Tuesday, and we prepare for Buffalo. We try to keep it as normal as I can throughout the week.”
After home losses to the Chiefs and Texans, Pederson noted that the extended international trip came at the right time for the Jags.
“I think we needed to get away,” Pederson said, adding that it feels a little bit like training camp. “Kind of brings you together a little bit, where we’re in the hotel together, we’re eating meals together, we’re in meetings together, practice, so it’s a bonding type experience to kind of reunite with everybody, and that’s what you need sometimes. We’ve got everybody here organizationally, and excited for these next seven days.”
The Jaguars’ season didn’t get off to the best start, but the club has a chance to come home at 3-2 before taking on the Colts, Saints, and Steelers before a Week 9 bye.
Neither young quarterback played particularly well in today’s early game in London, but Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence did more than Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder.
Lawrence hit Calvin Ridley for a 30-yard touchdown pass early, picked up a big pass interference penalty on a deep throw to Ridley late, and avoided major mistakes as the Jaguars grinded out a 23-7 win.
Ridder could not avoid mistakes. He threw a costly pick-six and then threw another interception on his very next pass after that one, and the Falcons were never really in the game. A Ridder fumble late in the fourth quarter sealed the Jaguars’ win. Rookie running back Bijan Robinson continued to show his talent and topped 100 rushing yards for the second time in his young career, but overall the Falcons’ offense was a mess.
The Falcons simply must get their passing game going, and Ridder isn’t getting the job done. It doesn’t help that Kyle Pitts, the highly drafted tight end, has been mostly invisible and is getting out-produced by veteran tight end Jonnu Smith.
The fans in London were not given a jolly good show by the NFL, as this was a largely dull and lifeless game. Now the 2-2 Jaguars will stay in London for next week’s game against a much better opponent, the Bills. The 2-2 Falcons head home for a winnable game against the Texans — winnable if Ridder can play better than he did today.
The Falcons’ offense is a mess this morning in London.
Desmond Ridder threw a pick-six to Jaguars defensive back Darious Williams, as the Jaguars took a 17-0 lead in the second quarter. After the ensuing kickoff, Ridder’s first pass was another interception. He’s been awful today.
It’s been all Jacksonville today, with the Jaguars dominating on both sides of the ball and barely giving the Falcons’ offense any room to operate. A couple of nice plays by rookie running back Bijan Robinson is about all we’ve seen from the Atlanta offense.
London fans have seen more than their fair share of bad football games, and this looks like it may be another.