GREEN BAY, Wis. – Vince Young took a major step toward winning the Green Bay Packers' backup quarterback job Friday in the Packers' 17-10 preseason loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
The former first-round draft pick outplayed Graham Harrell, who couldn’t produce any points in five series (including four with the starting offensive line).
Young, who replaced Harrell in the third quarter, led an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive on his first possession. Although Young nearly threw an interception on his third play, the 30-year-old showed that if nothing else, he can still make plays with his feet. He scrambled for 21 and 18 yards on the touchdown drive. He also showed he can be effective running play-action bootlegs. He hit tight end Andrew Quarless for 16 yards on one such play, which helped set up Young’s 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Jonathan Amosa.
Young’s second -- and final -- series was a three-and-out that was ruined by a shotgun snap that sailed over his head. He finished 6-of-7 passing for 41 yards. With one touchdown pass and no interceptions, his rating was 130.7. He rushed three times for 39 yards.
Harrell relieved starter Aaron Rodgers, who got only one series, and played the entire second quarter behind the starting offensive line, plus another series in the third quarter with the No. 2 offensive line. Harrell’s four series with the top offensive line ended with a punt, a fumble by receiver Jarrett Boykin, a turnover on downs after Jermichael Finley dropped a potential touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal at the 2 and another punt. The ball Finley dropped was not a good throw. Harrell, who was 6-for-13 passing for 49 yards with a 52.4 rating, also overthrew several open receivers. His biggest gain was a 25-yard pass-interference penalty on Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.
Here’s a rundown of the rest of the night:
In his lone series, Rodgers went 10 plays and completed 4 of 7 passes for 41 yards. It led to a 38-yard Mason Crosby field goal. It was the Packers’ only possession of the first quarter. In last year’s third preseason game at Cincinnati, Rodgers played the entire first half -- 41 plays over six series. Rodgers took a hard hit on his final play, when center Evan Dietrich-Smith appeared to be late to pick up defensive end Benson Mayowa on a loop move to the inside.
In his preseason debut, running back DuJuan Harris looked rusty and might have reinjured his knee. He rushed for 2 yards on three carries but missed an opportunity for a big gain when he failed to bounce a first-quarter run outside, where there was a big hole. Harris missed the first two preseason games because of a knee injury and then limped off the field in the second quarter and did not return.
Rookie running back Eddie Lacy had no running room. In eight carries, he had minus-5 yards.
Safety Morgan Burnett dropped out after the first series with an apparent hamstring injury.
First-round draft pick Datone Jones, who had played only one preseason snap before Friday because of the ankle injury he sustained Aug. 9 against Arizona, was questionable entering this game after dropping out of practice Wednesday. But after going through warm-ups with no problems, he played a handful of plays in the first half, mostly as the lone defensive lineman in coordinator Dom Capers’ “Bat” package, which is a variation of a dime defense.
Outside linebacker Clay Matthews rushing against a running back is a matchup the Packers would take every time. On a five-man rush, Matthews easily beat Seahawks running back Robert Turbin and sacked Russell Wilson.
Starting left tackle David Bakhtiari had a rough series in the second quarter, when he was called for a holding penalty that wiped out an 11-yard run by Lacy and then got beat on an inside move by linebacker Mike Morgan, who tipped a Harrell pass.
Crosby rebounded from his woeful practice Wednesday, when he missed three consecutive field goals. He made his only field goal attempt of the night, the 38-yarder in the first quarter.
Rookie safety Chris Banjo helped his case for the No. 4 safety job. He stopped tight end Luke Willson a yard short of the first-down marker on a third-and-5 pass in the second quarter. He also made a tackle on special teams.
Seahawks receiver Golden Tate, who caught the controversial touchdown pass on the Hail Mary at the end of the Seahawks’ victory over the Packers last season, was booed when he took the field to return a second-quarter punt.
Casey Hayward and Jerron McMillian both intercepted Wilson. It was Hayward's preseason debut after missing the first two games because of a hamstring injury.
The first half was very chippy and had several altercations and near fights.
The Packers dropped to 1-2 in the preseason.
The following players were not in uniform: WR Randall Cobb (biceps), CB James Nixon (ankle, knee), S Sean Richardson (neck), CB Tramon Williams (knee), OL JC Tretter (ankle), T Bryan Bulaga (knee), T Derek Sherrod (leg), TE Matthew Mulligan (elbow), WR Jordy Nelson (knee) and DE Jerel Worthy (knee).