Matt LaFleur was not happy.

The Green Bay Packers head coach didn’t like what he saw last week – either at practice or in the preseason game – when his team ventured west to face Denver.

LaFleur should be in a much better mood when he watches the video of Thursday’s joint practice against Baltimore.

The Packers hosted the Ravens for a scrimmage on a Green Bay Chamber of Commerce day. And for the most part, the Packers took it to Baltimore.

The Green Bay Packers’ offense was crisp. The defense gave Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson a hard time. And Packers kicker Anders Carlson made 5 of 5 kicks.

Here’s the good, the bad, and a little bit of ugly from the joint practice between Green Bay and Baltimore.

THE GOOD

TWO-MINUTES FUN: The Packers dominated the Ravens in the 2-minute drills, with Green Bay scoring on all three drives and Baltimore going 0-for-3.

First, Jordan Love had completions to Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs, which enabled a 32-yard field goal by Anders Carlson.

Michael Pratt led the No. 2 offense to the Baltimore 34-yard line, where Greg Joseph made a 52-yard field goal. Then Sean Clifford led the No. 3 offense to the Baltimore 33-yard line, where Carlson made a 51-yard field goal.

On defense, the Green Bay Packers’ core players slowed down the Ravens’ No. 1 offense. Devante Wyatt was able to sack Lamar Jackson early and the Ravens ultimately had to settle for a 55-yard field goal attempt by Justin Tucker, which was too short.

Packers rookie safety Evan Williams intercepted a ball and helped the No. 2 defense get a stop. Then the Green Bay Packers’ No. 3 defense forced a turnover.

TITLETOWN TRADITION: One of the best parts of training camp in Green Bay is that young fans give the players their bikes so they can ride to practice.

On Thursday, many fans gave their bikes to Baltimore players, and several Ravens – including quarterback Lamar Jackson – rode them to practice. Many Ravens also signed countless autographs before practice.

“We talked about this in the team meeting this morning, in terms of the tradition of the kids riding bikes. What a great experience it is for the kids and how unforgettable it will be for them,” LaFleur said. “And don’t take it for granted.”

MAGIC OF THE RED ZONE: The Green Bay Packers’ offense had problems in the red zone throughout training camp. Things went much better on Thursday.

At one point, Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love threw four touchdowns in a row. Love scored two touchdowns on out routes to Romeo Doubs, threw a screen to Tucker Kraft for a touchdown and a fade to Christian Watson for another.

HERE COMES CARLSON: Anders Carlson, Green Bay’s kicker in 2023, seems to have a good chance of being a kicker again in 2024.

Carlson converted all five of his kicks on Thursday, including a 51-yarder and a 35-yarder to tie the game in 2-minute drills. Carlson has hit 15 of 18 (83.3%) last week and 58 of 71 (81.7%) this camp.

Greg Joseph, who is challenging Carlson for the job, made 3 of 4 shots on Thursday and just 10 of 19 last week. Joseph has made 56 of 71 shots (78.9%) this camp.

WAY TO THE CANDIDATE LIST?: For many players fighting for a spot on the roster, their fate could be decided by special teams play.

On Thursday, players such as Ben Sims, Kristian Welch, Zayne Anderson, Corey Ballentine, Robert Rochell and Grant DuBose worked with Green Bay’s first-team kickoff return unit.

“I don’t want to make it a comparison between an experienced player and a younger player,” LaFleur said. “Certainly the experienced players have more experience, especially in this role, but I think

you also have to look ahead a little to see where we can take the guys.”

WELCOME BACK: The following players have returned to practice in the last two days: defensive end Preston Smith, defensive end Keshawn Banks (groin) and linebacker Ralen Goforth (concussion).

NEW KID IN TOWN: The Packers signed former Madison East (Wis.) and Oregon State defensive lineman Keonte Schad ahead of Thursday’s joint practice against Baltimore. Green Bay needed reinforcements on offense with Spencer Waege out with a concussion.

THIS AND THAT: Malik Heath caught a 40-yard pass from Sean Clifford. … Michael Pratt completed a 25-yard pass to Grant DuBose. … Rookie safety Evan Williams caught a pass from Josh Johnson for his fifth interception of camp.

THE BAD

STAY AWAY FROM THE QUARTERBACK!: Last week, a joint practice between Green Bay and Denver turned heated after Broncos defensive lineman Nick Bonitto hit quarterback Jordan Love’s arm.

Afterward, Love said he thought his arm was hit by Packers right tackle Zach Tom. On Thursday, LaFleur confirmed it was Bonitto — and he wasn’t happy.

“They’re wearing a different colored jersey for a reason,” LaFleur said. “Stay away from the quarterback. It’s not that hard. And I get it. Guys are competing with each other, they want to make a difference, but at the same time, these guys are hard to get. And you want both teams to hopefully have the respect for each other that we’re going to stay away from the quarterback.”

Things went much more smoothly against Baltimore.

MAN OF SECRET: If you were thinking about attending Saturday’s preseason game between Green Bay and Baltimore — but wanted to wait and see if any of the Packers’ regulars would play — LaFleur didn’t speak up.

LaFleur was asked about this issue twice on Thursday and gave the same answer both times.

“We’ll see,” he said.

REASON FOR CONCERN?: Packers running back AJ Dillon missed the final three games of the 2023 season due to injury.

Dillon suffered another injury during a joint practice against Denver on August 16 and has not been on the field since.

“I had been stabbed before last year,” Dillon said. “Some things happen. Some are worse than others. There’s a different way of looking at it, but like I said, we’re waiting for opinions. We have to look at all the information before we make any untrue statements.”

Dillon came to training camp at about 240 pounds, the lightest weight he said he had been since “high school or maybe my freshman year of college.”

Dillon had a strong training camp and was the favorite to be the Green Bay Packers’ second running back this year. However, when asked about Dillon on Wednesday, LaFleur said, “There are definitely concerns.”

And Dillon himself said it was “human nature” to be concerned.

“There’s nothing you can do,” Dillon said. “I’m not a doctor, so it’s up to you to tell me what you think.”

“I think our coaches want to be safe and smart more than anything. Everyone only has one body. So I’m thinking about how we can be out there and be as protected as possible, but also be able to play carefree and play football the way I want to play football.”

FROM THE INHABITANT: In addition to Dillon, the following Packers had to sit out: running back Marshawn Lloyd (thigh), defensive lineman Spencer Waege (concussion), offensive tackle Andre Dillard (shoulder) and tight end Tyler Davis (shoulder).

THE UGLY

Familiar face: Roquan Smith, who spent his first 4 ½ seasons in Chicago, was traded to Baltimore on October 31, 2022. Smith, who made his second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance in 2023, continued to shine for the Ravens and was extremely active on Thursday.

Smith intercepted a pass from Jordan Love earlier in the day, and he nearly intercepted a second pass in the middle of practice.

Other than that, the Packers were superior to the Ravens in this joint practice, but thanks to Smith, Baltimore was able to record some good moments.

CAMP REPORTS

• Day 1

• Day 2

• Day 3

• Day 4

• Day 5

• Day 6

• Day 7

• Day 8

• Day 9

• Day 10

• Day 11

• Day 12

• Day 13

• Day 14

• Day 15

• Day 16

• Day 17