Packers 38 – Bengals 19: Love, Clifford help Packers roll past Bengals in preseason opener

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jordan Love and Sean Clifford showed they can both move the Green Bay Packers’ offense, at least in an early test against a leaky Cincinnati Bengals defense with few starters on the field.

Love, the replacement for Aaron Rodgers, played only part of the first quarter but was in command as the Packers went on to beat the Bengals 38-19 in the teams’ preseason opener on Friday night. He completed 7 of 10 passes for 46 yards and a lofted a perfect throw to Romeo Doubs for a 9-yard touchdown.

For the Bengals, Joe Burrow sat out with a calf strain — he likely wouldn’t have played anyway — as Jake Browning and Trevor Siemian split the reps at quarterback.

Love — also impressive in a joint practice with the Bengals on Wednesday — spent three seasons as the backup to the four-time MVP Rodgers, who was traded to the New York Jets.

Clifford, a rookie out of Penn State, got most of the playing time for Green Bay after Love took a seat. He directed three touchdown drives but was also intercepted twice by Bengals safety Tycen Anderson, who brought the first one back 43 yards for the Bengals’ only first-half TD.

Clifford finished 20 for 26 for 208 yards and a touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Davis.

Green Bay’s quarterbacks distributed passes to 14 receivers who are hoping to be part of a new-look offense, which also lost last year’s leading receiver, Allen Lazard, and its top two tight ends.

Emanuel Wilson ran for two touchdowns, including a breakaway 80-yarder, for Green Bay.

UP NEXT

Packers: Host New England on Aug. 19. The teams are scheduled to have a joint practice next week.