Green Bay Packers: 3 Things We Learned from Week 1 of Preseason

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The Green Bay Packers kicked off their preseason against the San Diego Chargers last Thursday.

San Diego took a victory over Green Bay, 21-13, which may come as a shock to some.

The preseason opener could be considered a disappointment to Packer fans, but to others "it's just preseason." If the preseason is any indicator of what the upcoming season will be, should Packer fans be worried?

We will take a look at a few things that we learned after the first week and see how much Green Bay needs to step up to prove that it will be a good season.

Injuries Could Pose a Threat to the Packers' Success

Desmond Bishop/ Getty Images
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It's a little premature to make predictions about the Packers' upcoming season based on one preseason game, but with all the Packer injuries, they could be in trouble.

However, we do know that Marshall Newhouse's injury may have had something to do with Green Bay's loss. It was up to Herb Taylor to protect Rodgers, which was simply not enough.

Newhouse is out with a concussion but is hopeful to return soon.

Getting hurt during the preseason is a huge blow to any team, especially in the case of Desmond Bishop. Bishop hurt his right leg early on and was carted off the field with a knee sprain and possible hamstring injury, according to Paul Imig of Fox Sports, Wisconsin.

This injury could play a key role in the success of the Packers this season, depending on the severity of it.

Is Graham Harrell Ready to Fill Rodgers' Shoes?

Graham Harrell/ Getty Images
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Preseason games are not only used to determine whether or not a team is ready to start up again, but also if certain players are ready to step up.

One of these players that needed to prove he was ready was backup QB Graham Harrell. Rodgers played in the first quarter, then gave the reins over to Harrell to show everyone what he is working with.

Harrell showed some promise after getting off to a rocky start and even had a touchdown in the second quarter. Even though Harrell stepped up to the plate, and for the most part did not disappoint, he still has a lot of work to do.

Living up to Aaron Rodgers is not an easy task, and it will take some serious work.

Sloppy Performance from Both Teams and Officials

Preseason Officials/ Getty Images
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All in all, the Packers and the Chargers played some pretty sloppy football, and the replacement officials seemed to have made matters worse.

According to the Associated Press, the replacement officials are working for the first time in 11 years. Imig of Fox Sports also said that throughout the game, the officials were very "indecisive" and making all kinds of "laughable" calls.

I guess we can say this preseason opener was a bit of a mess. There's not that much time until the regular season begins, but in that time, we expect for the officiating to improve and for the Packers to avoid more injuries.