Love says Packers are ready for start of season after performing better in their 2nd joint practice

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love believes the Packers are ready for the regular season.

The Packers had reason to feel good about themselves after bouncing back with a solid performance on both sides of the ball Thursday in a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens, two days before the teams meet again in their preseason finale.

“I like where we’re at offensively,” Love said. “I think we’re ready to go, get the season started.”

Packers coach Matt LaFleur wasn’t saying Thursday whether he planned to play his starters at all Saturday. The Ravens generally don’t play any of their starters during preseason games.

So this might have represented the last chance for key players on both teams to face off against an opponent before the start of the regular season. That led to a crisp session that didn’t include the fighting that often mars other joint practices across the league.

“That’s just being a pro,” Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely said regarding the lack of pushing or shoving.

The Ravens have their season opener Sept. 5 on the road against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, while the Packers face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 6 at Sao Paulo, Brazil.

For the Packers, this represented an opportunity for the offense to reassert itself after a disappointing effort last week in Denver. Green Bay’s starters acknowledged they didn’t do well enough in a joint practice against the Broncos. The starters then rested in the exhibition game as Green Bay’s reserves struggled through a 27-2 loss.

Green Bay looked much better Thursday.

Love threw an early interception to Roquan Smith but regrouped and threw four touchdown passes — two to Romeo Doubs and one each to Christian Watson and Tucker Kraft — in red zone drills.

Backup quarterback Sean Clifford, who was 6 of 10 for 43 yards with an interception in the loss to Denver, had a nice long completion to Malik Heath.

“I think we were a little sloppy in Denver, just a lot of small details that in the grand scheme of the play kind of dictate whether it’s a good play or not,” Love said. “I think just being locked into all those little details, and we did a great job of doing that today. Then you can go out there and just play and make some plays and get the ball to the playmakers. It was definitely an emphasis to have a better start today.”

For the Ravens, this was a chance for a rebuilt offensive line to see how well it could protect reigning MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens lost guards Kevin Zeitler to the Detroit Lions and John Simpson to the New York Jets in free agency, and they traded tackle Morgan Moses to the Jets.

While the Packers appeared to have plenty of success applying pressure, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he liked how his linemen responded.

“I can’t wait to see the tape, but I was happy with how firm the pocket was 90% of the time,” Harbaugh said.

An encouraging sign for Green Bay’s defense came from rookie safety Evan Williams. The fourth-round pick from Oregon continued his impressive training camp by picking off a pass from Ravens backup quarterback Josh Johnson.

“I definitely feel pretty good, pretty confident about my play,” Williams said. “I definitely try to just block out all noise. You’ll hear good noise. You’ll hear bad noise just as much and it’s all great in the moment to be feeling like the man, but it doesn’t mean much if you can’t continue it, you can’t do it the next day.”

NOTES: Ravens All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton met with the team’s training staff after he appeared to hurt himself while covering Watson. Harbaugh said after practice that it’s nothing serious. … This joint practice provided a reunion of sorts for Jackson and Packers CB Jaire Alexander, who played together at Louisville. “I always joke with him, ‘When we gonna meet in the Super Bowl, man?' ” Alexander said. “I think the time is coming soon.” ... The Packers signed DL Keonte Schad, who played for the United Football League’s Houston Roughnecks this year.

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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws a pass during an NFL football joint training camp practice with the Green Bay Packers Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) greet each other on the field during an NFL football joint training camp practice Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Emory Jones (10) hands the ball off to running back John Kelly Jr. (33) during an NFL football joint training camp practice with the Green Bay Packers Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson catches a pass during an NFL football joint training camp practice with the Green Bay Packers Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Keith Kirkwood (87) rides a bike while a young fan carries his helmet during an NFL football joint training camp practice with the Green Bay Packers Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws a pass during an NFL football joint training camp practice with the Green Bay Packers Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker signs autographs during an NFL football joint training camp practice with the Green Bay Packers Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23) and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) share a laugh during an NFL football joint training camp practice Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Pravin Gordhan, who was a South African government minister for many years after beginning his political career opposing apartheid, died Friday. He was 75 and had cancer.

Gordhan, a long-time member of the African National Congress party, retired from active politics after the May elections when the ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first since it came into power in 1994.

“Mr. Gordhan passed away peacefully in hospital surrounded by his family, closest friends and his long-time comrades in the liberation struggle in the early hours of this morning,” his family said in a statement early Friday following his death after being hospitalized this week.

“We have lost an outstanding leader whose unassuming persona belied the depth of intellect, integrity and energy with which he undertook his activism, his duty as a parliamentarian and his roles as a member of Cabinet,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement.

A political activist from his teenage years, Gordhan joined the struggle against the racist and oppressive system of apartheid and joined the ANC's underground structures in the 1980s.

He was one of the negotiators for the country's peaceful transition to a constitutional democracy and became a member of parliament in 1994 after Nelson Mandela became the country's first democratically elected president.

His last position in government was as the minister of public enterprises from 2018 to 2024 in charge of state-owned enterprises. He served two terms as finance minister from 2009 to 2014 and again from 2015 to 2017.

From 1999 to 2009, Gordhan was the head of the South Africa Revenue Services, which he was credited with transforming into a world-class tax and customs service.

Gordhan was an outspoken critic of corruption in government and state-owned enterprises, and was one of the ministers who criticized the leadership of former President Jacob Zuma while he was still serving in his Cabinet.

FILE - South Africa's Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan appears at the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Nov. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

FILE - South Africa's Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan appears at the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)