GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Even without Aaron Rodgers and several other key players, the Green Bay Packers started their delayed preseason schedule with a 17-11 win over the Cleveland Browns on Friday night.
The Packers also played without top receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, and linebackers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers as they held off the Browns, who are starting anew with Hue Jackson as coach and Robert Griffin III at quarterback.
Mason Crosby booted a pair of 54-yard field goals, and undrafted rookie Joe Callahan threw a touchdown pass as the fill-in for Rodgers.
Jackson made Griffin the team's starting quarterback on Monday as the Browns look to end a slide of eight straight losing seasons, including a last-place finish in the AFC North the last five years.
Coach Mike McCarthy decided to rest the 32-year-old Rodgers even after the Packers' matchup with the Indianapolis Colts in the Hall of Fame game Sunday was canceled because of poor field conditions.
The Packers also were without Rodgers' top backup, second-year QB Brett Hundley, who suffered an ankle injury in practice last week.
Copyright 2016 by The Associated Press
