2014 NFL Preseason: Chase Rettig, Nate Freese Make NFL Debuts
By Joe Micik
Former Boston College Eagles football players Chase Rettig and Nate Freese made their first NFL appearances on Saturday night in their respective teams’ Week 1 preseason games.
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Freese had a fine night for the Detroit Lions, doing precisely what he was asked to do. Boston College fans were accustomed to him making every kick over the course of his maroon and gold career, and his Honolulu blue, silver, black, and white career (very clunky; lacks the simplicity of maroon and gold) began with him doing the same.
Nate Freese made both field goals, a 37-yard kick and a 32-yard kick. As Eagles fans know, he is virtually automatic from within 40 yards, and it seems that the bright lights of the NFL have not affected him negatively so far.
As for Chase Rettig, the outing was a bit less enjoyable. He took to the field for the first time for the Green Bay Packers, entering the game in the fourth quarter as the third quarterback used by Green Bay.
Rettig’s first NFL drive began inside Tennessee Titans territory following a fumble, but the Packers went backwards. Chase Rettig lost a yard on a first-down carry and was sacked on third down, culminating in a three-and-out for the Pack.
Fortunately, Chase Rettig’s second drive for Green Bay started even closer to the Tennessee end zone in light of another turnover by the Titans. His first pass attempt came on third and long inside the red zone, but it fell incomplete and Green Bay settled for a field goal.
A long Rettig throw later on in the fourth quarter resulted in defensive pass interference; his first actual completion came on a 3rd & 10 conversion, which followed another sack.
Rettig’s final stat line for the evening was 1-for-3, 10 yards, and two sacks.
Nate Freese might end up as his team’s starting kicker, though at this point there is not a great deal of hope that Rettig will make the Packers out of camp. Neither evaluation is based upon Saturday night’s games; rather, the conventional wisdom.