Positive Takeaways from Preseason Week 1
Thursday night, the Packers hung on to victory over the Houston Texans, 28-26 in Green Bay, but let's start with some honesty. Aside from the first taste of football beginning, there was not much to get excited for in game one of the preseason knowing that we would not see the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, and Davante Adams. The only real part of Thursday's game that the Packers fan base can get excited about is punter, JK Scott. He continues to show why he became the starter, averaging nearly 46 yards on five punts. So until fans can get excited to see their regular season stars, let's take a look at some of the other positive takeaways from players looking to get onto the roster, or onto the field more:
DeShone Kizer (QB) -
We will start with an easy one here. Needless to say, Kizer is a big upgrade from Brett Hundley when talking about viable backup options in the case that Rodgers goes down (again), and that alone is a positive. Important to keep in mind that this is preseason, and Kizer has shown good signs in the preseason, even with the lowly (at the time) Browns. However, he still showed positive signs of the talent everyone saw coming out of Notre Dame, including some decent poise and accuracy, along with good arm strength. The most positive aspect of his game, zero turnovers, which some would say has been his biggest issue. All in all, Kizer looked fine, and is only primed to get better and be more prepared behind Rodgers. Tim Boyle did not look bad either, but I still believe it's Kizer's backup job to lose.
Dexter Williams (RB) -
The fellow Notre Dame alum, a sixth round draft pick, came into this game looking to impress enough to become the 3rd-string RB behind Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, and he did just that. Williams did not get much work at Notre Dame up until his senior year, but showed that he has the skills to be an early-down back. It is no surprise that pass-catching is a weakness of his, but Dexter made some nice cuts, looked quick, and fought for extra yardage. Downhill runners are a big plus in my book, and he showed some of that Thursday night. With the top two backs a little banged up, Packer fans can breathe a bit easier knowing the next man up has the tools to compete. If Jones and J. Williams don't suit up against the Ravens, it will be interesting to see if Dexter can have the same success against a starting defense.
Robert Tonyan (TE) -
Yes, I know I am staying on the offensive side of the ball, but I have been excited about watching this young TE evolve. Robert Tonyan, undrafted out of Indiana State, may be known for his one big highlight last season, a 54-yard TD catch against Seattle. However, this kid is making all the right moves to become an everyday (and good) Tight End. First off, he has put on some weight since last season, good weight. You can see the improvement in his run-blocking skills, and on top of that, he can really catch the ball. He is a natural athlete that lettered in basketball and football in high school, was a quarterback before moving to wide receiver (and even played a few games of QB at Indiana State), and now at around 250 lbs, is a great size for an NFL Tight End. He also worked out and lived with George Kittle during the off-season, which undoubtedly can't hurt. He only had one catch in the preseason game against Houston, but he did a great job splitting coverage before leaping to make a good catch for a first down. With Randall Cobb leaving, and having a young, thin group of receivers, entering in Tonyan can open up the playbook a lot more. Tonyan can be split out as a wide receiver, he can be placed in 2TE sets to spread out the defense, and as we all saw in that big play last year, he can get downfield pretty well too. In LaFleur's system and under Aaron Rodgers leadership, I believe that Tonyan can truly thrive, and I am excited to see how he gets used going forward. I know Marcedes Lewis is listed ahead of him, but I see Tonyan being a clear #2 this season, watch out for this guy.
It is easy to look for positive aspects of your team, but it is even easier to find the negatives, and there were plenty of those in game one also. Next week, I will dive into some problem areas that will need to be addressed before the start of the regular season, after the Packers square off with the Ravens in Baltimore on Thursday.
DeShone Kizer (QB) -
We will start with an easy one here. Needless to say, Kizer is a big upgrade from Brett Hundley when talking about viable backup options in the case that Rodgers goes down (again), and that alone is a positive. Important to keep in mind that this is preseason, and Kizer has shown good signs in the preseason, even with the lowly (at the time) Browns. However, he still showed positive signs of the talent everyone saw coming out of Notre Dame, including some decent poise and accuracy, along with good arm strength. The most positive aspect of his game, zero turnovers, which some would say has been his biggest issue. All in all, Kizer looked fine, and is only primed to get better and be more prepared behind Rodgers. Tim Boyle did not look bad either, but I still believe it's Kizer's backup job to lose.
Dexter Williams (RB) -
The fellow Notre Dame alum, a sixth round draft pick, came into this game looking to impress enough to become the 3rd-string RB behind Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, and he did just that. Williams did not get much work at Notre Dame up until his senior year, but showed that he has the skills to be an early-down back. It is no surprise that pass-catching is a weakness of his, but Dexter made some nice cuts, looked quick, and fought for extra yardage. Downhill runners are a big plus in my book, and he showed some of that Thursday night. With the top two backs a little banged up, Packer fans can breathe a bit easier knowing the next man up has the tools to compete. If Jones and J. Williams don't suit up against the Ravens, it will be interesting to see if Dexter can have the same success against a starting defense.
Robert Tonyan (TE) -
Yes, I know I am staying on the offensive side of the ball, but I have been excited about watching this young TE evolve. Robert Tonyan, undrafted out of Indiana State, may be known for his one big highlight last season, a 54-yard TD catch against Seattle. However, this kid is making all the right moves to become an everyday (and good) Tight End. First off, he has put on some weight since last season, good weight. You can see the improvement in his run-blocking skills, and on top of that, he can really catch the ball. He is a natural athlete that lettered in basketball and football in high school, was a quarterback before moving to wide receiver (and even played a few games of QB at Indiana State), and now at around 250 lbs, is a great size for an NFL Tight End. He also worked out and lived with George Kittle during the off-season, which undoubtedly can't hurt. He only had one catch in the preseason game against Houston, but he did a great job splitting coverage before leaping to make a good catch for a first down. With Randall Cobb leaving, and having a young, thin group of receivers, entering in Tonyan can open up the playbook a lot more. Tonyan can be split out as a wide receiver, he can be placed in 2TE sets to spread out the defense, and as we all saw in that big play last year, he can get downfield pretty well too. In LaFleur's system and under Aaron Rodgers leadership, I believe that Tonyan can truly thrive, and I am excited to see how he gets used going forward. I know Marcedes Lewis is listed ahead of him, but I see Tonyan being a clear #2 this season, watch out for this guy.
It is easy to look for positive aspects of your team, but it is even easier to find the negatives, and there were plenty of those in game one also. Next week, I will dive into some problem areas that will need to be addressed before the start of the regular season, after the Packers square off with the Ravens in Baltimore on Thursday.
Awesome insights into Packers evolving Offense...thank you!!
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