The Green Bay Packers kicked off their 2019 season with a victory Thursday night, beating the Houston Texans 28-26 in Lambeau. While most of Green Bay’s headline players were sidelined, the game was a great first look at some young new players and a basic outline of what Matt LaFleur’s offense will look like.

Kizer isn’t it

With Aaron Rodgers absent for the preseason opener, DeShone Kizer got the start for the Packers and was given the entire first half to operate the Green Bay offense. The box score shows that Kizer’s night was mostly a success — 8 for 13 with 102 yards and a touchdown. He was efficient, manufactured a scoring drive, and most importantly; kept the ball out of the arms of opposing defenders. Unfortunately, his stats show little substance and don’t hold up when taking a deep dive into the film. The biggest takeaway from Kizer’s night was how uncomfortable he looked operating behind the line. He was visibly overwhelmed by the Texans’ pressure, had very little pocket awareness, and the only consistency he showed was his inaccuracy throwing the football. For a third-year player who started 15 games his rookie season, you’d expect more poise and a much more calm demeanor going up against second and third-string players in the preseason. You’d expect some progression from year one and two to year three. Kizer showed none of that That’s been the problem with Kizer his entire career; he hasn’t progressed or been able to take steps forward. Fifteen games into his rookie season he was still making the same mistakes and poor decisions he was in his first start. And now in year two with the Packers, year three overall, he still looks as wide-eyed and overwhelmed as he did on day one. Yes, there is some potential there with Kizer. But at this point, trying to maximize that potential isn’t worth the resources that are needed to be put in. Maybe Tim Boyle is the answer at the backup spot, or maybe Brian Gutekunst has to get on the phone and bring someone in. But the one blatantly obvious thing: DeShone Kizer is not the answer.

Packers newcomer Za’Darius Smith is a leader

Maybe the most significant takeaway of Thursday night had nothing to do with anything that happened on the field. Newly acquired defensive end Za’Darius Smith is embracing a leadership role with the Packers, and that is nothing but good news for the team. Smith did not suit up or play on Thursday night but stole the show from the sidelines. In a game where defensive energy was exceedingly high and young defenders were making plays all over the field, there was one common thread: Za’Darius Smith was the first guy to greet players on the sidelines. This shouldn’t come as a shock to those who have followed Smith closely this offseason. Numerous reports have documented Smith’s vocal leadership throughout OTA’s and the start of training camp, and his willingness to help young defenders where he can. His relationship with rookie Rashan Gary, in particular, has garnered much attention. Smith has taken to Gary over the offseason and vise versa, and that was on full display Thursday night. Since winning the Super Bowl in 2011, the Packers have lacked defensive intensity and energy. That’s mainly because they lacked an identity or a vocal leader to rally around. For far too long the Green Bay defense has felt like a second fiddle to Aaron Rodgers and the offense, and that has shown in their play. Remember Charles Woodson’s riveting Barack Obama speech following the NFC Championship game against the Chicago Bears? That type of thing can quickly go unnoticed, but when a team leader brings that much intensity, it is reciprocated on the field by other players. It looks like Za’Darius Smith is up to the challenge to become that leader for the Packers defense in 2019. That’s great news for a unit that looks to step out of the shadow of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense.

Dexter Williams is QUICK

A few weeks back, I wrote about the depth of Green Bay’s running back group and was very high on Dexter Williams. I loved the agility and quickness he showed at his size (5’11’’, 212 lbs), and predicted that if he continues to progress during training camp, he could push Jamaal Williams for the backup spot. After the first few weeks of camp and one preseason game, that is becoming more and more a real possibility. William’s numbers were impressive on Thursday night — 14 carries for 62 yards. But more than the stats, the tape itself was undeniably exciting. Over the past few years, the running game has gone through a sort of mini-revolution with guys like Le’Veon Bell bringing a new, more patient, style of running to the game. We now more than ever see backs slow play in the backfield and wait for creases to open up before accelerating through the hole. While that style of rushing has proven to be effective, it can be widely frustrating when it doesn’t work. Williams is a throwback to a more traditional style of runner in the NFL — a style that will thrive in Matt Lafleur’s system. He has tremendous acceleration off the snap of the ball. On nearly every one of his 14 carries on Thursday, he was going full speed towards the hole before he even got the football in his hands. That makes it increasingly difficult for defenders to stop him at the point of attack. There were multiple instances against Houston where Texans defenders were in the perfect position to make a stop at the line of scrimmage, but Williams’ initial burst forced a missed tackle. Once he gets through the line, he has incredible quickness to make one cut and burst forward for extra yardage. At times on Thursday, the game looked like a dress rehearsal practice where Williams was playing at 100% while the other 21 players were at 75%. When he was on the field, Williams looked clearly better than everyone else. That’s a telling sign that he deserves a role in Green Bay’s offense.

Ty Summers

No player improved their standing more on Thursday night than seventh-round linebacker Ty Summers. Summers had a game-high 10 tackles (9 solos) and had a hand in multiple big-time defensive plays. The biggest asset an inside linebacker can possess is the instincts to read a play and get to the football, and Summers demonstrated time and time again he has that trait. Not everything was peachy for Summers: A few times he was exposed in coverage and made a couple of critical mistakes that lead to big-time scambles by Texans QB Joe Webb. But all things considered, it was a tremendous start out of the blocks for the seventh-round rookie. At the very least, Summers showed that he belongs on an NFL roster and can be an asset to a team. He’s still extremely raw and has much development before he’s a finished product, but he has the tools to be an NFL caliber player. You do not say that often about players drafted in the final round. Summers 2019 season may only be subject to special teams until he develops more, but he has certainly proven to be a great find by Gutenkust.

Turnovers

The most obvious takeaway from preseason Week 1 was Green Bay’s ability to create turnovers. The Packers were 29th in takeaways last season and tied for 19th in turnover differential. That made Thursday night a breath of fresh air when the Packers defense forced 2 Joe Webb interceptions and scooped up 2 more fumble recoveries. Obviously, the guys that were out there on Thursday night won’t be the same guys playing on Sunday’s, but just the fact that Mike Pettine’s scheme had guys in position to make plays is a step in the right direction. The energy and intensity of the defensive unit was also visibly increased over what we have even seen in some recent regular-season games. While that should be a great testament to second and third-string players’ hunger to make the team and contribute, there is no doubt that that sort of energy trickles down from the highest positions on the defense.

It’s only the preseason

A lot of good things came out of Thursday’s victory for the Packers. Young players were taking advantage of opportunities and making plays, and the overall aura of the team felt different than it has the last couple of years. It is entirely acceptable to come away from Week 1 of the preseason with some optimism for the 2019 Green Bay Packers. There is just one thing to keep in mind: It’s only the preseason. Much of what we see and read at this point of the season is overblown and won’t translate to the regular season. After all, the 2008 0-16 Detroit Lions went 4-0 in the Preseason.