DeShone Kizer came into the preseason as the Green Bay Packers' primary backup quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers. Not only was he confident that he would win the backup job, he was already talking about feeling that his career had much bigger things in store. Unfortunately, that hasn't been backed up on the field throughout the team's first two preseason games.
In the team's first preseason game in a 28-26 win over the Houston Texans, Kizer ended up completing eight of his 13 pass attempts for 102 yards, a touchdown, and zero interceptions. That game raised a lot of optimism in Green Bay that he was turning a corner.
Next up for the Packers was a preseason Week 2 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. Kizer completed five of his 10 attempts for 70 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. Not a bad performance from the third-year quarterback.
While he hasn't played poorly, Kizer has not shown dominance just yet. Green Bay is a bit worried about their backup quarterback depth, especially with the issues that Rodgers has had with staying healthy in recent years.
All of that being said, Kizer can change everything with a big performance in Canada this week against the Oakland Raiders. Here are three things that fans should be watching for from the backup quarterback.
3. Accuracy
Quite simply, Kizer has to prove that he can put passes on the money. He has had some consistency issues with his accuracy throughout his first two seasons and has missed some throws so far this preseason.
Green Bay is going to give him a lot of playing time against the Raiders and he has to make the most of it. If he can start showing the ability to hit passes across the middle on all levels of the field, the Packers will feel confident in him as their backup. On the other hand, if he struggles with his accuracy again this week, the franchise could start looking at other options.
2. Continually Improving Leadership
One of the most important things for a quarterback to have is leadership qualities. Kizer has showcased some leadership, but he has not taken control of the offense yet. That needs to happen this week.
Kizer is still young, which means that he isn't going to have full control like Rodgers would have. Even though he is young, the Packers need to see continued improvement. He must come into this game and take control of the team and lead a few successful drives to earn confidence from the team.
1. Continue Taking Care of the Football
So far this preseason, Kizer has not turned the football over. He has had issues with turnovers in his career so far, throwing 22 interceptions as a rookie with the Cleveland Browns. Last year, he threw two picks in three games and also fumbled once.
Taking care of the football is a must for the third-year quarterback out of Notre Dame. Going another game without allowing a turnover would be a big step for him. Green Bay may not commit to him completely as their backup after the third week of preseason play, but these three things should be major focuses for Kizer.
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