The Green Bay Packers surely missed Micah Parsons in their discouraging Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The silver lining is that they still managed to bring the heat, even if it ultimately wasn't enough to come out on top. Lukas Van Ness, in particular, had a strong showing in the season opener.
Van Ness was credited with a team-best three total pressures and a sack. Green Bay would surely like to see more of him but would also be thrilled if he could improve in one key area.
Van Ness was the Packers' best pass rusher in Week 1 but also struggled with penalties
According to Pro Football Focus, Lukas Van Ness committed one penalty. However, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic had him with two. Both were offsides, which has been an issue for him dating back to the offseason program.
Head coach Matt LaFleur met with the local media after the game. He stated he was pleased with the defense's performance when asked specifically about Van Ness but also noted that penalties hindered the team.
"Yeah, I thought our defense played really well," LaFleur told reporters (6:44 mark). "Again, there were some unfortunate penalties we had, and that extended drives, and then I thought in the fourth quarter, especially, we offensively put them in some really tough positions."
LaFleur is right to call the defense out. After all, Van Ness wasn't the only offender. Brenton Cox, Chris McClellan, and Jonathan Ford also jumped offsides. That said, he also acknowledged that the defense wasn't the main reason the Packers came crashing down with the game on the line. That would be the offensive line and general manager Brian Gutekunst, since he's failed to do enough to make sure that Jordan Love would have good protection.
The Packers definitely need to cut down on the number of penalties. The defense alone was flagged a concerning nine times. That will need to change if Green Bay wants to win close games. On the other hand, the team's brass should be thrilled about the progress Luke Van Ness showed in the opener.
Lukas Van Ness could finally live up to the expectations the Packers had on him
A first-round pick in 2023, Van Ness failed to live up to his draft billing over the past three years, logging a combined 9.5 sacks and 88 total tackles in that span. But despite his underwhelming production, Green Bay took a gamble on him when it picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. It paid off in Week 1.
Like most of his teammates, though, the former Hawkeye needs to work on his penalty issue. But based on the fact that he's shown improvement dating back to the offseason program, it's fair to assume that he'll continue to make strides as the year progresses.
Now, Lukas Van Ness may not develop into an All-Pro pass rusher, but he could still become a defensive mainstay in Titletown. For the time being, he will help hold the fort while Micah Parsons recovers and will take the pass rush to new heights once they play together.
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