Man, what a day for special teams precision in Green Bay! While our Seattle Seahawks were busy dropping 30 points on the Chargers in a huge 30-23 win at Lumen, we also got a look at some serious snap-to-hold action over at Lambeau that’s worth breaking down. This week, the Packers’ special teams unit showed some serious consistency on field goals and extra points, with long snapper Matt Orzech delivering the goods.
Snaps, Holds, and a Smooth Operation
For real, these guys were locked in on the snap-to-hold operation. We’re talking three kicks, all made, and the breakdown of snap locations was basically the same as last week. Two of them went right up and into holder Whelan’s body, and the third was a bit over the hold spot, though still slightly into the body. The first kick, an extra point, was smooth sailing. No wind, standard distance, and Whelan had a clean catch and hold, leaning slightly forward and away from the kicker. Quick shoutout to Travis Glover stepping up big time. Last week, Donovan Jennings was late out of his stance and that led to a block. This week? Glover was in that spot, made himself big, and totally shut down any pressure from his outside shoulder. That’s a huge improvement, right?
Zyon McCollum Was Bringing the Heat Early
But it wasn’t all perfect, at least not at first. On that initial extra point, Karl Brooks, who was the outside guy on the left, was a hair late reacting to the snap. That slight delay meant he didn’t force Zyon McCollum wide, and McCollum almost bent the edge enough to get a hand on the ball. You could practically feel the collective gasp. Then came the 58-yard field goal, and Orzech delivered a great snap, up and over the hold spot. Whelan’s lean was even more pronounced, given the distance. Again, McCollum was coming hard off the edge, but this time Brooks got a hand on him, disrupting him just enough. Smack hit that kick with a booming leg. Solid all around, but McCollum was definitely a problem early.
Brooks Seals the Deal, Sends McCollum to the Turf
Alright, let’s get to the third kick, another extra point. Good snap, up and into the body. Whelan with a good hold. Smack splits the uprights. And guess who’s back? McCollum, trying to bend the edge against Brooks on the right side of the screen. But this time? Brooks had seen this movie before. With Belton doing his part to slow down the gap, Brooks just turned and delivered a *nice knock* to McCollum, sending him right to the turf. That’s the kind of protection you love to see when it counts. It’s a testament to adjusting and shutting down a threat.
So yeah, a lot to chew on for the Packers’ special teams unit. They kept those kicks clean for the most part, even with McCollum trying to bend the edge. Good to see that protection step up! Now, back to celebrating our Hawks’ big win against the Chargers! Go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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