This past Week 5 was a wild ride for the Packers’ special teams, especially when it came to their snap-to-hold operation on field goals and extra points. We had six kicks to break down, and if you saw the game, you already know a lot of those outcomes were anything but pretty. It’s time to slow things down and really dig into what’s happening.
Snap, Hold, and Hope: A Rollercoaster of Consistency
Let’s be real, the snap location for Whelan, the holder, was all over the place. Kick 1, an extra point they did make, featured the highest snap we’ve seen all season. It was right at Whelan’s face, not quite over the helmet but definitely facemask-level. Credit to Whelan, he still got the hold down well, leaning it slightly forward and away from Smack. Then Kick 2, another made extra point, was pure beauty! Slightly inside, perfectly over the hold spot, and that rotation? Chef’s kiss. Whelan had an easy hold-and-spin, and Smack punched it through, even with the wind swirling like crazy.
But then things got rocky. Kick 3, an extra point they missed, saw a snap that was a little high again, though still over the hold point. Whelan did his job, but Smack might have overstepped his plant foot, getting too close to the ball with his heel aligned with it. That left his back shoulder flying open, causing him to pull the ball wide. Later, on Kick 5, a 43-yard field goal they missed, the snap was actually decent, right to Whelan’s body. He grabbed it, spun it, got it to an ideal hold, and Smack just pulled it. Again! Then Kick 6, a 47-yard field goal, also missed. Snap was over the hold, good hold, but Smack *pushed* it this time. That’s two pulls and a push; this isn’t just bad luck, is it?
Blocking Blunders and Kicking Concerns
It’s not just the kicks themselves that are cause for concern. On Kick 3, that missed extra point, it looked like Karl Brooks didn’t alter his man’s path. His hands were too high, the same issue we saw last week! When guys can dip under, he’s got nothing to stop them. That’s not just a one-off, that’s a pattern, and it’s dangerous.
Then on Kick 4, a 35-yard field goal they actually made, despite a good snap, hold, and kick, we nearly saw a block. Jordan Morgan (#77) completely lost his man to the inside, and Brooks (#94) couldn’t get a hand on his guy either. That could have been an easy block! This is the first time Morgan has really popped as an issue on tape, but Brooks is repeating last week’s mistakes. When you’ve got issues on both the kicking and the blocking end, that’s a recipe for disaster.
This unit needs to lock it in. They’re leaving points on the field, and giving up potential blocks. Looking ahead to next week, they absolutely *have* to clean this up. Every point matters, and every blocked kick can swing a game. This is not the kind of “special” we want from special teams. They’ve gotta figure this out.
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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