Trey Smack Missed His Third PAT, His Eighth Kick This Season, And The Packers’ 6-3 Lead Feels Shaky

The Green Bay Packers are only up 6-3 on the Carolina Panthers, but their rookie kicker Trey Smack already hit the left upright on an extra point try with 5:08 left in the first quarter. That’s his third missed PAT of the season, and eighth kick overall he’s whiffed on. Yikes.

Smack’s Struggles Are No Longer a Fluke

This isn’t some one-off. Last week, this sixth-round rookie cost the Packers points from 26 and 35 yards out in their 20-17 loss to the Lions. The team stuck with him, and now, he’s just missed another extra point. It’s tough watching a young guy struggle, but when it’s your kicker, and he’s missed eight kicks in total this season, you’ve gotta wonder how long Green Bay can keep riding with this decision. Every point matters, especially when you’re only up by three.

Early Game Jitters and Big Plays

The game itself got off to a wild start. Packers wide receiver Coleman Owen fumbled the opening kickoff, and Panthers linebacker Nick Hampton was right there to recover it. Carolina couldn’t do much with the gift, though. They only gained 8 yards on the drive before Ryan Fitzgerald put the Panthers on the board with a 39-yard field goal.

But the Packers responded, getting on the board on their very next possession. Jordan Love connected with Tucker Kraft for a 12-yard touchdown, giving Green Bay the lead. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for that drive either. Love threw an incomplete pass to Matthew Golden on third-and-11, but rookie Will Lee from the Panthers got flagged for pass interference, giving the Packers a fresh set of downs. So far, Love is looking decent, going 5-of-7 for 43 yards and that lone touchdown.

With the first quarter winding down, the Packers hold a razor-thin 6-3 lead. Every drive, every snap, every *kick* feels crucial right now. Can Jordan Love keep finding answers, or will these missed points come back to bite Green Bay later in the game?

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Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.