Week 6 turned into a clean night for the Packers’ snap-to-hold operation, even if the details were still worth a close look. Trey Smack was perfect, converting all five of his kicks - two extra points and three field goals - and the operation in front of him mostly kept things tidy.
Daniel Whelan had a steady workload as the holder, and the snaps gave him very little to fight. On the first extra point, the snap came up and to his body with the laces already turned in, giving him an easy catch, a smooth hold and spin, and a clean finish from Smack.
The 25-yard field goal was just as straightforward. That snap landed right in the sweet spot, up and over the hold point, and Whelan caught it with his fingers on the laces. The ball sat slightly forward and away from Smack, the hold stayed true, and the kick split the uprights.
The third kick, another extra point, was the only one with a minor wrinkle. Orzech delivered a good snap over the hold point, but Whelan appeared to catch the back of the ball, creating a small hiccup in the hold. He still recovered without issue, got it down, and Smack sent it through.
The next snap was a little higher than the previous one, but still over the hold point. Whelan took that one by the laces and kept the operation smooth, and Smack again knocked it through.
The final snap was up and into Whelan’s body, and he handled it by the laces with a good hold and a good kick to finish the sequence.
Aside from that brief hiccup on Kick 3, which didn’t affect the timing of the operation, this was the cleanest game this unit has put together so far this year.
In Other News...
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There is still a development curve here, especially with Williams continuing to work on his route running, but the conversation around the group has changed a bit with his return. The Packers also placed Skyy Moore on injured reserve, while Jayden Reed remains on injured reserve, leaving Green Bay with more questions than answers as it tries to piece together the position and figure out how much Williams can handle right away. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Have A Trade Deadline Debate They Cant Ignore
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Among the names being floated are Cody Barton, Donte Jackson, Daron Payne and Landon Dickerson, each tied to a different area of need and each bringing a different price point and level of availability. Dickerson is the most intriguing of the bunch because of his status, and that is where the Packers' debate gets interesting - whether to chase help now, or wait and see how the board breaks as the deadline gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Still Have A Real Problem At Left Guard vs Lions
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Banks has returned to limited practice, which at least suggests progress, but there is still no confirmed timetable for his return. For a Packers offense preparing to face Detroit, that uncertainty matters, because the left guard spot has become one of the few unresolved questions in an otherwise important stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]