Despite the loss to the Vikings, there was a clear silver lining in Week 1 for the Green Bay Packers.
There wasn't much to smile about for the Green Bay Packers over the weekend against the Minnesota Vikings.
Green Bay blew a double-digit lead late in the game, falling to the Vikings in Week 1 of the NFL season. Much like how last season ended, the start of the 2026 season felt very similar.
But the Packers will try to regroup, getting their year back on track. Green Bay will be hosting the New York Jets in Week 1, giving them a decent chance to make it happen.
In the game against Minnesota, there were a few bright spots for the Packers, despite the collapse at the end. One of those came from kicker Trey Smack, who had a strong debut for the Packers.
Smack hit a 59-yard field goal, a 43-yard field goal, and a 26-yard field goal. The kicker also nailed a 40-yard field goal that was taken back by a penalty from the Vikings, where head coach Matt LaFleur took the points off the board.
This decision proved to be costly for the Packers, leading to the collapse at the end of the game. But the play from Smack proved that Green Bay may have found its kicker, which is a silver lining for this team.
Smack did miss an extra point, but given how the game went, his other field goals deserve to be celebrated even more. Following his performance, Rob Demovsky of ESPN had some high praise for the Packers kicker.
"How about a 59-yarder for your first NFL field goal? Smack nailed it in the first quarter against the Vikings. He made all of his field goal attempts, also hitting from 43 and 26 yards. He even made a 40-yarder that coach Matt LaFleur took off the board because of a penalty on the Vikings. Smack's only miscues were a missed extra point attempt and one kickoff into the end zone," Demovsky wrote.
The rookie showed that he could handle the pressure of kicking in an NFL game, especially in a hostile environment like Minnesota. This could bode well for the Packers down the line, when games become tighter as the season goes on.
Smack's debut was a positive from the tough loss for the Packers, and having a reliable kicker can make all the difference during a season. Green Bay will hope that Smack can continue to perform at a high level, giving them a chance to do damage this year.
