The Green Bay Packers are 5-2 thanks to their thrilling 24-22 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. While the offense put up far fewer yards (277 total yards) than their season average (383, the fifth-most in the NFL), Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes and Josh Jacobs averaged 6.3 yards per carry. Defensively, the team held Texans star quarterback CJ Stroud to just 86 passing yards and a 47.6% completion percentage.What was most encouraging about the win, however, was that Green Bay’s new kicker, Brandon McManus, made the game-winning field goal as time expired. He joined the team just days before the game to replace Brayden Narveson, who missed five kicks in six games.
But Houston called a timeout right before the snap, so it did not count.
On the second attempt, the snap from Matt Orzech to holder Daniel Whelan, the Packers’ punter, was low. Thanks to Whelan’s kick thinking and reflexes, he was able to place the ball down fast enough and in such a way that McManus could get the kick off.
McManus, too, had to make a last nanosecond adjustment in his approach to the ball. Because he is a veteran, he knew exactly how to adjust and was able to make the field goal anyway.
For the first time in a long time, Green Bay’s special teams won them a game.
But as good as the win was, the low snap from Orzech was a much-discussed topic on social media. On Monday, he had his contract terminated by the Packers:
This may not, however, be the end of Orzech’s tenure in Green Bay.
Green Bay Packers Insider Expects Matt Orzech to Be Re-Signed
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
The Packers made it a point to bring in a ton of competition to training camp this summer, especially for positions that have not performed as well as they should. Despite being a former Super Bowl Champion with the Los Angeles Rams and starting all 17 games for Green Bay in 2023, Orzech was not guaranteed the long snapper job.
After the 2024 NFL Draft, the Packers signed several undrafted free agents, including former Wisconsin Badgers long snapper Peter Bowden.
However, Orzech won the job and has played in all seven of Green Bay’s games this year. Due to the fact that he already beat out Bowden and that there are not many quality long snappers on the free agent market, Packers insider Matt Schneidman believes that this transaction is just procedural and will lead to Ford being released and then re-signed to the practice squad and Orzech re-signed to the 53-man roster.
It is noteworthy, though, that Orzech is now easily the weakest link of the Packers’ three specialists: kicker, punter, and long snapper. If his performance does not improve as the season goes on, Green Bay may be in the market for another long snapper next season.
