TOTAL CHANGE: Green Bay Packers HC Matt LaFleur Release a New and Shocking 24-Game Starter After Mistake Nearly Cost Them Win Over Houston Texans

The Green Bay Packers are 5-2 following their dramatic 24-22 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. While the offence gained significantly fewer yards (277 total yards) than their season average (383, fifth-most in the NFL), Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes and Josh Jacobs averaged 6.3 yards per rush. Defensively, the team limited Texans star quarterback CJ Stroud to 86 passing yards and a 47.6% completion rate.

What was most promising about the victory was that Green Bay’s new kicker, Brandon McManus, converted the game-winning field goal as time expired. He joined the club two days before the game, replacing Brayden Narveson, who had missed five kicks in six games.

However, the final play, which resulted in a Packers victory, was nearly a disaster.

Green Bay Packers’ Long Snapper Matt Orzech almost cost his team the game.
As those who witnessed the game may recall, the Packers had the ball with three seconds remaining, and McManus was lined up to make a 45-yard field goal. The ball was snapped, the kick was accurate, and the ball went straight down the middle of the goalposts.
But Houston called a timeout just before the snap, so it didn’t count.

On the second try, Matt Orzech’s snap to Packers punter Daniel Whelan was low. Whelan’s kick thinking and reflexes allowed him to drop the ball down quickly and accurately enough for McManus to take the kick off.

McManus, too, had to make a last-second change in his approach to the ball. Because he is a veteran, he understood exactly how to adjust and made the field goal nonetheless.

For the first time in years, Green Bay’s special teams won a game.
But, as amazing as the triumph was, Orzech’s low snap became a hot subject on social media. The Packers cancelled Orzech’s contract on Monday, allowing defensive lineman Jonathan Ford to be activated from injured reserve.

This may not, however, mark the end of Orzech’s time in Green Bay.

Green Bay Packers Insider Expects Matt Orzech to be Re-Signed.

The Packers made it a point to bring a lot of competition to training camp this summer, particularly for positions that haven’t performed as well as they could. Despite being a past Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams and having started all 17 games for Green Bay in 2023, Orzech was not promised the long snapper position.
Following the 2024 NFL Draft, the Packers signed numerous undrafted free agents, including Peter Bowden, a former Wisconsin Badgers long snapper.

However, Orzech won the position and has appeared in all seven of Green Bay’s games this season. Because he already beat out Bowden and there aren’t many quality long snappers on the free agent market, Packers insider Matt Schneidman believes this transaction is purely procedural, with Ford being released and then re-signed to the practice squad and Orzech being re-signed to the 53-man roster.

It is worth noting, however, that Orzech is now clearly the weakest link among the Packers’ three specialists: kicker, punter, and long snapper. If his performance does not improve as the season progresses, Green Bay may look for another long snapper next season.