If I had written \u201cSpecial teams once again cost the Green Bay Packers a trip to the Super Bowl\u201d back in August, with no future knowledge of how Saturday\u2019s Wild Card would turn out, I doubt there would have been much pushback.<\/p>\n
Seared into the back of Packers fans\u2019 eyelids, like staring directly into a solar eclipse, this fanbase is permanently scarred from special teams mistakes prematurely ending a Packer postseason run.<\/p>\n
In this particular heartbreak, the loss didn\u2019t come down to a single, definitive blunder, \u00e0 la the losses in 2014<\/a> and 2021. In Saturday\u2019s loss, every phase of the game was erroneous.<\/p>\n But the kicker missing seven points certainly doesn\u2019t help. (The Packers lost by less than seven, btw.) Nor does giving up big punt returns or changing your own returner mid-game.<\/p>\n There was a lot going against the Packers as they entered the postseason, yet the first half squarely went their way. A team collapse and special teams errors prematurely ended another season. This has become almost an absolute for Green Bay. What will the fallout be for the 2025 version?<\/p>\n If you thought the failed<\/a> onside kick recovery against the Bears in Week 16 would get the special teams mistakes out of the way, boy, were you wrong. (That is me, I am the \u201cyou\u201d in that sentence.)<\/p>\n The Packers ended the first half of their third matchup with the Bears up 21-3, yet few fans were relaxed, especially after Brandon McManus<\/a> missed a 55-yard attempt after the Bears successfully iced him.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t a great snap, and it was the most forgivable of Brandon McManus<\/a>\u2018 three misses. Still, it started the downfall of Green Bay\u2019s chances of victory.<\/p>\n Fine giving McManus a pass on the 55-yarder. Bears iced him. The snap was low. He just missed. Certainly no gimmie in those conditions. <\/p>\n But the two kicks in the fourth quarter? You cannot miss those. Changes the entire complexion of the finish if he makes even one of the two.<\/p>\n \u2014 Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) January 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The veteran kicker would miss an extra point after Green Bay\u2019s lone second-half touchdown and later missed a 44-yard field goal. If even one of those kicks is in, it\u2019s an entirely different ball game. Green Bay had to drive for a touchdown on its final drive, rather than even attempt a field goal to force overtime.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the kicker missed seven points in a game the Packers lost by four.<\/p>\n McManus was fully accountable after the game, delivering a chillingly melancholy, \u201cThis is the biggest disappointment of my career \u2014 just an embarrassment of a performance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s disappointing that my role on the team is to make kicks, and these guys pour in thousands of plays over the course of the season, and I leave seven points on the board today. It\u2019s the most disappointing point of my career.\u201d<\/p>\n If that had been the only special teams blemish on the day, Rich Bisaccia might have avoided the crosshairs. The coach can\u2019t do much about a veteran having one of the worst games of his career. But, as always, there were other issues.<\/p>\n The Packers finally handed kick return duties back to All-Pro Keisean Nixon<\/a>, something that should have been done weeks ago. Other than a holding penalty on the first run, which almost seems inevitable, Nixon did fine in the first half.<\/p>\n In the fourth quarter, the team decided to let Josh Jacobs<\/a>, who hadn\u2019t returned since college, return the ball. While Jacobs brought some juice, he also fumbled around midfield. Were it not for the heroic recovery by Kitan Oladapo<\/a>, Green Bay\u2019s big-brain new return idea could have been disastrous.<\/p>\n Rich Bisaccia approached Matt LaFleur during the week about potentially using Josh Jacobs on kick returns, but LaFleur said that he didn’t feel good about it.<\/p>\n Then, on Thursday, Jacobs suggested the same thing.<\/p>\n “When he said that to me, I said, ‘Do you really want to return?’\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 zach jacobson (@zacobson) January 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Missing some of their core gunners and return team specialists, the Packers also couldn\u2019t stop Chicago\u2019s punt return man Devin Duvernay<\/a>, who kept the Bears in favorable starting positions to mount their comeback.<\/p>\n If special teams did nothing more than the bare minimum, we\u2019d probably be discussing a Divisional Round matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Instead, the we-fence, led by the highest-paid special teams coordinator in the league, pooped their collective pants on national TV. It destroyed any hope of situational football and couldn\u2019t elevate the team when the offense and defense needed a breather.<\/p>\n Rich Bisaccia so good at his job he tries to do it with an arm tied behind his back. https:\/\/t.co\/vP6wuVZR9k<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) January 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The offense and defense made plenty of mistakes, but the pattern of consistently special-teams errors puts that group in the spotlight. Special teams played major roles in many of Green Bay\u2019s losses (and tie) this season, and hiring a respected<\/a> special teams guru like Bisaccia hasn\u2019t stopped the postseason heartbreakers.<\/p>\n Will this version of special teams disaster lead to a change?<\/p>\n In his season-ending presser, Matt LaFleur didn\u2019t definitely say he\u2019d bring Bisaccia back. Of course, LaFleur was answering questions about his own job. Until his own job status is confirmed, it\u2019s hard for him to make definitive statements.<\/p>\n Bisaccia didn\u2019t make McManus miss three kicks, and it\u2019s clear Green Bay\u2019s special teams woes go beyond a specific coordinator. Something at the organizational level is fundamentally flawed when it comes to the game\u2019s maligned third phase.<\/p>\n However, if Green Bay is going to stick with Matt LaFleur, something needs to change. As much as I enjoy Bisaccia\u2019s media availability, his demeanor, and how much players love him, he\u2019s not a value add for the final score. Firing Bisaccia won\u2019t solve the foundational issues of how the Green Bay Packers approach special teams. That\u2019s a deeper issue at all levels of the organization. (See Justis Mosqueda\u2019s informative breakdown<\/a> for a taste of \u201cwhy.\u201d)<\/p>\n Still, a change is needed for accountability\u2019s sake, if nothing else.<\/p>\n \t\t\t