The NFL season has not yet begun, which means Green Bay Packers fans are still living in a world full of hope, where their perennially struggling special teams could, in theory, improve.
On their fourth special teams coordinator in Matt LaFleur’s tenure as head coach, the signs have been positive under Cam Achord in preseason.
Green Bay’s coverage units performed well (in fairness to Rich Bisaccia, they were also strong last year) and their return game has looked transformed.
They ripped off multiple long returns during the preseason, including an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown, their first since Micah Hyde back in 2014. Rookie kicker Trey Smack also nailed all of his kicks. Overall, the Packers had the best special teams grade in the NFL
during preseason per PFF.
This has justifiably inspired optimism among Packers fans that the special teams can finally not be a problem in 2026, but does their preseason success actually mean anything when it comes to the regular season? If last season is anything to go by, the answer is no.
The Falcons were PFF's highest ranked special teams in the preseason last year only to rank dead last in the regular season. Two years ago, the Packers were second in their preseason grades, but 32nd when it mattered.
There are some more positive recent examples though. Between 2022 and 2024, the team who ranked first in the preseason finished no lower than second in the regular season. On average, the top graded preseason special teams unit since 2015 finished between 12th and 13th in real games.
Green Bay has not ranked higher than 22nd in PFF's regular season special teams rankings since 2015, and that 22nd place actually came last year. Getting to slightly above average would be a huge and welcome step. The ingredients for improvement appear to be present.
Achord seems a popular figure with players, fellow coaches, and based on his creative demonstrations during press conferences, the media. Maurice Drayton was also an engaging personality, but it didn’t do him much good in terms of results, as his unit ranked 31st at PFF.
Smack could not miss in preseason, but neither could Brandon McManus at this time a year ago. He ended up missing some costly kicks when it mattered most, late in the season and in the playoffs.
Maybe the biggest factor that looks decidedly different this time around is the return game, but Will Sheppard, who authored the punt return touchdown is no longer on the team, while Pierre Strong, who had a 68-yard kickoff return, is on the practice squad.
That said, Skyy Moore, who was signed mostly for his return skills, has also looked sharp and should provide an upgrade on what the Packers got from the likes of Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden last season.
The moral of the story: While it is encouraging that Green Bay’s special teams were excellent in preseason, it is not necessarily predictive of a strong regular season.
They will still need to prove it each and every week, and given the decade of struggles in the third phase, a competent special teams will need to be seen to be believed by Packers fans.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Can Packers carry special teams success into regular season?
