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Winners, Losers from Green Bay Packers’ NFL Preseason Week 2 Victory
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- Winners, Losers from Green Bay Packers’ NFL Preseason Week 2 Victory
The Green Bay Packers won't go winless in the 2026 NFL preseason, defeating the Denver Broncos 33-13 on Friday night even with the starters playing just one series and key players missing. While the scoreboard doesn't matter in this exhibition contest, there were some notable performances throughout Friday night.
Let's dive into our winners and losers from the Packers' second preseason game.
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Winner: Trey Smack, Kicker
Green Bay Packers kicker Trey Smack (28) during Green Bay Packers Family Night on Aug. 7, 2026, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
It's Trey Smack's world and Green Bay is just happy to reside in it. The early struggles from the rookie kicker this summer have been long forgotten because he's been phenomenal now through two preseason games. Smack drilled a 59-yard field goal on Friday night right down the middle, giving him three makes from 58-plus yards through two weeks. He's perfect on extra-point attempts and has been flawless on his seven field-goal tries, eight when you include the 58-yarder versus Pittsburgh that got wiped out by a penalty. Green Bay has its kicker.
Loser: Tyrod Taylor , Quarterback
Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Is Tyrod Taylor in any danger of being demoted a spot on the Packers' depth chart and potentially even being replaced on the roster by Kyle McCord come Week 1? No. With that said, the veteran quarterback completed just 4-of-8 pass attempts in his second preseason game, averaging an abysmal 2.1 yards per attempt. Through two preseason games, Taylor has completed just 50 percent of his pass attempts for 38 passing yards on 16 attempts (2.4 yards per attempt) and he's easily being outperformed by McCord.
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Winner: Anthony Campbell, Defensive Tackle
Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The impressive summer continues for Anthony Campbell, with his performance in both Packers training camp and preseason making a case for a spot on the 53-man roster. The 6-foot-6 defensive tackle picked up a sack and tackle for loss on Friday night versus Denver, even earning some reps with the first-team defense. While snap-to-snap consistency is a bit of an issue, he also makes disruptive plays both in the passing lanes with deflections and through interior penetration into the backfield.
Loser: Packers' RG Competition
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-WisconsinCredit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
It's certainly beginning to feel like the Packers' starting right guard in Week 1 will be the winner by fault rather than standing out this summer. Anthony Belton earned the fifth-worst PFF grade (49.3) among Green Bay's offensive starters in the second preseason game. You can blame that on the team playing him at right tackle right now, but he has been struggling throughout training camp whenever he's out there. Rookie Jager Burton also didn't really take advantage of his opportunities on Friday night, getting called for a holding penalty. We might now be looking at the situation where it's Jacob Monk starting in the regular-season opener.
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Winner: MarShawn Lloyd , Running Back
Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (32) runs through a drill during practice on Friday, July 31, 2026, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
With the potential for a Josh Jacobs suspension still hanging over the team, there's an even greater need for MarShawn Lloyd to step up. It's great that he's been healthy this summer and the reviews from the practice field have been positive, but it's competing against real competition that matters. Lloyd didn't have much running room versus Denver, averaging just 2.8 yards per carry, but he made an impact out of the backfield with an 11-yard catch-and-run score to put Green Bay up early. If Jacobs is suspended, the Packers coaching staff has to feel quite a bit better about a committee backfield of Lloyd and Chris Brooks on a short-term basis.
Winner: Will Sheppard , Wide Receiver
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-WisconsinCredit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
If the Packers keep seven wide receivers heading into the regular season, it feels like the battle comes down to Will Sheppard and J. Michael Sturdivant . JMS has the special-teams ability on his side of the equation, but Sheppard's toe-tap touchdown catch and a remarkable snag in traffic for a big gain showcase what he can bring to the table if needed. At a minimum, Sheppard has likely earned himself a spot on the Packers practice squad following Friday night's performance.
