Three Underrated Performances From Packers’ Loss to Vikings

The Green Bay Packers’ epic fourth-quarter collapse against the Minnesota Vikings was the story coming out of Week 1. Following such a dramatic loss, some performances may have flown under the radar.

Here are several Packers who played well on Sunday that were probably overlooked.

Wide Receiver Matthew Golden

Golden had a subpar rookie campaign, but produced one of his best outings as a pro in Week 1. In the 2026 season opener, he tied a career high with six catches and posted a career-best 95 receiving yards against the Vikings.

The 23rd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft had trouble finding consistency while battling multiple injuries in 2025, but ended the year strong, posting four catches for 84 yards and a touchdown in the Packers’ playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. Seemingly, Golden has picked up where he left off.

Golden’s performance is great news for the Packers, who will need all the help they can get with RB Josh Jacobs’ uncertain status and the team’s issues along the offensive line.

Edge Rushers: Edgerrin Cooper and Lukas Van Ness

Starting the year without star Micah Parsons was always going to be an uphill battle for the Packers’ pass rush. The defense as a whole still has work to do after giving up 39 points in Week 1, but the play of Cooper and Van Ness against the Vikings has to have them feeling better about pressuring the quarterback moving forward.

Cooper and Van Ness combined for 11 tackles (three for loss) and two sacks on Sunday. Van Ness did commit a costly penalty late against the Vikings, but overall, the pair helped create havoc for Kyler Murray and then Carson Wentz.

With Parsons out of action until at least Week 5 or later, having Van Ness play to his potential and Cooper take another giant leap forward would be a huge positive for the Packers.

Kicker: Trey Smack

Smack wasn’t perfect in his NFL debut, missing an extra point. But he was otherwise more than solid, especially for a rookie playing in an unfriendly environment.

The 2026 sixth-round pick finished 3-of-3 against the Vikings, hitting from 26 and 43 yards. Oh yeah, he also casually made a 59-yarder in his first career attempt.

For a team with uncertainty on both sides of the ball early on, the kicker position doesn’t seem to be much of a worry at all.