GREEN BAY – The Packers conducted their annual Family Night practice Saturday in front of 65,222 fans at Lambeau Field.
Here are five takeaways from the event:
1. Rookie kicker Anders Carlson was the star of the night.
The sixth-round draft pick from Auburn had a lot of eyes on him after several up-and-down kicking sessions during practice over the past week.
But he found his groove and looked completely unfazed by the big crowd and bright lights. Starting at 40 yards and working his way back, Carlson was 8-of-9 on his field goals, the only miss coming from 50 and the result of a bad snap by undrafted rookie Broughton Hatcher.
Carlson finished the night by making three straight from 50-plus (51, 53, 51), all with several yards to spare. The last one closed out the final two-minute drill of the night by the reserves on offense.
“Anytime you get in an environment like that, it can’t help but build confidence for him,” Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. “I was super proud with the poise that he showed and the execution. If we can get that, I think he’s going to be A-OK, because he’s got a big-time leg.”
