GREEN BAY — There were many reasons for the Green Bay Packers' four-point loss to Carolina Sunday, but ultimately the game wasn't decided by poor play-calling or feeble kickoff coverage or even an interception.

It was decided by Steve Smith.

A quick, physical wide receiver, Smith is one of the NFL's best playmakers, the kind of difference-maker coaches covet when a game is on the line. At crunch time Sunday, it was as simple as this: The Panthers had Smith and the Packers didn't.

Nothing was working for Carolina's offense in the second half, but two long catches by Smith — both on superior individual plays against solid positional coverage — set up the two fourth-quarter touchdowns that beat the Packers. Indeed, those two catches accounted for 90 of Carolina's 128 yards in the half.

"Every good football team has great players," Carolina coach John Fox said afterward. "He's been making plays like that around here since I've been here."

Fox was correct when he said every good football team has great players. In fact, great players are the currency of the NFL.

If you want to know why the Packers are 1-4 in games decided by five points or less this season, look no further than their roster. There is decent across-the-board talent and solid depth, but precious few players who consistently make big plays. That void is killing Green Bay in close games this season.

Old friend Cliff Christl, who is retired but remains the godfather of pro football writers in Wisconsin, always says that long-time NFL scouts believe there are only 25 to 50 true difference-makers in the league and the other players are largely interchangeable. The more difference-makers on the roster, the better the team.

Difference-makers are players who can dominate an opponent with their size, strength and athletic ability. They throw fear into opposing players and force opposing coaches to scheme with them in mind. They make the players around them better by drawing extra attention or inspiring teammates to elevate their play. Oh, and they consistently make big plays.

The Packers had such a playmaker on offense last year in quarterback Brett Favre. Is it any coincidence they were 5-1 in games decided by seven points or less?

Cornerback Charles Woodson is the only current Packers player who is a consistent playmaker, though wide receiver Greg Jennings and safety Nick Collins are working on it. Others such as defensive end Aaron Kampman, wide receiver Donald Driver and cornerback Al Harris are excellent players, but they do it more with effort and smarts than pure physical ability.

Coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday that explosive gains on offense and turnovers on defense are "a big part of winning in the NFL." Those kinds of plays generally are made by difference-makers — like Smith.

"Obviously, (Smith's final catch) was a big factor in the outcome of the game, and he's done it time and time again," McCarthy said. "But we also feel good about a number of players that we have to make those types of plays."

Maybe so, but so far the Packers aren't making those types of plays in close games.