Carolina Panthers vs. Green Bay Packers
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Will the Green Bay Packers end up running the ball effectively?
The Packers are now 5-3 despite having the worst rushing attack in the league.
As noted by the Amazon Prime TV show, Green Bay became the first team in NFL history to hold a winning record through eight games despite rushing for fewer than 500 yards.
In Thursday’s game, the Packers barely eclipsed their season average by rushing for 66 yards. The team averaged 2.5 yards per carry. Josh Jacobs’ return to the lineup hasn’t helped. He’s carried the ball 32 times for just 75 yards over the last two games.
Still, Green Bay’s offense remains competitive as Jordan Love plays at a relatively high level despite multiple issues around the quarterback position. Additionally, Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are explosive targets, as long as they retain the ball.
The Packers defense will only get better
Green Bay sacked Young six times, hit the quarterback nine times and pressured him on 22 dropbacks, according to ESPN Stats & Info (h/t Mike Kaye).
To understand how dominant the performance was, the Packers racked up as many sacks as Young completed passes under pressure. Interestingly, each of the six sacks came from a different Green Bay defender.
The group did so without Micah Parsons in the lineup. Eventually, he’ll come back and make the entire unit more powerful, even if he’s not as explosive because opponents will still be playing the first-team three-time All-Pro team.
Additionally, Zaire Franklin did not play Thursday due to a knee injury, but he is not expected to be out long.
Green Bay is imperfect, especially on offense, but the Packers’ top 10 defense can bear its share of the blame and more.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young desperately needs help
As the calendar flips to November, Young is no longer in the MVP conversation. He was at the start of the season, but since then, everything has collapsed around him.
Carolina’s offensive line is a mess. Left guard Damien Lewis did not play Thursday, and the Panthers certainly felt his absence. Rookie Monroe Freeling remains at right tackle after veteran Taylor Moton suffered a fractured fibula.
Green Bay pressured Young on nearly half of its dropbacks. The Panthers averaged less than 3.6 yards per carry. Carolina’s offense has also struggled to create explosive plays with its current personnel.
As a result, Young has thrown for fewer than 210 yards in back-to-back games.
Can Carolina survive CB injuries?
Will Lee III is the latest Panthers cornerback to leave the lineup due to injury.
According to Carolina’s depth chart, the Panthers are down to their fifth and sixth cornerbacks unless someone returns soon. Starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are on injured reserve, as is Akayleb Evans. Lee also left Thursday’s game with a hamstring injury. With Carolina’s secondary depleted, Green Bay had no trouble throwing the ball. Watson and Golden combined for 15 catches for 192 yards.
The Panthers could lean heavily on Chau Smith-Wade and Marco Wilson in the coming weeks unless someone else is signed or brought in via trade.
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