The Green Bay Packers are up to a 5-3 record after their Thursday Night Football win over the Carolina Panthers. The Packers won. The Milwaukee Brewers trotted around their new trophy. Kevin Harlan gave a speech at halftime on behalf of his father, who was added to the team’s ring of honor.
It feels like it should be more of a joyful night for Green Bay, but their lack of a run game, which has been a season-long issue for the team, is what kept the Panthers alive with a chance to tie on the final
play of the 27-19 ballgame. Despite getting Aaron Banks back at left guard, which pushed Laken Tomlinson to right guard, Green Bay’s backs weren’t able to get anything going against the NFL’s worst rush defense.
On the night, the Packers’ three backs combined for 25 carries and 48 yards, just a 1.9 yards per carry average. Eventually, this team is going to need to turn the corner in the rushing game, or it’s going to cost them down the line.
The game flow of tonight’s action went back and forth. Receiver Coleman Owen, who was limited to just punt return duty before tonight, fumbled the opening snap of the game, giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead. The Packers eventually rallied to go up 27-13 before Carolina drove on a long 12-play, 70-yard series that gave them an opportunity at the end. Another swing of momentum was when kicker Trey Smack, who has had his struggles as of late, missed an extra point on Green Bay’s first go-ahead drive of the game.
The leading receiver for the Packers was Christian Watson, who had nine receptions for 113 yards, despite taking a trip to the hospital mid-game for a chest injury. This game had a little of everything.
Defensively, the story of the game was that Green Bay was able to get pressure on Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, something they weren’t able to do to Detroit’s Jared Goff on Sunday. Young ended up taking six sacks and posting just 176 total yards on 47 dropbacks (3.7 yards per play), much lower than Jordan Love’s 288 on 41 (7.0).
The Packers will have a “mini-bye” leading up to next Sunday’s matchup against the New England Patriots.
