The Green Bay Packers will attempt to bounce back from Sunday's disappointing loss to the Detroit Lions when the Carolina Panthers come to Lambeau Field for primetime to open Week 8.
This looks like a big spot for the Packers. Can Matt LaFleur's team get to 5-3 after a rocky start to the 2026 season and stay alive in the NFC North race? Falling to 4-4 with four conference losses would be tough to overcome given the strength of schedule ahead. At home and on a short week, the Packers need to turn the page and put together a winning performance.
Previewing Packers-Panthers in Week 8 with managing editor Zach Kruse and contributor Mark Oldacres:
What we're watching
Zach: I'm not focused on any one thing. I want to see how this team responds after playing really poorly
and letting a chance to steal a win get away just four days ago. Last month, the Packers didn't play great in New York, came home for a Thursday night game against an NFC South opponent coming off a big loss and got dominated by the Falcons. And it's hard to forget that the Panthers lost big (40-9 at home to Bills) before coming to Lambeau Field and stunning the Packers last November. Matt LaFleur's team better have moved on from Sunday because I'd assume the Panthers are coming to Green Bay ready for a fistfight on Thursday night.
Mark: The Packers offensive line. It is what I have been watching intently on every snap since the season began, particularly in pass protection, knowing that whether or not Jordan Love has enough time to survey his options or not is essentially the difference between a good day and a bad day for Green Bay’s offense. There will be at least one change to the starting lineup this week as both Sean Rhyan and Jacob Monk are out at center. Will it be Jager Burton or John Williams snapping to Jordan Love? Will Kevin Zeitler or Aaron Banks replace Travis Glover at right guard? The coaching staff have decisions to make again.
Biggest reason for optimism
Zach: Could the run game finally emerge? There are a lot of factors in play here. The Panthers gave up over 250 rushing yards and are entering Week 8 allowing the most rushing yards per game in the NFL this season. Josh Jacobs is back, and he got a week to shake off the rust. The Packers could have Kevin Zeitler or Mekhi Becton in the lineup at right guard, and Aaron Banks is finally healthy. The Panthers won't have their top edge rusher (Jaelan Phillips), and defensive lineman Bobby Brown III is questionable. Sure, the Packers need to be a lot more consistent to have any chance of getting the run game going. But this has to be the week. The Pro Bowl running back is back. The matchup is great. At home on a short week. The Packers have to run the ball on Thursday night.
Mark: Jonathan Gannon’s defense has been the most consistently reliable part of this Packers team, and in the first seven games he has proven the ability to field a competitive unit even as crucial components like Edgerrin Cooper, Javon Hargrave and Zaire Franklin have been removed by injuries. Bryce Young and the Panthers have put up some impressive point totals against more pedestrian defenses, but struggled against the best two they have faced in the Buccaneers and Browns. They are missing their best two offensive linemen and based on his performance as the Packers’ defensive coordinator so far, I expect Gannon to execute another effective plan to limit the opposition.
Biggest reason for concern
Zach: Can the Packers prevent the Panthers from playing out last season's game script? Carolina ran the ball for 163 yards and played bend-but-don't-break defense, allowing just one touchdown on five Packers red zone trips. Don't be surprised if the Panthers try to repeat the performance, leaning on the run game to control the ball and shorten the game while limiting explosive plays and forcing the Packers to put together methodical, error-free drives. If there's anything the Packers have proven, it's that, if given enough opportunities, they will eventually shoot themselves in the foot.
Mark: There is a stylistic mismatch in favor of Carolina when Green Bay has the ball, as Jordan Love and company rely heavily on explosive passes to make hay on offense and Ejiro Evero’s defense is loathe to allow them. This flummoxed the Packers last year in the loss at Lambeau Field, and they are arguably even more reliant on explosives to move the ball now, running a very feast-or-famine offense without a viable run game. Can Green Bay win a different way? Or will it be another frustrating night on offense?
Matchup to watch
Zach: Christian Watson vs. (insert Panthers cornerback here). Carolina's starting cornerbacks (Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson) are on injured reserve. Backup Akayleb Evans is out. More than likely, Watson is going to get a bunch of snaps against fourth-round rookie Will Lee III. That's advantage Watson every single time. If the Panthers push help to Watson consistently, the Packers will need Matthew Golden (if available) and Savion Williams to be go-to players for Jordan Love. If the Packers can protect Love, he should be able to find holes in a decimated secondary.
Mark: Tetairoa McMillan vs. Brandon Cisse. Green Bay’s rookie corner is showing improvement each and every week, but allowed his highest passer rating (99.5) in the last four games in the loss to Detroit. Now he will face another big test, both figuratively and literally, against 6’4” receiver McMillan. He is similar in profile to Drake London, who torched the Packers on Thursday Night Football back in Week 3, and Cisse (as well as Keisean Nixon) will need to produce a better performance to help slow down the Panthers offense.
Packers win if…
Zach: Score in the red zone. It's time to play clean football in the scoring area. No penalties. No drops. Score touchdowns inside the 10-yard line. Make field goals if you don't. The Panthers are going to give up yards, but they won't get beat with explosives and they will force the Packers to play out long drives and execute in the red zone. Matt LaFleur's team needs to finish drives.
Mark: They don’t turn the ball over. The Panthers defense is going to make the Packers show they can mount long drives without getting bored, frustrated or making a critical mistake. Based on how Green Bay has looked on offense this season, there will undoubtedly be drives that end because of drops or penalties putting them behind the sticks, but they cannot afford to end any of them with interceptions or fumbles, eschewing chances to score points or gifting the ball to the Panthers in a favorable position. Thursday is not about having fun for the Packers offense, it is about being clean.
Data dump
Zach: A couple of things to watch here. Which left tackle plays better? Rasheed Walker (26 pressures, most) and Jordan Morgan (22 pressures, fifth-most) have been far from perfect in 2026. The Packers need Lukas Van Ness to take advantage against Walker, the former Packer. Morgan will benefit from Jaelan Phillips (team-high 18 pressures) being out. Also, which kicker makes kicks? Trey Smack has missed an NFL-high five field goals and two extra points. Ryan Fitzgerald is 11-for-11 on field goals but has missed an NFL-high five extra points. This will likely be a close game, so the better kicker could provide the difference on Thursday night.
Mark: The Panthers rank sixth in rushing success rate on early downs, while the Packers rank 20th in rushing success rate allowed, but also third in run stuff rate. Green Bay needs to win first and second down against the run to avoid Carolina opening up their play action game and hurting them with deep passes. If Gannon’s group can get them into obvious pass situations, they could feast on an offensive line which ranks 31st in pressure rate allowed and will not have Damien Lewis or Taylor Moton.
Predictions
Zach: Good luck predicting these Thursday night games. One thing is certain: the Packers need to win this football game. The Packers aren't close to full strength, but the Panthers are decimated by injury, coming off a 30-point loss and traveling on a short week. This has to be a game where the Packers better control the line of scrimmage, play a cleaner brand of football for 60 minutes and finish out a win. The bigger picture is important because Thursday night is a home game against a conference opponent who figures to be in the playoff race come December, and the Packers already have three conference losses, including a home loss to an NFC South opponent. The guess here is Thursday night is tight throughout, and some sloppy moments give both teams a chance to win in the fourth quarter, but the Packers pass-rush makes a big play or two late to preserve the win. Taking advantage of an injury-riddled Panthers offensive line will be the winning factor for the Packers. Packers 23, Panthers 18
Mark: Green Bay must find a different way to move the ball on Thursday against a Carolina defense which does not allow the kind of explosive passes Jordan Love is always hunting. Hopefully he and Matt LaFleur learned their lesson from the frustrating loss to the Panthers a year ago and can do enough to edge out Bryce Young on the other side. Carolina has done damage against leaky defenses, but against the best two units they have faced in terms of EPA per play, the Browns and Buccaneers, they managed only 18 and 13 points respectively. Packers 20, Panthers 17
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers vs. Panthers preview and predictions: Primetime bounce back?
