Can the Green Bay Packers finally muster a ground game in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers? If they can’t do it against the NFL’s worst run defense, it may never happen this season.
Thursday night’s meeting between the Packers and Panthers will feature the 32nd-ranked rushing offense vs. the 32nd-ranked run defense. Green Bay is averaging 59.9 rushing yards per game this season, while Carolina is surrendering 153.2 rushing yards per game. The Panthers have also allowed a league-high 11 rushing touchdowns and are allowing the highest yards per carry average (5.2) in the NFL.
On Sunday, the Panthers suffered an embarrassing 43-13 beatdown at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield returned after missing three games with a dislocated
thumb but attempted only 11 passes for a total of 64 yards. It was the first time since 1958 that a team won a road game by 30 or more points with 65 or fewer passing yards.
The Bucs just became the first team in 68 years (and only the third team ever) to win a road game by 30+ points while recording 65 or fewer passing yards.
— QBgami (@QBgami) October 26, 2026
The full list:
1. TB @ CAR (today)
2. NYG @ CHC (9/28/1958)
3. NYG @ BAL (11/19/1950) pic.twitter.com/dLrnzIIh14
How did they pull it off? Carolina turned the ball over four times and had no answer for Tampa Bay’s ground game, which racked up 258 yards on the ground on 49 carries. Bucky Irving led the way with 106 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Kenneth Gainwell added 88 yards and third-string running back Sean Tucker contributed 52. The Packers haven't had a rusher go over 42 yards in a game this season.
Sunday marked the second time this season that the Panthers had allowed a team to rush for at least 250 yards. They gave up 298 rushing yards and 59 points in their Week 1 loss to the Chicago Bears.
Meanwhile, the Packers are averaging less than 3.0 yards per carry through the first seven weeks, though they were without their primary ball carrier, Josh Jacobs, who was on the commissioner’s exempt list for the first six games.
Jacobs made his season debut on Sunday against the Detroit Lions but couldn’t provide much of a boost to Green Bay’s rushing attack, totaling just 36 yards on 11 carries. Jacobs produced more as a receiver, catching five passes for 55 yards and a touchdown.
According to StatMuse, if the Packers maintain their current pace, they will finish with fewer rushing yards per game than any NFL team since 1970. The 2000 San Diego Chargers hold the lowest full-season average at 66.4 rushing yards per game.
According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the Packers have the second-fewest rushing yards by any team through the first seven games of a season in the last 35 years.
The Panthers are on pace to allow a little over 2,600 rushing yards this season.
So, if Green Bay can’t get something going on the ground against a porous Panthers run defense, its run game may continue to be historically bad for the rest of the season.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Can Packers' historically bad rushing attack figure it out against NFL's worst run defense?
