Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season kicks off at Lambeau Field on Thursday night, where the Green Bay Packers will host the Carolina Panthers in Green Bay’s second Thursday Night Football appearance of the year.
The Packers come in at 4-3, but their three-game winning streak was snapped by the Detroit Lions in Week 7, leaving them in last place in the NFC North despite the winning record. Green Bay still has playoff aspirations, but the path is going to be steep in a division that keeps grinding on everybody.
Carolina is trying to steady itself after a brutal Week 7 loss at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dropped the Panthers to 3-3. Even at .500, they’re still first in the NFC South, though the margin is thin: a one-game lead in the win column over Tampa Bay and a half-game edge over Atlanta.
Bryce Young went into Week 7 leading the league in passing yards per game, but Carolina’s offense never found its footing against Tampa Bay with Baker Mayfield back in the mix. Now the Panthers head on the road as underdogs.
The matchup points toward Green Bay being able to dictate terms, especially with Carolina’s defense struggling badly against the run. The Packers entered Week 7 averaging just 2.9 yards per carry, which gives the Panthers a potential opening, but their own run defense has been the league’s worst this season.
That could put a heavier burden on Jordan Love, and the numbers say Green Bay needs him to carry plenty of the load. Love has completed 60 percent of his passes this season and threw two touchdowns and a pick in the loss to Detroit. The Packers’ ground game has been a major problem, entering Week 7 dead last in yards per carry and total rushing yards.
Josh Jacobs should have room to matter here, even if he wasn’t very efficient against Detroit, finishing with 36 yards on 11 carries. Carolina’s run defense was shredded again in Week 7, and that sets up a possible “get-right” spot for Matt LaFleur’s offense.
Love has already shown what he can do at home, including a 367-yard outing in a win over Chicago, and this looks like another spot where Green Bay should be able to attack through the air. The Panthers rank 20th in EPA/Play on defense and entered Week 7 allowing the most yards per carry in the league.
Green Bay’s defense has quietly been holding up its end. It limited a strong Detroit offense to 20 points in Week 7 and now ranks fifth in the league in EPA/Play. With a few missed field goals, the Packers could easily be looking at 5-2 instead of 4-3.
Carolina does have one eye-catching win on the resume, beating Detroit this season, but the losses to Cleveland and at home to Tampa Bay stand out for the wrong reasons. On top of that, the Panthers are dealing with more injury trouble after Taylor Moton went down in Week 7.
That’s enough for me to back Green Bay on the short week. The Packers need this one more, and with their defense playing at a high level, I’m laying the points with Green Bay at home.
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Panthers Suddenly Have An Ejiro Evero Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Panthers left Sunday with a split-looking record and a lot more unease than a first-place standing might suggest. A home loss to Tampa Bay exposed the same defensive concern that has hovered around Carolina all season: despite offseason investment, the run defense under Ejiro Evero has not consistently looked like a unit built to hold up over four quarters.
Dave Canales stuck up for the scheme afterward, putting the emphasis on execution rather than design, but that only sharpens the spotlight on what comes next. Carolina heads toward Green Bay still trying to sort out why the front seven has struggled to settle in, and whether this is a fixable stretch or a deeper issue the Panthers can no longer wave away. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Suddenly Face A Brutal O-Line Problem At 3-3
A promising start to the season took a sudden hit when the Panthers lost right tackle Taylor Moton to injured reserve after he suffered a fractured fibula against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Moton has been one of the steadier pieces up front, so his absence lands at an awkward time for a Carolina team that has already shown it still has work to do in protecting Bryce Young and keeping the offense on schedule.
Young spoke after the game about Motons injury and the Panthers overall performance, and the next few days now feel especially important for an offensive line trying to regroup. Carolina is 3-3 heading into a Week 8 matchup with the Green Bay Packers, and how the Panthers handle the right side of the line could shape much more than just one Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Have A Cornerback Problem They Shouldn't Wait To Fix
The Panthers are counting on help at cornerback to arrive soon, with Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson both expected back from injuries in the coming weeks. Even so, the position feels thin right now, and Robert Rochell has had to provide support after being elevated from the practice squad, a reminder that Carolina is one setback away from leaning even harder on limited depth.
Horn and Jackson returning would help stabilize the secondary, but the broader concern is what happens if the rehab timeline shifts or one of them runs into another issue. For a team trying to keep its defense intact, waiting for perfect health at one of footballs most vulnerable spots can be a risky approach, which is why adding another cornerback may be the more practical move before the Panthers are forced into it. [Read more 🡒]