The Carolina Panthers headed into a short week with two more names landing on the injury report, and both come on the offensive side of the ball.
Guard Damien Lewis was listed with a knee injury after playing through a busy stretch. He missed the Detroit game with an elbow injury, then returned against Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.
Now his status is suddenly worth watching again, and if that knee issue lingers, Carolina could be in trouble up front. The Panthers already lost Taylor Moton to injured reserve on Monday, so another hit to the offensive line would be a major problem against a Packers pass rush that figures to bring pressure.
Jalen Coker also showed up on the report with a shoulder injury. He had already missed time this season, including the Detroit game, before coming back after the bye week and giving Bryce Young another weapon in the passing game. If Coker is limited, Carolina may have a tough time spreading the ball around and keeping Green Bay from focusing too heavily on Tetairoa McMillan.
The team’s Monday walk-through produced an estimated injury report, and Phillips was also noted after missing Week 7 with a hamstring injury.
Carolina is coming off a 3-3 start after Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which snapped the Panthers’ two-game winning streak. Now they have to turn around quickly and head to Green Bay for a Thursday night matchup against a strong Packers team.
The Panthers and Packers are scheduled to kick off Thursday at 8:15 p.m. ET, with the game broadcast live on Amazon Prime.
In Other News...
Panthers Defense Has Become Carolinas Biggest Playoff Roadblock
The Panthers have spent most of the season trying to pair a playoff-caliber offense with a defense that has too often made things harder than they need to be. Under Ejiro Evero, the group has shown flashes, but the bigger picture has been uneven, with game planning, in-game adjustments and tackling all coming under scrutiny as the team has searched for something closer to a reliable standard on that side of the ball.
Injuries have certainly played a role, but they have not explained everything. For Carolina, the frustration is that the defensive issues feel larger than a patchwork lineup, and that leaves the Panthers in a familiar spot of having enough offensive talent to matter while still carrying a defense that keeps putting the season in danger. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Have A Cornerback Problem They Shouldn't Wait To Fix
The Panthers are still waiting on help at cornerback, even with Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson expected back from injuries in the coming weeks. In the meantime, Carolina is leaning on thin depth at one of the most vulnerable spots on the roster, with Robert Rochell giving the secondary some support after being elevated from the practice squad.
For a team trying to protect itself from another setback, the concern is less about the immediate return of two starters and more about what happens if the timeline shifts again. The Panthers have already felt how quickly cornerback depth can disappear, and the longer they go without another body there, the more exposed they stay if either Horn or Jackson is not ready or gets nicked up again. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Had A Few Bright Spots In A Loss That Got Worse
The Panthers 43-13 loss to Tampa Bay was ugly enough on its own, but the tape still offered a few small positives for Carolina to cling to. Pro Football Focus grades pointed to Damien Lewis and Taylor Moton as two of the better offensive performers, a reminder that even in a lopsided defeat there were at least a couple of spots where the line held up better than the final score suggested.
Defensively, though, the review was tougher to absorb after the Buccaneers piled up 258 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Akayleb Evans came out as Carolinas lowest-graded defender, a troubling note in a game where the Panthers had already lost control early and then watched the damage keep building as Tampa Bay kept pounding away. [Read more 🡒]