The Green Bay Packers get a short turnaround to wash out last week’s frustration, and Thursday Night Football hands them a quick chance to do it against the Carolina Panthers.
That doesn’t make this a layup. Matt LaFleur’s group knows the Panthers already shocked Green Bay at Lambeau last season, and Carolina’s season has been a roller coaster anyway, with a record that reads: loss, win, loss, win, win, loss. Still, the Panthers enter this one banged up and fresh off a rough 43-13 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which only adds to the pressure on both sides in Week 8.
The game is set for Thursday, October 29 at 7:15 p.m. CT on Prime Video, with Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit on the call.
Green Bay’s injury situation is once again forcing changes, especially up front. Sean Rhyan has already been ruled out and appears headed for at least a month on the shelf after reportedly suffering a high-ankle sprain.
Right guard Travis Glover also won’t go because of a knee injury. That opens the door for more line movement, and the obvious question now is whether Kevin Zeitler is finally the answer at right guard.
The Packers will also be without veteran linebacker Zaire Franklin, who is still recovering from a shin injury. That means Ty’Ron Hopper and Isaiah McDuffie should handle most of the work in the middle of Jonathan Gannon’s defense.
Four Packers are listed as questionable: wide receiver Matthew Golden, edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr., and defensive tackles Devonte Wyatt and Anthony Campbell. Golden is dealing with shoulder and foot injuries.
His practice report was an estimate this week, but the team listed him as a non-participant on Monday and Tuesday before he was limited Wednesday. With Carolina’s secondary depleted, Green Bay would love to have him available.
The Panthers are even more depleted in several spots. They’ve ruled out star pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, cornerback Akayleb Evans, and guard Damien Lewis.
Phillips’ absence is a major hit to Carolina’s defense. Evans has had an up-and-down season, but his loss leaves the Panthers even thinner at cornerback.
Up front, Lewis is out with a knee injury after sitting out practice all week, while Taylor Moton needs season-ending ankle surgery.
One of the biggest questions hanging over Green Bay is Trey Smack. Matt LaFleur has shown patience with the rookie kicker after last week’s nightmare at Ford Field, but the leash can’t be endless.
Smack is just 68.8 percent on field goals this season, which ranks 28th in the league, and a miss from 26 yards indoors is the kind of thing that sticks. The Packers dropped six points in a three-point loss last week, and that sort of waste can’t become a habit.
In late October at Lambeau, the conditions should be about as friendly as a kicker could ask for.
Another issue that keeps circling back: the offensive line. With Rhyan and Glover out, and Jacob Monk now on injured reserve, LaFleur has to shuffle things again.
Kevin Zeitler seems like the most logical option at right guard over Donovan Jennings, while Mekhi Becton was elevated from the practice squad for depth and versatility. Center is another unresolved spot.
John Williams stepped in after injuries hit in Week 7, but that came out of necessity with Jager Burton inactive. Now that Burton is available, the Packers have to decide whether to stick with Williams after he held up reasonably well in Detroit or make another switch.
No matter who lines up, the group has to improve. The line play has been a grind, and Green Bay can’t keep operating this way if it wants to keep pace with its bigger goals.
The rushing attack gives the Packers a chance to clean that up in a hurry. Through seven games, Green Bay has the second-lowest rushing yardage total over that stretch in the last 35 years, according to ESPN Insights via Rob Demovsky.
The Packers are averaging only 59.9 rushing yards per game. That’s ugly.
The good news? Carolina brings the NFL’s worst run defense into the matchup, allowing 153.2 rushing yards per game.
If Green Bay can’t find traction on the ground here, it’s hard to see when it will.
There’s also the matter of Rasheed Walker returning to Lambeau Field. He comes in trying to bounce back after a rough outing against Tampa Bay, where he allowed two sacks and five pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
His overall PFF grade ranks 55th among 71 tackles this season. With Carolina’s offensive line also dealing with injuries, the Panthers will need more from him on Thursday.
As for the scoreboard, the Packers look like the safer pick to respond after last week’s letdown. They left too many points behind against Detroit, with kicking issues and dropped passes both playing a role, and they now face a Panthers defense giving up 27.7 points per game.
If Green Bay can get just enough from the offensive line, Jordan Love should have room to work against a decimated Carolina secondary. Bryce Young has put together a solid season of his own, throwing for 1,712 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions while posting a career-best 92.9 passer rating, but the Panthers’ injury problems up front and the recent play from Jonathan Gannon’s defense tilt this one toward Green Bay.
Packers 27, Panthers 17.
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