Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers 1 of 3 Will the Green Bay Packers eventually run the ball with any effectiveness? The Packers are now 5-3 despite having the worst rushing offense in the league. As the Amazon Prime stream noted, Green Bay became the first team in NFL history to own a winning record in eight games despite rushing for fewer than 500 yards. During Thursday’s game, the Packers barely eclipsed their season average by rushing for 66 yards. The team averaged 2.5 yards per carry. Josh Jacobs’ return to the lineup hasn’t helped. He carried the ball 32 times for just 75 yards in the last two games. However, Green Bay’s offense remains competitive because Jordan Love is playing at a relatively high level despite multiple issues around the quarterback position. Additionally, Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are explosive targets, as long as they hold the ball. The Packers’ defense is only going to get better Green Bay sacked Young six times, hit the quarterback nine times and pressured him on 22 dropback plays, according to ESPN Stats & Info (h/t Mike Kaye). To understand how dominant the performance was, the Packers racked up as many sacks as Young completed passes when pressured. Interestingly, each of the six sacks came from a different Green Bay defender. The group did this without Micah Parsons in the lineup. He’ll eventually come back and make the entire unit more potent, even if he’s not as explosive because opponents will still target the three-time first-team All-Pro. Additionally, Zaire Franklin did not play on Thursday due to a knee injury, but is not expected to be out for long. Green Bay has flaws, particularly on offense, but the Packers’ top-10 defense can take its share of the blame and then some. Panthers quarterback Bryce Young desperately needs help As the calendar turns to November, Young is no longer in the MVP conversation. He was at the beginning of the season, but since then everything has fallen apart around him. Carolina’s offensive line is a disaster. Left guard Damien Lewis did not play Thursday and the Panthers certainly felt his absence. Rookie Monroe Freeling remains at right tackle after veteran Taylor Moton suffered a broken fibula. Green Bay pressured Young on nearly half of his dropbacks. The Panthers averaged less than 3.6 yards per carry. Carolina’s offense also struggled to create explosive plays with its current personnel. As a result, Young has thrown for fewer than 210 yards in consecutive games. Can Carolina survive injuries at CB? Will Lee III is the latest Panthers cornerback to leave the lineup due to injury. According to Carolina’s depth chart, the Panthers are down to their fifth and sixth cornerbacks unless someone returns soon. Starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are on injured reserve, as is Akayleb Evans. Lee also left Thursday’s game with a hamstring injury. With Carolina’s secondary depleted, Green Bay had little trouble throwing the ball. Watson and Golden combined for 15 receptions for 192 yards. The Panthers could rely heavily on Chau Smith-Wade and Marco Wilson in the coming weeks unless someone else is signed or brought in via trade.
