The Carolina Panthers are coming off an absolutely brutal 43-13 blowout loss at home to Tampa Bay, a game so bad their star quarterback Bryce Young was pulled late. This isn’t just some struggling team either, Carolina currently leads the NFC South with a 3-3 record. That’s a division lead after getting absolutely steamrolled last Sunday, and they’ve got Green Bay on a short week for Thursday’s game on October 29, 2026.
Panthers’ Offense: From High Flying to Face Planting
You want to talk about contradictions? Look no further than Carolina’s offense. Bryce Young was leading the entire NFL in passing yards going into Week 7. First-time play-caller Brad Idzik has apparently reinvented this unit, with their pass rate over expected ranking first as of Week 4. They’re putting up 26.5 points per game and showing solid efficiency, ranking 11th in overall offensive EPA/play and 16th in EPA/dropback.
But then you get hit with that 43-13 loss and Young benched. What gives? Last season, in Dave Canales’ second year, they actually won the NFC South with an 8-9 record, even beating Tampa Bay on a tiebreaker to claim their first division title. But even then, the underlying stats were grim: 26th in offensive EPA/play (-0.08) and -0.09 EPA per dropback. They lost a close Wild Card game to the Rams, but the efficiency numbers were not pretty.
They’ve had some big changes. Former OC Canales is out as play-caller, replaced by Idzik, and Darrell Bevell joined as associate head coach. They spent big on defense, grabbing Edge Jaelan Phillips for four years and $120 million and LB Devin Lloyd for three years and $45 million. On offense, they brought in tight ends Hayden Hurst and Darren Waller, plus running back AJ Dillon. Kenny Pickett is now the backup QB, signed for a year and $4 million. They even extended Jalen Coker for three years and $34 million and exercised Young’s fifth-year option for $25.9 million. So, they have talent, they’ve made moves, but are they consistently putting it together?
Green Bay’s Golden Opportunity Against a Shaky Defense
This is where it gets interesting for the Packers. Green Bay is sitting at 4-3 after their own 20-17 loss in Detroit. Their run game has been, well, to put it mildly, last-ranked in the league. Their overall offense is 18th in EPA/play at -0.05. But this week? This week presents an absolute gift wrapped opportunity.
Carolina’s run defense is among the league’s worst. Seriously, it’s 30th in EPA/rush allowed and gives up a staggering 5.2 yards per carry. That’s terrible. Green Bay gets Josh Jacobs back, and this is without a doubt his best matchup of the season to really get that ground game going. Even their overall defense isn’t great, ranking 20th in EPA/play allowed and giving up 27.7 points per game. Their 46.3% pressure rate allowed, which is the 2nd highest as of Week 4, also hints at some major O-line issues.
So, you’ve got a Packers team desperate to bounce back, facing a Panthers squad that leads their division but just got demolished and has a glaring weakness right where Green Bay needs a spark. Can the Panthers’ high-flying, yet inconsistent, offense overcome their porous run defense? Or will the Packers finally unleash their run game and exploit Carolina’s Achilles’ heel? This Thursday night game has major implications for both teams’ early season momentum, especially for Carolina trying to hold onto that division lead after such a rough outing.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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