Five Packers to watch vs. Panthers in Week 10 matchup
By Jesse Fry
After the Green Bay Packers had their worst showing of the 2019 season, which players need to come ready to make sure that doesn’t happen against the Carolina Panthers?
The Packers laid their first egg of the Matt LaFleur era. The team came out flat and was dominated in every aspect of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The good news? Everyone else in the NFC North also lost. The bad news is that they have a date with a good Carolina Panthers team whose strength is the Packers’ weakness.
The Panthers come into Sunday’s game riding their MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey has become the game changer the Panthers expected him to be when they drafted him eighth overall in 2017. He can catch, run and has an array of moves to make defenders miss to go with his speed.
He is everything the Packers defense should fear right now. For the Packers to have any chance, they must control McCaffrey.
The Panthers lead the NFL in sacks with 34, so they can get after the quarterback. They also do it without blitzing much, allowing for more people to stay out in coverage. The Panthers defense has been a little shaky lately, giving up 50 points against San Francisco, and while they still pulled ahead for the win, the Titans were still able to move the ball up and down the field.
Much like Green Bay, Carolina has relied on sacks and turnovers for the team to stay ahead.
The Packers may catch a break as the Panthers’ best cornerback, James Bradberry has yet to practice this week after tweaking his groin. Even if he is able to play, he may be limited in what he can do.
The Packers missed a golden opportunity to put some distance between them and the rest of the NFC North last week. The hope is to not do the same this week. The Vikings have a tough game against the Cowboys, while one of the other two NFC North teams are guaranteed to lose as the Bears and Lions play each other.
For the Packers to head into their bye as winners, these five players need to provide the punch.