5 biggest reasons for Packers' much-needed win vs. Panthers in Week 8

The Green Bay Packers stepped into a short week this week against the Carolina Panthers, looking to avoid losing a second game in a row and dropping to 4-4.

They did just that, beating the Panthers 27-19 in a game that never really seemed as close as its score suggests. Unfortunately, that is often how Packers' games seem to go, but a win is a win. It puts the team at 5-3, and once again shows just how good they can be when playing right.

With the team now facing a couple of extra days off, let's take a look at some of the biggest reasons for the victory.

Five reasons for the Packers' win over the Panthers in Week 8

1. Jordan Love

Love continues to be the driving force behind most Packers wins, and Thursday night was no different. The quarterback finished with 30 completions on 41 pass attempts, 288 passing yards, and three touchdowns to just one interception.

For most of the game, Love looked to be almost all the way to an absolutely perfect game. However, the fourth quarter saw the Packers' offense stagnate a bit and also included Love throwing a pretty poor interception that kick-started the Panthers' rally.

Regardless, Love continues to essentially carry the Packers' offense through many of its woes. In another game where the rushing offense had absolutely no semblance of success, receivers continued to drop balls, and more, Love was steady, especially when it mattered most, as he finished with 23 "quick" throws, getting the ball out on time and beating most of Carolina's blitzes.

2. Packers' pass rush

The Packers' defense couldn't do much in terms of rushing the passer last week, but they got back into the groove on Thursday. Against a Panthers team that was facing its own offensive line issues, the Packers' pass rush feasted.

In total, the defense finished with six sacks against Bryce Young and could have likely had a couple more. Young was pressured on almost 50 percent of his dropbacks on Thursday and completed only seven passes while under pressure.

Perhaps most noteworthy is the fact that the Packers' defense was the hero here in the final quarter. After the offense slowed up a bit after going up 27-10, the Panthers crawled back to a 27-19 score.

However, the Packers' defense forced back-to-back drives with no points, including one that forced a turnover on downs and helped seal the game, showing just how well Jonathan Gannon's unit has played so far this season.

3. Ty'Ron Hopper

Many members of the Packers' defense had great games, but Ty'Ron Hopper had a really great one. He finished with eight total tackles, a sack, three passes defenses, two quarterback hits, and an interception, all of which hadn't been done in the same game since Charles Woodson did it in 2009.

Hopper's ability to find the ball continued on Thursday, as he was able to not only deflect a Bryce Young pass on fourth down, but also catch the batted ball himself. Hopper's also continued to look like a really solid player in the open field, and despite one or two missed plays, he was certainly able to hold his own all night.

With the Packers' linebacker depth currently reeling following the injuries of Edgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin, Hopper coming on and playing so well has made it look like the Packers' defense hasn't missed a beat.

4. Third down and red-zone offense

We touched on this a bit with Jordan Love, but the Packers' offense as a whole is worth crediting here, especially on some of the bigger downs.

Green Bay converted nine of its 16 third-down attempts and also finished a perfect 3-for-3 in the red zone. On the flip side, the Packers held the Panthers to just five third-down conversions and 2-of-4 on fourth-down conversions, all while limiting them to just one total red-zone score (out of two tries).

Succeeding on crucial downs and inside the red zone had been a huge issue for the Packers against the Lions, as well as a hurdle the team needed to clear as a whole. While it's hard to say the issue is "fixed" now, the Packers certainly showed that they have what it takes to do so.

5. Tucker Kraft

Both Christian Watson and Matthew Golden had good nights as well, but Tucker Kraft is worth mentioning here as he continues to work his way back from a torn ACL.

For most of the season, Kraft hasn't looked exactly like his old self, which likely has a lot to do with him continuing to get acclimated to playing after his injury and rehab. Thursday, Kraft continued to play better.

He finished with six catches for 53 yards and a touchdown, but Kraft was once again a focal point in key moments. Late in the game, the Packers continued to look to him as a source of extra yards, and had it not been for an illegal man downfield penalty, he would've had over 70 yards on the day.

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