On paper, the Green Bay Packers performed well against the Carolina Panthers. Jordan Love completed 26 passes, more than double that of Panthers QB Bryce Young, and threw for 273 yards, his fourth-most of the season.
But instead of engaging in a shootout, the Panthers forced Green Bay into a drawn-out brawl, leaning on a consistent run game with RB Rico Dowdle to chew away at the clock, and deep coverages to limit explosive plays by the Green Bay offense.
By the end of the day, the Packers put together just seven drives, the fewest by the team so far this season. And while six of them crossed Carolina's 25-yard line, Green Bay scored just three times, a bad sign for a team that had scored at least 27 points in all but one of its games.
Matt LaFleur must be brave enough to let Jordan Love destroy Packers' kryptonite
As opposing teams begin to implement strategies with the aim of placing a cap on Love's downfield skills, it's time for the Packers to adapt. The loss of Tucker Kraft hurts, but Christian Watson has returned, and news of a Jayden Reed revival is gaining momentum, opening the door for the Packers to operate on speed.
If over-the-top options are limited, Green Bay should take advantage of the speed at its disposal and produce in the mid-range. Love has been elite when throwing to receivers between 10-19 yards from the line of scrimmage, and it's past time that LaFleur and company utilized him consistently.
According to PFF, Love is elite in the intermediary, completing about 69 percent of his passes and recording five touchdowns when connecting with receivers in that area. This strength could come in handy on Monday against the Eagles. Love has the third-highest PFF passing grade against man coverage, which Philadelphia uses at the ninth-highest rate in the league.
READ MORE: Packers almost made a trade they would've instantly regretted
By forcing Green Bay to carry out long drives, the Panthers revealed that teams are scared of what Love and the Packers offense are capable of. With a few tweaks, Green Bay can adapt to this defensive approach and punish opponents with plays that allow their receivers to show off their speed. What made Tucker Kraft so dangerous was his ability to do just that: get yards after the catch.
The Packers can succeed not only by trusting Love to throw the ball more aggressively, but by using their speed to stretch defenses and create big plays after the catch. The formula of repeated screens followed by a downfield heave didn't work against the Panthers, so why should the Packers expect that to work against playoff-caliber teams?
With more eyes than ever on the Packers, the upcoming primetime matchup against the Eagles will give them a chance to silence any doubts about where they stand in the NFC power structure.