Coming into Week 9 as the only team in the NFC with one loss, the Green Bay Packers no longer hold that distinction after dropping to 5-2-1 for the season with an ugly 16-13 defeat at Lambeau Field to the Carolina Panthers, who actually now have the exact same number of wins, as they improved to 5-4 with the victory.
Thankfully for Green Bay, the Detroit Lions were upset by the Minnesota Vikings, thus keeping the Packers in first place in the NFC North.
Nevertheless, this was still a defeat that could have been avoided, especially given that Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed just 55 percent of his passes for a measly 102 yards, with zero touchdowns and an interception.
That said, though, the Packers' pass-rush was the weakest it's been all season, as evidenced by the fact that Green Bay's lone sack of the afternoon didn't come from the defensive line but instead from safety Xavier McKinney, who had a solid all-around day, as he also recorded the aforementioned interception.
And the lack of pressure certainly wasn't lost on Micah Parsons, who basically said what every Packers fan was thinking when speaking with the media afterward.
"He threw 100 yards," Parsons said of Young. "So, if we lose a game like that in the NFL, we just didn't play good. Not too many quarterbacks that's throwing for 100 yards and winning a game."
Micah Parsons gives a brutally honest assessment of Packers' loss to Panthers
Now, maybe back in the day when the Packers were wearing the uniforms they wore on Sunday on a weekly basis, that statement wouldn't make much sense. But in today's NFL, Parsons is exactly right.
Of course, the loss could undoubtedly be attributed to the fact that Green Bay allowed a season-high 163 rushing yards, with Rico Dowdle accounting for the vast majority of that total, gaining 130 yards on 25 carries and scoring both of Carolina's touchdowns on the day.
Or how about the fact that Matt LaFleur made decisions that had him looking like a rookie head coach instead of the seventh-year veteran that he actually is? First, he rolled with a conservative offensive attack that had even Greg Olsen questioning his play-calling on live television.
Truth be told, in several situations, it looked as if he had zero faith in Jordan Love, treating him more like a third-string quarterback than the legit MVP candidate he was coming into this contest. But then, in the fourth quarter, LaFleur rolled the dice on an overly aggressive fourth-down attempt that ultimately fell flat.
Honestly, the Packers really had no business being in this game at the end, given the poor play and the even worse coaching. And if they look like this next Monday night against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, a second straight loss is in the cards, even if Jalen Hurts only throws for 100 yards.