The Green Bay Packers have to quickly forget about their frustrating loss at Ford Field last week. They can bounce back immediately against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football.
Matt LaFleur's team knows better than to overlook the Panthers, who stunned the Packers at Lambeau last season. Carolina is as inconsistent as it gets, as its record shows: Loss, win, loss, win, win, loss.
But it's hard to ignore a Panthers roster decimated by injuries and coming off an embarrassing 43-13 loss at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
There's a lot on the line for both teams. Here's everything you need to know ahead of Packers-Panthers in primetime.
- How to watch Packers vs. Panthers in Week 8
- Packers injury updates
- Panthers injury updates
- Storylines for Week 8
- Prediction
How to watch Packers vs. Panthers in Week 8
- Date: Thursday, October 29
- Time: 7:15 p.m. CT
- TV Network: Prime Video
- Announcers: Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit
Packers injury updates
- Matthew Golden and Devonte Wyatt among four questionable
- Sean Rhyan, Travis Glover, and Zaire Franklin ruled out
More changes are coming to the Packers' offensive line. They have already ruled out center Sean Rhyan, who looks likely to miss at least a month after reportedly suffering a high-ankle sprain. Right guard Travis Glover won't play due to a knee injury. Is it finally Kevin Zeitler time at right guard? More on that in a moment.
The Packers will miss veteran linebacker Zaire Franklin for another game while he recovers from a shin injury. Ty'Ron Hopper and Isaiah McDuffie will get the majority of the snaps in the middle of Jonathan Gannon's defense.
Four players are questionable for Thursday Night Football: wide receiver Matthew Golden, edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr., and defensive tackles Devonte Wyatt and Anthony Campbell.
Golden is battling shoulder and foot injuries. The Packers' practice reports are estimates this week, but the team had Golden as a non-participant on Monday and Tuesday but limited on Wednesday. Hopefully, we'll get good news on his status. Golden could dominate against a decimated Panthers secondary.
Panthers injury updates
- Panthers rule out Jaelan Phillips, Akayleb Evans, and Damien Lewis
Carolina's injury woes have deepened this week, with multiple starters ruled out. Star pass rusher Jaelan Phillips won't play. That's a huge loss.
The Panthers were already down to backups at cornerback, and they'll now miss Akayleb Evans. While Evans has struggled this season, his absence leaves Carolina without many options at cornerback.
Carolina is missing two key starters along the offensive line: Damien Lewis and Taylor Moton. Lewis is dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of practice all week, while Moton requires season-ending ankle surgery.
Storylines for Week 8
Is Trey Smack on thin ice?
Matt LaFleur has backed rookie kicker Trey Smack after his nightmarish performance at Ford Field, but it can't go on like this. It's fine to have patience with a young kicker, but at what point does it become too much? The Packers have lofty ambitions this season, and you can't carry an underperforming player at a crucial position in the name of development.
Smack has converted just 68.8 percent of his field-goal tries this season, which ranks 28th in the NFL, and there's simply no excusing a miss from 26 yards inside a dome.
The conditions at Lambeau should be about as kicker-friendly as you could hope for in late October, and Smack has to right the ship. He cost the Packers six points in a three-point loss last week. That can't continue.
What's next for the Packers' offensive line?
The Packers have ruled out Sean Rhyan and Travis Glover, while Jacob Monk is now on injured reserve. Once again, Matt LaFleur will have to reshuffle its offensive line.
Is it finally time for Kevin Zeitler? The veteran right guard is surely the preferred choice now over Donovan Jennings. The Packers elevated Mekhi Becton from the practice squad, but that's presumably for cover. Becton has experience at guard and tackle.
The other question is who gets the start at center. John Williams stepped in after Rhyan and Glover were injured in Week 7, but only out of necessity, since Jager Burton was inactive.
Williams was presumably active due to his ability to play multiple positions, including tackle. But with Burton available, will he get the start, or will the Packers roll with Williams after he held up fairly well in Detroit?
Whoever is out there, the Packers desperately need this unit to start moving in the right direction. The offensive line play continues to be a painful watch.
Packers' bottom-ranked rushing offense gets the best matchup imaginable
Green Bay's rushing attack is off to a historically poor start. According to ESPN Insights (via Rob Demovsky), the Packers have the second-lowest rushing yardage total through seven games in the last 35 years. They are averaging an embarrassing 59.9 rushing yards per game.
Fortunately, they get the league's bottom-ranked run defense on Thursday night. The Panthers are allowing 153.2 rushing yards per contest. If the Packers' offense can't move the ball on the ground in this game, they truly might be doomed.
Rasheed Walker's return to Lambeau
Rasheed Walker makes his return to Lambeau Field this week, and he's aiming to get his season back on track. Walker is coming off a disastrous game against the Buccaneers – he allowed two sacks and five pressures, per Pro Football Focus. Overall, Walker's PFF grade ranks 55th among 71 tackles this season.
The Panthers have been hit with injuries along the offensive line, so they'll need Walker to step up. Can the Packers take advantage?
Prediction
Packers 27, Panthers 17
The Packers left far too many points out there last week. Some thanks to kicking, others due to drops. They get a chance to bounce back this week against a Panthers defense allowing 27.7 points per game.
If the offensive line can hold up just enough, Jordan Love should have his way against a decimated Panthers secondary.
Bryce Young might have something to say about that, having thrown for 1,712 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions, with a career-best 92.9 passer rating so far this season. But considering the Panthers' offensive line injuries and some encouraging performances from Jonathan Gannon's defense in recent weeks, I'm predicting a (relatively) comfortable Packers victory.
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