After three straight wins where it looked like the team had turned a corner, the Green Bay Packers came crashing back down to earth in a 20-17 loss to the Detroit Lions. The team's usual flaws showed themselves again, leaving them sitting at 4-3 and facing yet another short week.
Although the Packers just played a Thursday night game a few weeks ago, they get another in Week 8. This time, it's against the Carolina Panthers, a 3-3 team also coming off a tough loss, a 43-13 blowout to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Let's take a look at some of the biggest things to watch for as the Packers look to bounce back.
- 3 things to watch for in Packers' Week 8 game vs. Panthers
- Biggest X-factors for the Packers in Week 8
- Packers' keys to winning against Panthers in Week 8
3 things to watch for in Packers' Week 8 game vs. Panthers
1. Who will end up starting on the offensive line?
For a while there, we weren't worrying too much about the Packers' offensive line. However, the all-too-familiar question of "who will be on the line to start the game" is back after a rough Week 7. Coming off the loss to the Lions, the Packers are dealing with a number of questions up front, including who might even be available to suit up for the game.
Sean Rhyan, the team's starting center, will miss anywhere from four to six weeks after suffering a high-ankle sprain against Detroit. Backup Jacob Monk, who stepped in, also got hurt in that game, injuring his quad and being placed on injured reserve this week. For Thursday, it'll likely be either John Williams or Jager Burton at center, but that leaves the question of guard as well.
Kevin Zeitler, who signed with the team recently, has yet to play beyond some special teams snaps. As starter Travis Glover continues to struggle, though, it could be time for Zeitler to finally get some run with the starting offense.
2. Can Packers capitalize on Panthers' run game weakness?
If the Packers' offensive line has been the main story of the team's season so far, then its running game has been the equally frustrating subplot. Despite starter Josh Jacobs coming back, the Packers once again generated no real run game against the Lions last week. Whether they will this week remains to be seen, but they are playing a team that could let them, in theory.
The Panthers enter Week 8 with the worst run defense in the entire NFL. As a unit, they've given up a league-leading 153.2 rushing yards per game, and 5.16 yards per carry. On paper, this sounds great for the Packers, but in reality, less so. The last time the Packers played a team with as bad a run defense as Carolina was two weeks ago against the Dallas Cowboys.
They won that game, but were also unable to do anything on the ground. This week, it seems like we're in for a battle of the movable object versus the stoppable force, so it's anyone's guess as to who wins that one.
3. Can the Packers overcome their biggest problems?
At this point in the season, it's safe to say we know exactly what the Packers' identity is: a team capable of playing well against anyone when they have a complete game, but unable to consistently do it. For the Packers to become the team they have visions of being, that will eventually have to change, but the real question is whether they have the ability to.
The Packers looked to have turned a corner and were playing with aggression, making big plays, and not leaning into their worst habits. For whatever reason, a lot of those issues reared their head against the Lions and need to be fixed going forward.
Drops, penalties, and missed kicks simply won't cut it if you want to win in the NFL. We know the Packers are capable of playing better than that, but will they show it consistently?
Biggest X-factors for the Packers in Week 8
Lukas Van Ness
Lukas Van Ness has been having a pretty great year so far, so it feels a bit disrespectful to say he has to play better. However, Van Ness is the team's lone dependable option at edge rusher until Micah Parsons returns, and last week he was an absolute no-show.
In one of the Packers' biggest games to date, Van Ness was held in check by Detroit. If the team wants to flip the script this week, they'll need their pass rush to do something, and that starts with Van Ness. The Panthers also come into this game dealing with their own issues along the offensive line, which could be what Van Ness needs to get back on track.
Matthew Golden
Golden is listed here for a number of reasons. One, he had a pretty subpar day against the Lions last week, which once again featured the young wide receiver dropping a big catch. That will have to change going forward, and it has been one of the Packers' biggest issues this season.
Outside of the drops, Golden will be worth watching here to see if he even suits up. During Tuesday's simulated walkthrough practice, he was listed as a non-participant as he deals with shoulder and foot injuries. If Golden can't suit up, it'll be a big blow to the Packers' receiving depth. If he does, just how he plays with the injuries will also be worth monitoring.
Kevin Zeitler
Zeitler signed with the Packers amidst a period of upheaval surrounding the entire offensive line and was seen by many as a huge boon to the group. However, the longtime NFL veteran hasn't really done much during his tenure as a Packer.
So far, Zeitler has mainly been a special teams contributor, but with Travis Glover continuing to struggle at guard, it might be time to just make the obvious move. If he gets the chance to play, it'll be worth watching how he looks in what will be some of his first big minutes of the year.
Packers' keys to winning against Panthers in Week 8
Avoid simple mistakes
"Simple mistakes" here means everything from drops to unnecessary penalties. The Packers' worst enemy this season has been themselves, and the problems seem very simple to fix. If they want to win on Thursday, they will need to finally get out of their own way and try to lock back into the style of play they were utilizing for the better part of the last month.
It's easier said than done, but what makes it so frustrating is that the Packers can display the ability to do so easily. Whether they will this week remains to be seen, however.
Make the most of the red zone
The Packers' red zone issues are becoming a major problem. Last week against the Lions, the team went 1-for-4 in the red zone, including two missed field goals, against a team that had some of the worst red-zone defense in the league.
Simply put, if you want to succeed in the NFL, you have to score in the red zone more than 25 percent of the time. Whenever they get into the red zone, Green Bay will need to convert, and at a much better clip than they have been.
Limit penalties
The referees became a big focal point of the Packers' loss in Week 7. While the officials were awful, several penalties against Green Bay were things they simply did themselves.
Controversy or not, the Packers currently lead the league in penalties called against them and have more than double the number of roughing-the-passer calls than the team below them. It's hard to say "don't get penalized" in today's day and age of the NFL, but the team will have to try to figure out how to play in a way that doesn't garner as many flags, and quick.
Add us as a preferred source on Google