Panthers 16, Packers 13: 2-minute drill

GREEN BAY — Carolina got a 49-yard field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald as time expired to pull off a stunning 16-13 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Play of the Game

Trailing 7-6 midway through the third quarter, Jordan Love loaded up and threw a pass deep down the middle of the field to Christian Watson. The only problem? Watson was double covered and a third defender was in the area. The result was an interception that Tre’von Moehrig returned 36 yards. Nine plays later the Panthers were in the end zone for their lone touchdown of the game.

Game Balls

Offense:

RB Josh Jacobs

Jacobs produced despite not being fully healthy. He ran for 87 yards on 17 carries. His yardage total and yards per carry (5.1) were his second-highest total of the season. He also scored a touchdown for a fifth-straight game and now has nine on the season.

WR Romeo Doubs

Doubs was Love’s favorite option on Sunday, getting targeted 10 times. He came up with seven of them for 91 yards — both season-highs for the fourth-year wide receiver. Three of his receptions resulted in first downs. He’s now got 34 catches for 441 yards, leaving him on pace to set career-highs in both categories.

Defense:

S Xavier McKinney

The team captain had a stretch where he had a sack, forced fumble and an end zone interception over three plays. It contributed to what was a good day for the safety, as he finished with a team-high nine tackles and one pass broken up.

What Went Right

The passing defense

They weren’t tested often but Green Bay held Carolina to just 102 yards passing. It was the fewest passing yards allowed in a loss since giving up 99 to the Jets three seasons ago. Bryce Young completed only 11 of 20 passes and had an interception in the end zone.

What Went Wrong

The offense

The Packers offense is inconsistent. That was Love’s word to describe it afterwards and it’s apt. A week after putting up 35 points against the Steelers, Green Bay managed just 13 vs a team that had allowed 40 last Sunday. It’s not that the Packers didn’t move the ball. They did put up 369 yards of offense. But they were 1-for-5 in the red zone, including a pair of turnovers, leaving a lot of points on the field.

The run defense

Green Bay came into the game allowing just 50.7 yards per game on the ground at home but Carolina had 76 less than two quarters into the afternoon. The Packers had no answer for Rico Dowdle, who ran for 130 yards (5.2 ypc) and two touchdowns. That included a key 19-yard scamper on the final drive to setup the game-winning field goal. Dowdle became the first 100-yard rusher against the Packers since Houston’s Joe Mixon in Week 7 last season.

Injuries

The Packers suffered several key injuries on Sunday but one could prove to be devastating. Tight end Tucker Kraft, coming off the best game by a tight end this year, went down with a knee injury in the third quarter and was eventually taken by a cart to the locker room. The team fears he tore his ACL, according to the NFL Network.

“It’s going to be tough, but you’ve got to attack it head on,” coach Matt LaFleur said of replacing Kraft.

In addition to losing the tight end, wide receiver Matthew Golden (shoulder), defensive lineman Colby Wooden (shoulder) and left guard Aaron Banks (stinger) left the game and did not return.

What They Said

“It’s gonna be tough if we can’t figure shit out and score in the red area. It’s just going to be tough to win football games like that.”

LaFleur on going 1-for-5 in the red zone

In Case You Missed It

— The Packers wore their 1923 throwback uniforms for the first time.

— Because of the wind, both teams needed a player to hold the ball for kickoffs at points in the game. It meant there were 12 players on the field for the kicking team. The player holding the ball had to run off the field as soon as the ball was kicked

— An expedited review overturned a late hit call on linebacker Edgerrin Cooper in the first quarter.

— Christian Watson was forced out of the game by officials to be evaluated for a concussion. It led to him missing a critical drive where the Packers were stopped on fourth down. He was eventually able to return.

Inside the Numbers

10,000 — That’s the number of yards Love topped when he hit Watson for a 51-yard gain in the second quarter. He’s the second-fasted player in franchise history to hit that number behind only Aaron Rodgers.

13.5 — That was how big of a favorite the Packers were in the game. It’s tied for the biggest spread in a game they lost since 1970. The other game? Mike McCarthy’s final one as coach when they lost to Arizona

5 — That’s how many kicks Brandon McManus has missed this season after going wide left from 43 yards. He missed just once in 21 attempts during the regular season last year.

13 — That’s the fewest points scored in a home game since putting up 10 in Week 8 of the 2023 season. Carolina came into the game allowing 24 per game

1 — That’s how many tackles for loss the Packers had and it came from Micah Parsons. Going up against a beat up Carolina line, Green Bay’s front seven did not produce the game-changing plays seen in every other home game this year.

What’s Next?

Green Bay (5-2-1) will welcome in the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) next Monday.