Carolina picked a rough time to play their worst game of the season.

The Panthers had finally started to look like a team people should take seriously. They beat Detroit in prime time, came out of their bye with a win in Philadelphia, and built one of the NFL’s most productive offenses around Bryce Young. Then Tampa Bay showed up in Charlotte with Baker Mayfield back under center and handed them a 43-13 loss.

Now Carolina has just four days to regroup before heading to Lambeau Field, where Green Bay’s defense has been more than happy to turn a bad decision into a big play.

The Packers have plenty to prove, too. Their 20-17 loss to Detroit snapped a three-game winning streak and dropped them to last place in the NFC North at 4-3. Carolina's 3-3 and still leads the NFC South. Football can be weird like that.

Thursday’s game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.

Carolina’s Offense Has Earned Some Patience

This season was giving Carolina actual reasons to believe the offense is coming together.

Even after Sunday, the Panthers rank fifth in total offense at 381.3 yards per game and fifth in scoring at 26.5 points. Young's thrown 12 touchdown passes in six games, and second-year receiver Tetairoa McMillan is averaging 85.2 receiving yards. There’s enough production here that one miserable afternoon shouldn’t erase everything that came before it.

Still, Sunday deserves more than a shrug.

Young threw two interceptions, took five sacks, and lost a fumble that Tampa Bay returned for a touchdown. Carolina also muffed a punt and had an extra point blocked and returned for two points. The Bucs led 33-6 at halftime. That’s a whole lot of help to give an opponent when you've still got another 30 minutes of football left to play.

The challenge Thursday is getting back to an offense that can sustain possessions and finish them. Carolina can’t spend the night chasing a big play to make up for the last mistake. Get Young some manageable downs, get McMillan involved, and make Green Bay defend a full drive.

Keeping Young Upright Just Got Harder

The biggest problem with asking Carolina to clean everything up quickly is their guys up front.

Veteran right tackle Taylor Moton fractured his fibula against Tampa Bay and went on injured reserve Monday. He also suffered ankle ligament damage that’ll need surgery. Rookie Monroe Freeling steps back into the job after starting the first four games while Moton was out earlier this season.

Freeling has some experience, but losing one of your anchors up front still matters. So does left guard Damien Lewis being listed as a nonparticipant with a knee injury.

I’d like to see Carolina give Young some early throws he can get out on time. Use Chuba Hubbard as an outlet. Help Freeling when the matchup calls for it. Make the Packers account for something besides a quarterback holding onto the ball behind a reshuffled line.

Young has responsibilities here, too. He has to recognize when a play’s gone bad and avoid making it worse. Taking the hot route or throwing the ball away won’t make the highlight reel, but it might keep Green Bay from taking over the game.

The Packers Will Happily Take Whatever Carolina Gives Them

Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has Green Bay taking the football away again. The Packers lead the league with 13 takeaways and nine interceptions, already topping their interception total from all of last season. Gannon’s disguises and pressure packages have helped them get there, even with Micah Parsons still sidelined.

That’s the part of this matchup Carolina should be most worried about. A rushed throw that’s a little late or a little too far inside can turn into a possession the Panthers never get back.

Green Bay’s dealing with some real losses, though. Edgerrin Cooper's out for the season, and Zaire Franklin missed Sunday with a leg injury. Xavier McKinney’s still a problem on the back end, though, with three interceptions already.

There should be chances for Carolina to work underneath and make the replacement linebackers deal with traffic. But Young can’t decide where the ball’s going before he’s sure what the coverage is doing.

Can Green Bay Finally Run the Ball?

This might be Thursday’s strangest matchup.

The Packers average a league-low 59.9 rushing yards per game. Carolina gives up 153.2, the most in the NFL. So, yeah, somebody’s about to get a chance to feel a whole lot better about a season-long problem.

Josh Jacobs came back for the first time this season on Sunday and had 36 yards on 11 carries, but he also added 55 receiving yards and a touchdown. Having him back gives Green Bay another option, but the running game still has a lot to prove.

Carolina’s run defense has been all over the place. They gave up just 81 rushing yards combined against Detroit and Philadelphia, then allowed 258 to Tampa Bay. The Bucs only threw 11 passes all afternoon.

The Panthers can’t let Green Bay find those same kind of running lanes. Make Jordan Love carry the offense, then see if Carolina can create enough pressure to throw him off.

Love Needs Help Finishing Drives

Love's been throwing the ball well enough to make Green Bay a real problem. He’s fourth in passing yards a game, and Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are both in the top 10 in receiving yards. Golden’s shoulder and foot injuries are worth keeping an eye on this week.

The bigger issue is turning all that talent into points.

Against Detroit, Green Bay got to second-and-goal from the 3 on their opening drive and came away with nothing. Then, late in the fourth quarter, the defense gave the offense the ball at the Lions’ 22 in a tie game. They ended up settling for a field goal attempt that got blocked at the line.

The offensive line is another big concern. Center Sean Rhyan and backup Jacob Monk both left Sunday’s game, which forced John Williams into his NFL debut.

If Carolina can attack some of those weaknesses, they'll have a real chance.

Who Wins?

Lambeau will add plenty of noise and be a challenge for Carolina’s protection. The weather looks pretty manageable, too, with light winds and temperatures around 60 at kickoff in the early forecast. So, yeah, we can probably skip the frozen-tundra speech.

Carolina did win here 16-13 last season, but I’m leaning Green Bay because of the matchup between their opportunistic defense and Carolina’s banged-up protection. The Panthers have enough offense to win, but they can’t keep asking that offense to carry them every week.

All stats courtesy of Fantasy Points Data.

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