Bryce Young fought valiantly
Bryce Young is not a miracle worker. The Carolina Panthers quarterback needs everything around him to perform well, especially the offensive line. They were found wanting from the first whistle to the last, and the signal-caller paid the price.
Young had no time in the pocket to run his progressions. He was under constant duress, and his mobility was clearly being hindered by a knee injury.
He's not running as much as he typically does, which only exacerbates the protection issues. Nothing much went right for Young, but honestly, there wasn't much else he could do in front of a woeful, undermanned offensive line.
Carolina Panthers didn't pressure Jordan Love at all
It was never going to be easy without big-money edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, who missed his second straight game with a hamstring issue. Nic Scourton hasn't been (and won't be) available this season, and the Panthers' lack of pass-rushing depth is starting to show.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love had all day in the pocket. Green Bay's pre-snap motions were taking linebacker Devin Lloyd out of the middle, and that gave the signal-caller all the space he needed to get the football moving downfield.
Patrick Jones II and Princely Umanmielen are serviceable, but they don't strike fear into anybody. But again, Dan Morgan hasn't done anything to rectify this clear issue.
Packers took away Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan
The Packers wouldn't let Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker beat them. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon deployed two high safeties almost constantly, thwarting Carolina's downfield threat and limiting the wide receiver duo throughout the contest.
McMillan made a couple of nice grabs over the middle, but the explosive plays were nonexistent. Coker was a complete non-factor until a touchdown in the fourth quarter, which is very rare for the Holy Cross product on prime time.
Green Bay's game plan against McMillan and Coker was executed to perfection. This was Carolina's biggest threat, and they negated it from start to finish. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik had no answer.
Back to the drawing board for Carolina Panthers (again)
One can blame the injuries, and that's a valid excuse. But this team might not be as good as some fans thought before the campaign.
The Panthers are heading in the wrong direction. They are now 3-4, and they were never really in this game despite creating three turnovers. Frustration is clearly growing among the fan base, and given that team owner David Tepper expected a winning season, the billionaire will probably be getting a little restless, too.
It's nowhere near good enough. The gulf in quality between these two teams was glaring, and the Panthers were second best.
Now, they have a mini-bye to get healthier and rectify some problems. But with the Denver Broncos next up, these improvements must happen quickly.
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