The Green Bay Packers beat the Carolina Panthers 27-19 on Thursday Night Football at Lambeau Field, improving to 5-3 on the season. However, what should have been a comfortable win turned into another white-knuckle finish, as the Packers let a 27-10 lead shrink to eight points in the fourth quarter before finally putting Carolina away.

Jordan Love finished 30-of-41 for 288 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, while Christian Watson hauled in eight catches for 113 yards while also briefly leaving the game with a broken rib. The win moved Green Bay into a solid position in the NFC North, but the way it unfolded drew a lot of criticism.

Jordan Love Delivered, but the Packers’ Ground Game Couldn’t Get Going

Love, who ranks 17th on PFN’s QB Impact Metric with a 76.8 grade, showed everyone why he’s capable of carrying this offense, connecting with Watson and Matthew Golden throughout the night. Golden added seven receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown, giving the Packers quarterback another reliable target throughout the game.

On the defensive side, linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper emerged as the standout performer with an interception, three pass breakups, a sack, two quarterback hits, and eight tackles.

The ground game, however, was a major concern. Josh Jacobs managed just 39 yards on 21 carries, a 1.9-yard average, while Green Bay finished with only 66 rushing yards on 26 attempts.

Green Bay also struggled with turnovers and penalties, including a fumbled opening kickoff and a Watson fumble, issues that kept the Panthers in a game that should have been out of reach.

Analysts React to the Packers’ Win Over the Panthers

Several Pro Football Network analysts weighed in on what the Packers’ win over the Panthers says about Green Bay’s outlook as a legitimate NFC contender:

He continued, “They still have an issue closing out games in the fourth quarter because they can’t run the ball. This is probably a playoff team, but I currently see another first-round exit.”

“They look better as of late than what they showed over the first few weeks of the season,” Kennedy added. “As of now, I’m not ready to label them a contender, but perhaps that will change if they get hot over the second half of the season and Parsons can take their defense to the next level.”

“They’ve looked encouraging these last few weeks against some solid teams, even despite the injuries they’ve faced this season,” Infante continued. “That offensive line and their secondary both worry me down the stretch, but if they can remain competitive in divisional play, it’s reasonable to think they’ll be a Wild Card team.”