On Thursday night, the Green Bay Packers dictated the terms of the matchup against the Carolina Panthers. While the defense did its best to keep the game competitive, quarterback Bryce Young’s protectors failed to do their part, forcing the passer to “run for his life.”

The Panthers were under frequent pressure throughout the game and failed to regain momentum despite Young’s best efforts. Former Bengals star Chad Ochocinco Johnson was disappointed with how things unfolded, particularly the offensive line’s inability to protect Young.

The 27-19 loss marked the Panthers’ second consecutive defeat following a disappointing outing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7.

Chad Johnson Calls Out Panthers O-Line for Not Protecting Bryce Young

In the TNF matchup, the Packers handed the Panthers multiple opportunities with three turnovers that could have been converted into points.

Despite getting three extra possessions, the offense could score only three points. The primary culprit was the collapse of an injury-riddled offensive line.

Young was sacked six times and frequently pressured by Packers defenders. Johnson, reacting to the team’s performance, particularly called out Carolina’s left tackle and left guard spots as focal points of the offensive breakdown.

“Bryce (Young) was running for his life all night long,” Ochocinco said on Thursday’s episode of the Nightcap podcast.

“I’m not sure who our left guard and our left tackle are. But listen, even if you are a backup, I know they had a rookie. They have a rookie right tackle [Monroe Freeling] from Georgia. He was playing. He tried to do his best. That left guard and that left tackle, they hurt us real bad. That hurt us real bad all night long. And I’m saying ‘we’ because I’m a Panthers fan. And what I saw tonight from us, it was ridiculous,” he added.

The Packers generated heavy pressure in the first half without relying on the blitz, pressuring Young on 47.6% of his dropbacks despite blitzing just 19.1% of the time. The pressure continued after halftime, as Green Bay finished with six sacks and kept Young under duress throughout the night.

Young finished the night completing 23 of 41 passes for 209 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Under frequent pressure, Young’s six sacks resulted in a loss of 33 yards. With the defeat, the Panthers dropped to 3-4. Carolina was No. 15 in PFN’s NFL Team Impact Rankings entering Friday’s post-Thursday update. Currently, they are ranked No. 18.

They will next face the Denver Broncos in Week 9. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.