Panthers at PackersTNF · Lambeau Field, Green Bay
The final Wednesday report had not been posted by either team as of Wednesday morning Pacific time (packers.com and panthers.com injury-report pages, fetched Oct 28, show Monday and Tuesday columns filled and Wednesday and game status blank). What is on the record from Tuesday: Carolina held out LG Damien Lewis (knee), OLB Jaelan Phillips (hamstring), CB Akayleb Evans (triceps/knee) and G Torricelli Simpkins III (ankle) from both walk-throughs; DT Bobby Brown III (hand) and WR Jalen Coker (shoulder) were full Tuesday, and Bryce Young (knee) was full both days (panthers.com, Darin Gantt, Oct 27). ESPN's game-page feed lists Lewis, Phillips, Evans and Simpkins as QUESTIONABLE. Canales on Phillips, Monday: "We're [going to] try to get him back for this game but, again, the recurring same hamstring. It's still that kind of a tight window, so it'll be close on that one." RT Taylor Moton went to injured reserve Monday (lower leg); rookie Monroe Freeling starts, with three sacks allowed, all in Weeks 1–3, and 18 pressures (panthers.com, Oct 28). Carolina has two healthy corners on the active roster, Will Lee III and Chau Smith-Wade, with Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson on IR (BVM Sports, Oct 28).
Green Bay's side: C Sean Rhyan (high ankle sprain) is OUT on ESPN's feed and LB Zaire Franklin (hairline fracture, shin) is DOUBTFUL, which under the house rule means out; neither practiced Monday or Tuesday. WR Matthew Golden (shoulder/foot) did not practice either day and is QUESTIONABLE. LaFleur, Tuesday: "I sure hope so, but we're still kind of working through it. You're not getting any real reps. Everything's pretty much walk-through." (SI Packer Central, Oct 27). RG Travis Glover (knee) also sat both days; LaFleur said Kevin Zeitler will be ready if Glover cannot go. John Williams finished Sunday at center in his first career offensive appearance after Rhyan and backup Jacob Monk (IR, quad) were hurt. Limited Tuesday: G Aaron Banks (knee/toe), DT Devonte Wyatt (ankle), DT Anthony Campbell (ankle), OLB Brenton Cox Jr. (quad); all finished the Lions game. Micah Parsons (knee) remains on PUP.
Sources: packers.com and panthers.com injury-report pages (fetched Oct 28, Mon/Tue columns only); panthers.com Tuesday report (Oct 27); ESPN game-summary injury feed for event 401873023 (fetched Oct 28); SI Packer Central Tuesday report (Oct 27); Yahoo/SB Nation Packers report (Oct 27); BVM Sports (Oct 28). Re-check the final designations before kickoff.
Player matchups ESPN season statistics, depth charts and injury feed, pulled Oct 28 (Carolina six games, Green Bay seven)
Bryce Young vs. Gannon's four-man pressure
Edge: Packers
Panthers
Bryce Young — 135/228, 1,712 yds, 12 TD, 4 INT, 92.9 rating, 17 sacks (5 Sunday) · LT 
Rasheed Walker · LG 
Damien Lewis QUESTIONABLE (
Corey Bullock next) · C 
Luke Fortner · RG 
Robert Hunt · RT 
Monroe Freeling (rookie; 
Taylor Moton IR)
Packers
Lukas Van Ness 3.5 sacks, 27 pressures · OLB 
Barryn Sorrell · DT 
Devonte Wyatt QUESTIONABLE · DE 
Karl Brooks · OLB 
Brenton Cox Jr. QUESTIONABLE · S 
Xavier McKinney 1 sack — team 16 sacks, 43 TFLThis is the matchup of the game. Young has been pressured on 44.3% of dropbacks against four or fewer rushers, the highest rate among qualified passers, and 15 of his 17 sacks came on those plays; Green Bay pressures 38.5% of dropbacks without blitzing, fourth-highest (panthers.com, Oct 28). Young is far better against the blitz (0.17 yards over expected per dropback, fifth in the league), so Gannon has no reason to send one. Freeling's three sacks allowed all came in September, but Lewis's knee puts a backup at left guard next to a rookie tackle on the other side.
McMillan and Coker vs. the league's interception leaders
EvenPanthers
Tetairoa McMillan 36 rec, 511 yds, 2 TD on 55 targets (15 explosive plays) · WR 
Jalen Coker 25 rec, 328 yds, 2 TD (full Tuesday) · WR 
Brycen Tremayne 6 rec, 115 yds · WR 
John Metchie III 9 rec, 100 yds · WR 
Xavier Legette IRPackers
Keisean Nixon 43 tackles, 6 PD, 1 INT · CB 
Brandon Cisse 6 PD, 1 INT, 1.5 sacks · S Xavier McKinney 3 INT · S 
Evan Williams 61 tackles, 2 INT, 6 PD · NB 
Javon Bullard 7 PD · CB 
Benjamin St-Juste (full)Carolina is second in passing yards a game (276.0) and Young is second among all passers at 285.3 a game, with McMillan averaging 14.2 a catch. Green Bay leads the league with nine interceptions and McKinney has three of them; all five of its starting defensive backs have at least six passes defended or an interception. Young was intercepted twice Sunday. The yardage favors Carolina, the turnover risk favors Green Bay.
Watson and Golden vs. Carolina's two healthy corners
Edge: PackersPanthers
Will Lee III 29 tackles, 7 PD · NB 
Chau Smith-Wade · CB 
Akayleb Evans QUESTIONABLE (triceps/knee) · CB 
Robert Rochell · S 
Tre'von Moehrig 24 tackles · S 
Nick Scott 24 tackles · CB 
Jaycee Horn, CB 
Mike Jackson IRPackers
Christian Watson 34 rec, 595 yds, 6 TD, 17.5 a catch (15 explosive plays) · WR 
Matthew Golden 34 rec, 512 yds, 3 TD on 69 targets QUESTIONABLE (DNP Mon/Tue) · WR 
Savion Williams · WR 
Bo Melton 5 rec, 34 yds · WR 
Jayden Reed IRWatson is averaging 17.5 a catch with six touchdowns against a secondary that has lost both starting corners to IR and may be without Evans. If Golden sits, Green Bay's third receiver is Savion Williams or Melton, and that matters: the Packers have dropped 20 of Love's passes, most among qualified passers (panthers.com, Oct 28). Carolina allows only 195.7 passing yards a game, but Tampa Bay threw 11 times Sunday because it did not need to.
Jordan Love vs. a Panthers defense with three interceptions
Edge: PackersPanthers
Devin Lloyd 2 INT, 2 sacks, 39 tackles · LB 
Bobby Okereke 44 tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD · DT 
Derrick Brown 5 PD · CB Will Lee III 7 PD — team 3 INT, 28 PDPackers
Jordan Love — 162/270 (60.0%), 1,958 yds, 13 TD, 5 INT, 90.6 rating, 14 sacks · Sunday: 27/45, 274 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT · backup 
Tyrod TaylorLove is second in the league in passing yards and Green Bay throws on 66.9% of its plays, the highest rate in football (panthers.com, Oct 28). His 60.0% completion rate is 25th of the 32 leading passers, and his receivers' drops are part of that. Carolina has only three interceptions in six games and allows 44.4% on third down, so Love should get volume; the question is whether he turns it into points, which Green Bay has done at 20.6 a game.
Green Bay's run game vs. the league's worst run defense
EvenPanthersDerrick Brown 18 tackles · NT 
Lee Hunter · DE 
Tershawn Wharton · DT 
Bobby Brown III (hand, full Tue) · LB Bobby Okereke 44 · LB Devin Lloyd 39 — 153.2 rush yds allowed a game, 5.2 a carry; 258 allowed SundayPackers
Josh Jacobs 11 car, 36 yds Sunday (first game back) · RB 
MarShawn Lloyd 54 car, 142 yds, 2 TD (2.6) · RB 
Kaleb Johnson 28 car, 104 yds · RB 
Chris Brooks IR — team 59.9 yds a game, 2.9 a carryWorst against worst. Green Bay is 32nd in rushing offense at 2.9 a carry; Carolina gives up 153.2 a game, 32nd by that measure (panthers.com, Oct 28) and 27th in total rushing yards allowed with 919 in six games (NFL.com, fetched Oct 28). Tampa Bay ran for 258 on 49 carries Sunday with three different backs over 50 yards. Wharton: "It's a copycat league, so the things that we didn't do good (Sunday), we know they could come back again." Jacobs is the one Packer back who could exploit it, and he had 11 carries in his return.
Hubbard vs. a Packers front without Franklin
Edge: PanthersPanthers
Chuba Hubbard 96 car, 459 yds, 4 TD (4.8); 15 rec, 112 yds, 2 TD · RB 
Trevor Etienne · RB 
Anthony Tyus III 3 car, 23 yds, 1 TD · RB 
AJ Dillon 17 car, 43 yds · RB 
Jonathon Brooks IR — team 105.3 a game, 4.3 a carryPackers
Zaire Franklin 41 tackles DOUBTFUL = OUT · LB 
Isaiah McDuffie 11 tackles Sunday · LB 
Ty'Ron Hopper · LB 
Nick Niemann · NT 
Chris McClellan · LB 
Edgerrin Cooper IR — 115.0 rush yds allowed a game, 3.9 a carryHubbard is averaging 4.8 a carry and is the only back in this game with a real workload. Green Bay allows 3.9 a carry and gave up 116 to Jahmyr Gibbs on Sunday; it has lost its two top inside linebackers, Cooper to IR and Franklin to a shin fracture. Hubbard had seven carries Sunday because Carolina was down 33–6 at the half; this is the game plan Canales wants to get back to.
Carolina's pass rush vs. a Packers line with a new center
Edge: PanthersPanthers
Princely Umanmielen 3 sacks, 4 TFL · OLB 
Jaelan Phillips 2.5 sacks QUESTIONABLE (hamstring, missed Week 7) · LB Devin Lloyd 2 sacks · LB Bobby Okereke 1 · OLB 
Patrick Jones II — team 11 sacks, 25 TFLPackers
Jordan Morgan · LG 
Aaron Banks QUESTIONABLE · C 
John Williams (first offensive snaps Sunday; 
Sean Rhyan OUT, 
Jacob Monk IR) · RG 
Travis Glover QUESTIONABLE / 
Kevin Zeitler · RT 
Anthony Belton — 14 sacks allowedGreen Bay's line is the most banged-up unit on either side: its starting center and his backup went down Sunday, its right guard did not practice, and its left guard is limited. Carolina's 11 sacks are modest and Phillips is a close call, but Umanmielen has three and Lloyd blitzes from inside. Love's sack rate (4.9%) is eighth-best among the 32 leading passers, so the edge here is about a makeshift interior, not Green Bay's quarterback.
Linebackers
Edge: PanthersPanthersBobby Okereke 44 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 INT, 5 PD, 1 FF · LB Devin Lloyd 39 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INT, 4 TFL · LB 
Tyrel DodsonPackersZaire Franklin 41 tackles DOUBTFUL = OUT · LB Isaiah McDuffie · LB Ty'Ron Hopper · LB Nick Niemann · LB Edgerrin Cooper 3 sacks, 7 TFL IRLloyd has two interceptions and two sacks in five games, and Okereke is the Panthers' leading tackler. Green Bay's two most productive linebackers are out, which is why McDuffie led the team with 11 tackles Sunday. The gap at this position is the clearest personnel edge Carolina has.
Tight ends
EvenPanthers
Darren Waller 14 rec, 198 yds, 3 TD (50-yd TD Sunday) · TE 
Tommy Tremble 16 rec, 136 yds, 2 TD · TE 
Mitchell Evans 8 rec, 105 ydsPackers
Tucker Kraft 29 rec, 297 yds, 2 TD on 43 targets · TE 
Jonnu Smith · TE 
Luke Musgrave PUPKraft is Green Bay's third option and has 29 catches; Carolina's three tight ends have 38 catches and five touchdowns between them, and Waller's one catch Sunday went for 50 and a score. Carolina's tight ends score; Kraft catches more.
Kickers
Edge: PanthersPanthers
Ryan Fitzgerald — 11 of 11, long 53, 2 of 2 from 50+; extra points 12 of 17 (1 of 2 Sunday)Packers
Trey Smack — 11 of 16, long 59; 13 of 15 extra points; 1 of 3 Sunday (wide right from 26, late attempt blocked)Fitzgerald has not missed a field goal; Smack leads the league with seven missed kicks and became the first kicker since 2019 to miss two from inside 35 in one game (AP via WMTV, Oct 26). LaFleur after the game: "We missed two field goals, but we know Trey is capable of making those." Fitzgerald's five missed extra points are the one caveat. In a game Mack has within a touchdown, this is a real edge.
Punters and returners
Edge: PackersPanthers
Sam Martin — 46.3 gross, 12 of 20 inside the 20 · KR Anthony Tyus III 24.9 avg (10 returns) · PR Trevor Etienne / 
David Moore — team 23.2 KR, 12.5 PRPackers
Daniel Whelan — 49.7 gross, long 75, 14 of 27 inside the 20 · KR Bo Melton 26.9 avg · PR 
Coleman Owen (
Skyy Moore 16.0 PR avg, IR) — team 26.8 KR, 15.5 PRWhelan is more than three yards better gross and pins half his punts inside the 20. Green Bay's return numbers are better across the board, though its punt-return leader is on IR.
Where is Bryce Young? his 2026 numbers against the other 31 teams' leading passers, through Week 7
Answer: middle of the pack as a passer, top ten in touchdowns and touchdown rate, 19th at staying clean, and Sunday was the worst game of his season. Against the other 31 teams' leading passers, Young ranks 10th in passing yards, tied 12th in yards per attempt (7.5) and 9th in touchdown rate, but 28th in completion percentage (59.2) and 19th in sack rate. His rating of 92.9 is exactly the league median. Sunday against Tampa Bay he was 14 of 27 for 163 yards with two interceptions and five sacks for a 51.9 rating before Canales pulled him in the fourth quarter. Canales, Monday, via the Charlotte Observer's Scott Fowler: "I know Bryce. I just talked to him. He's ready to rock." Jordan Love, for comparison, sits 19th in rating at 90.6, 25th in completion rate and 8th in sack rate.
| Stat | Young | Rank | League median | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passer rating | 92.9 | 16 of 32 | 92.9 | Lamar Jackson 119.6 |
| Completion % | 59.2 | 28 of 32 | 64.9 | Joe Burrow 71.7 |
| Yards per attempt | 7.5 | 12 of 32 | 7.3 | Lamar Jackson 10.1 |
| Passing yards | 1,712 | 10 of 32 | 1,481 | Matthew Stafford 1,989 |
| Passing TDs | 12 | 12 of 32 | 9 | Kirk Cousins 16 |
| TD % | 5.3 | 9 of 32 | 4.8 | Trevor Lawrence 7.6 |
| Interceptions (fewest = 1st) | 4 | 14 of 32 | 4 | Jared Goff, Jayden Daniels 0 |
| INT % (lowest = 1st) | 1.8 | 12 of 32 | 1.9 | Jared Goff 0.0 |
| Sack % (lowest = 1st) | 6.9 | 19 of 32 | 6.3 | Dak Prescott 2.5 |
Each team's leading passer by yards (32 players), ESPN 2026 player passing statistics fetched Oct 28 ("updated nightly"). Some leaders have played five or six games (Jackson, Penix, Williams, Murray, Daniels, Mayfield and others), and Carolina has played six to Green Bay's seven. Sack % = sacks / (attempts + sacks); percentages and medians computed from the ESPN table. Orange rank = top ten, red = bottom ten.
Coaching staffs tenure, experience, and what the beat has said this season
Panthers
- Dave Canales, head coach, hired Jan 25, 2024; 16–24 in the regular season in Carolina (5–12, 8–9, 3–3) and 0–1 in the playoffs after winning the NFC South last year. Seahawks assistant 2010–22, Buccaneers offensive coordinator 2023. On the Tampa Bay loss, Monday: "I've never been a part of a half of football like that." (Charlotte Observer via Yahoo/Athlon, Oct 27)
- Brad Idzik, offensive coordinator.
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator since Feb 5, 2023 (hired under Frank Reich, retained by Canales); Broncos DC in 2022.
- Tracy Smith, special teams coordinator; Will Harriger coaches the quarterbacks.
Packers
- Matt LaFleur, head coach since Jan 8, 2019; 80–42–1 in the regular season per Wikipedia's season table (which has not added Sunday's loss) and 3–6 in the playoffs. Rams OC 2017, Titans OC 2018. After Sunday: "We had some premier field position and we just didn't take advantage." (AP via WMTV, Oct 26)
- Adam Stenavich, offensive coordinator.
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator, hired Feb 2, 2026, four weeks after Arizona fired him as head coach (15–36 over three seasons). Eagles DC 2021–22.
- Cam Achord, special teams coordinator; Luke Getsy, quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach for offense.
Staff titles: panthers.com and packers.com coaching rosters, fetched Oct 28. Hire dates and records: Wikipedia pages for Canales, LaFleur, Gannon and Evero, fetched Oct 28.
Missed tackles Green Bay's number since Week 1, and Carolina's
Green Bay: 38 missed tackles, tied for 12th-most in the NFL; Carolina: 23, tied for 29th (Pro Football Reference, via BetMGM, published Oct 28, so through Week 7). The Broncos have the most at 56, the Lions the fewest at 12.
The number flatters Carolina. A defense that misses few tackles but allows 5.2 yards a carry and 153.2 rushing yards a game is being beaten before the tackle point, not after it. Tampa Bay's 258 rushing yards Sunday came on 49 carries with runs of 46 and 29, and Carolina's front is its problem, not its tackling.
Why it matters Thursday. Green Bay's backs are not breaking tackles on their own: 2.9 yards a carry as a team, with MarShawn Lloyd at 2.6 on 54 carries and Josh Jacobs at 3.3 in his one game. If Carolina's front holds up the way it did not against Tampa Bay, the Packers' offense is Love throwing 45 times into a secondary with two healthy corners. Green Bay's 38 misses are the more relevant figure against Hubbard, who averages 4.8.
Team totals: sports.betmgm.com "NFL Teams With Most Missed Tackles This Season" (Ryan Hannable, Oct 28, 2026, via PFR). Run-defense figures: ESPN team statistics, fetched Oct 28; Tampa Bay box score, ESPN event 401873018.
Reassessment Mack's line against the market, and what would move it
Where Mack and the market differ. Mack's line is Packers −5.8, 2.3 points past the market's −3.5. The market has moved toward Carolina since the open of Packers −7, and the total has climbed from 45.5 to 47.5 on ESPN's page (48.5 at the board build). ESPN's Matchup Predictor gives Green Bay 64.7%, a shade under Mack's 67%. Everyone agrees on the winner; the disagreement is the margin.
| Mack | Market | |
|---|---|---|
| Line | Packers −5.8 | Packers −3.5 (open −7) |
| Packers win probability | 67% | ESPN predictor 64.7% |
| Straight-up pick | Packers | |
| Spread side | Packers −3.5 | |
| Total | Under 48.5 | 48.5 at the build; 47.5 on ESPN Oct 28 |
What would change it. Golden out plus Glover out would leave Green Bay with a thin receiving corps behind Watson and a guard-and-center combination that has never played together; that is the scenario where −3.5 looks right and −5.8 looks rich. On the other side, Lewis and Phillips both out would cost Carolina a starting guard in front of a quarterback already sacked 17 times and its best edge rusher. Under the formula a non-QB out costs −0.5, doubtful −0.3, questionable −0.15, capped at −2.5 a side; with four questionables each the two sides roughly cancel.
Mack's view (judgment, not the formula). The Under is the weakest of the three calls. Carolina scores 26.5 a game and Green Bay throws two-thirds of the time against a secondary with two healthy corners; the case for the Under is Green Bay's 20.6 a game, a kicker who has missed seven kicks and a Carolina offense that managed 13 points Sunday. I would not argue with anyone who passes on the total.
Odds: DraftKings via ESPN game page 401873023, fetched Oct 28 (open and current). Predictor: same page. Mack's line and pick frozen at the board build.
Unit by unit ESPN team statistics through Week 7, fetched Oct 28; each row says which side has the edge and why
| Unit | Panthers | Packers | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoring | 26.5 points a game; 159 scored, 166 allowed | 20.6 points a game; 144 scored, 145 allowed | Panthers |
| Carolina scores six more points a game, but it has allowed 59 and 43 in two of its three losses. Green Bay has not scored more than 31 or allowed more than 39. | |||
| Passing offense | 276.0 net yards a game (2nd) · Young 92.9 rating | 268.6 net yards a game (5th) · Love 90.6 rating | Even |
| Two top-five passing offenses. Young has the better rating and yards per attempt (7.5 to 7.3); Love has played one more game and throws far more often (66.9% pass rate). | |||
| Rushing offense | 105.3 yards a game · 4.3 a carry · Hubbard 4.8 | 59.9 yards a game · 2.9 a carry (32nd) | Panthers |
| Green Bay's run game is last in the league by a wide margin. Carolina's is average, which is enough here. | |||
| Run defense | 153.2 yards allowed a game · 5.2 a carry · 258 allowed Sunday | 115.0 yards allowed a game · 3.9 a carry | Packers |
| Carolina is 32nd in rush yards allowed a game (panthers.com) and 27th in total rush yards allowed (NFL.com). Green Bay is 19th; the gap is more than a yard a carry. | |||
| Protection | 17 sacks allowed (6.9% rate) · 5 Sunday · RT Moton on IR, LG Lewis questionable | 14 sacks allowed (4.9% rate) · C Rhyan out, RG Glover and LG Banks questionable | Packers |
| Green Bay keeps Love cleaner and has done it over seven games, though Thursday's interior will be improvised. Carolina's line is the bigger worry given Young's pressure rate against four rushers. | |||
| Pass rush and havoc | 11 sacks · 25 tackles for loss · 28 passes defended | 16 sacks · 43 tackles for loss · 35 passes defended | Packers |
| Green Bay leads every column with one more game played, and pressures 38.5% of dropbacks without blitzing. Carolina's edge rusher with the most sacks (Umanmielen, 3) is a reserve on the depth chart. | |||
| Takeaways | 7 (3 INT, 4 fumbles) · 8 giveaways · −1 | 13 (9 INT, 4 fumbles) · 8 giveaways · +5 | Packers |
| Green Bay leads the NFL in interceptions with nine; Carolina has three. Young gave the ball away three times Sunday. | |||
| Third down | 41.0% offense · 44.4% defense | 35.2% offense · 44.1% defense | Panthers |
| Both defenses are poor on third down; Carolina's offense is six points better. Green Bay is 10 of 15 on fourth down, Carolina 4 of 11, which may matter in a one-score game. | |||
| Penalties | 8.67 a game (4th-most) | 9.29 a game, 65 flags, 24 pre-snap (most in the NFL); 21 at Lambeau, 44 on the road | Panthers |
| Green Bay is the most penalized team in the league, though most of it has come away from home. Thursday's crew averages 5.4 more calls a game than the league average (panthers.com, Oct 28). | |||
| Special teams | Fitzgerald 11/11 (XP 12/17) · Martin 46.3 gross · 23.2 KR, 12.5 PR | Smack 11/16, 1/3 Sunday · Whelan 49.7 gross · 26.8 KR, 15.5 PR | Even |
| Carolina has the kicker, Green Bay the punter and the return game. | |||
Points scored and allowed from the ESPN game page for event 401873023 and each team's ESPN schedule page; third-down and fourth-down counts from NFL.com team stats (offense and defense downs), fetched Oct 28; passing-offense ranks and penalty figures from panthers.com (Oct 28); other figures ESPN 2026 team statistics, fetched Oct 28.