The Green Bay Packers beat the Carolina Panthers 27-19 at Lambeau Field on Thursday night, and they won it on the money downs. Green Bay scored touchdowns on all of its red zone trips and converted 9 of 16 third downs, while Carolina went 5-for-18.
That efficiency covered for a sloppy night with the ball. The Packers turned it over 3 times to Carolina's 2, losing 2 fumbles and throwing an interception, and still never trailed after halftime.
How It Happened
Carolina struck first when Ryan Fitzgerald hit a 39-yard field goal at 11:43 of the first quarter. Green Bay answered at 5:08 with a 12-yard Jordan Love pass to Tucker Kraft, but Trey Smack missed the extra point, leaving it 6-3.
The Panthers retook the lead at 14:57 of the second quarter on a 1-yard Chuba Hubbard run that made it 10-6. Green Bay then took over the half. Josh Jacobs punched in a 1-yard run at 6:33, and Love found Matthew Golden for 24 yards with 1:46 left to send the Packers into the break with a 10-point lead.
Love pushed the lead to 27-10 at 7:30 of the third quarter with a 4-yard pass to Jacobs. Fitzgerald answered from 50 yards at 4:07 to make it 27-13.
Carolina's last push came at 5:37 of the fourth, when Bryce Young hit Jalen Coker for a 26-yard touchdown. The two-point pass failed, leaving the Panthers down 8, and they did not score again.
Key Performers
Jordan Love: 3 passing TD – 12 YDS to Tucker Kraft, 24 YDS to Matthew Golden, 4 YDS to Josh Jacobs
Josh Jacobs: 2 TD – 1-yard rush, 4-yard reception
Ryan Fitzgerald: 2 FG – 39 YDS, 50 YDS; 1 PAT
Bryce Young: 1 passing TD – 26 YDS to Jalen Coker
Love's 3 scoring throws were the difference, and Jacobs found the end zone both ways. For Carolina, Fitzgerald's leg kept the Panthers within reach.
The Numbers That Decided It
Packers passing: 30-41, 288 net YDS, 0 sacks allowed
Panthers passing: 23-41, 176 net YDS, 6 sacks for 33 YDS lost
Rushing: CAR 82 YDS on 23 ATT; GB 66 YDS on 26 ATT
Third down: CAR 5-18; GB 9-16
Red zone: CAR 1-2; GB 3-3
Turnovers: CAR 2; GB 3
The passing game is where Green Bay won this. Both teams threw 41 times, but the Packers averaged 7 yards per pass and kept their passer clean, while Carolina averaged about 4 and absorbed 6 sacks.
Neither side ran the ball well, and Carolina actually had the better day on the ground. It did not matter, because the Panthers managed only 14 first downs and stalled on third down all night, needing 2 fourth-down conversions just to keep drives alive.
Green Bay gained more than 5 yards a play to Carolina's under 4. When the Packers got close, they finished every time; Carolina scored a touchdown on only one of its two red zone trips.
What It Means
Green Bay improves to 5-3 and 3-1 at Lambeau Field. The Packers won a game in which they lost the turnover battle, which says plenty about how thoroughly they controlled third down and the red zone.
Carolina falls to 3-4, now 2-2 on the road. The Panthers stayed within one score late, but an offense that converts fewer than a third of its third downs and allows 6 sacks will struggle to win games like this one.