Then there's the defense Carolina showed Sunday. Tampa Bay ran for 258 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Bucky Irving had 106 yards and 2 scores on 24 carries. That's the tape the Packers' staff will study, and Josh Jacobs is the back who would get those carries. He ran only 11 times for 36 yards in Detroit, but he also caught 5 passes for 55 yards and a 25-yard touchdown. If Green Bay can keep its line together, running it at this Panthers front is the obvious plan.
Neither team has been consistent. Carolina hammered Atlanta 34-3, beat Detroit and Philadelphia, and also lost to Cleveland before getting blown out by the Bucs. Green Bay lost at home to Atlanta 35-14, then won 3 straight, then lost in Detroit. The Lions loss came down to a missed 35-yard field goal by Trey Smack, a roughing-the-passer call on Karl Brooks that set up Detroit's last drive, and Jake Bates hitting from 22. The Packers were right there. The Panthers were never in theirs.
Green Bay is still waiting on Micah Parsons, who is out with a knee injury. LaFleur said a few weeks ago that Parsons had "hurdles yet" to clear before he could practice. Luke Musgrave's season is in doubt with a neck injury. Carolina's defense will be without LB Thomas Incoom, now on IR with a calf injury, and Jaelan Phillips was inactive against Tampa. The forecast at Lambeau is 61 degrees and cloudy with a 6 mph wind, so weather shouldn't be an excuse for either offense.
Kickoff is 7:15 PM CT on Thursday, October 29, and both teams are coming off a loss. For Carolina, it's about whether a 30-point home blowout was a fluke or what the team really is. For Green Bay, it's about whether a patched-up offensive line can hold up long enough for Love to run the offense against a defense that just got run over.