(Photo: Prime Video)
NFC Game Of The Week
Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers
Panthers (4-4):
It’s been a rough few years for this franchise. They moved on from Ron Rivera and hired Matt Rhule, which only further proved my point that some college coaches thrive more at the college level than in the NFL. As last season was ending, I noticed how hard they were playing. Even if it didn’t always result in wins, their effort stood out — and most importantly, I saw a group of men who wanted to play for then–first-year head coach Dave Canales. This year, they’ve been playing better than many anticipated, sitting at 4–4. I’ve always said that the most important thing you can do for a young quarterback is surround him with weapons — and Bryce Young has that in Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan. I’ve also loved how the Panthers have been running the football lately. Last Sunday at home, they were blown out by the Buffalo Bills. Bryce was out with an injury, which meant Andy Dalton (yes, the same guy who once played for the Cincinnati Bengals) started at quarterback. I truly believe this game would’ve been closer if Bryce had played. But as we always say in this business: turn the page and move on to the next. This Sunday, they’ll travel north to Lambeau Field.
Packers (5-1-1):
Outside of that Wild Card game against the Dallas Cowboys a few seasons ago, Sunday night was the best I’ve seen Jordan Love look since! He spread the ball around and attacked a Steelers defense that, quite frankly, doesn’t intimidate like it once did. While the Packers haven’t played as strongly as they did in their Week 1 matchup against the Detroit Lions, they’re still winning games — and that’s what good football teams do: win in multiple ways. Things looked shaky for Green Bay in the first half. It was a primetime game, against one of the greatest players to ever suit up for their franchise — Aaron Rodgers — and it seemed like things were going the Steelers’ way. But in the second half, the Packers made key adjustments and dominated. Talk about re-establishing your dominance — that’s exactly what they did. I like everything about this team. The offensive line plays well together, the receiving corps is solid overall, and the defense is strong. The only knock I have is that they don’t use Josh Jacobs enough. If they did, this team would be even scarier. This Sunday, they return home for a showdown with the Carolina Panthers.
Panthers X-Factor: Tetairoa McMillan
The future is bright for this young wide receiver, who’s already emerging as the number one option in the Carolina offense. Against a stingy Packers defense, the Panthers will need to stretch the field vertically — and that’s where Tetairoa becomes crucial. He must win his one-on-one matchups, force the Green Bay secondary to adjust, and consistently produce in key third-down situations. Carolina will need him to be that momentum-shifting playmaker.
Packers X-Factor: Tucker Kraft
What a game he had on Sunday night — and on National Tight Ends Day, no less. Offenses don’t always need deep passes to move the ball effectively, and Tucker has become a reliable intermediate target for Jordan Love. Against Carolina, Green Bay must exploit one of the Panthers’ defensive weaknesses: allowing intermediate completions. I expect Carolina to focus on limiting the Packers’ perimeter weapons, which makes Tucker’s role even more important in this matchup.
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to believe we’re already in Week 9 of the NFL season. Here we have two teams trending in opposite directions: the Panthers, who are trying to build on their progress, and the Packers, who sit atop their division and are looking to strengthen their case as true contenders. For Carolina, the keys are simple: hold your own up front, keep the quarterback protected, establish the run to keep Green Bay honest, and sustain drives. The Packers’ front seven is active and prides itself on getting after the passer. For Green Bay, the formula remains the same: establish Josh Jacobs and control the line of scrimmage. Set the tone physically, win on third down, and don’t take Carolina lightly — they have the ability to generate explosive plays and create turnovers. Still, the Packers should be too much for Carolina to handle. I like them to roll in this one before their big-time Monday night showdown.
