For the second straight week, the Carolina Panthers—who haven’t had much of an impact on the game—find themselves in the spoiler role.
Though they probably can’t afford another loss, the Green Bay Packers travel to Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday afternoon with hopes of earning a wild card into the NFC playoffs.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love stated, “At this point, it’s all about how we finish the season with these three games that we have.”
In order to make the playoffs, the Packers (6-8) most likely need to win their final three games..
Linebacker Quay Walker of Green Bay said, “You’re going to be exposed to adversity and there’s two ways you’re going to respond to it.” “You have two options: to lie down or to get up.
“After winning three straight games, including wins over division leaders Detroit and Kansas City, the Packers lost to Tampa Bay and the New York Giants, endangering their chances of making the postseason.
“We have three games left, and each one is played with a playoff mindset,” stated Matt LaFleur, the coach of Green Bay. “We can’t get it all back at once, but who knows what will happen.”
Last week, the Panthers (2-12) defeated visiting Atlanta 9-7 to win their second game of the season and eliminate the Falcons from their NFC South championship share. A loss in Charlotte could be just as devastating for Green Bay.
Carolina is no stranger to sadness. The Panthers hope to establish a new tone with their most recent success.
Tommy Tremble, a tight end for Carolina, stated, “You can either use this season to just fall apart or use it to just keep getting better.”
The Panthers’ positive sense of accomplishment at finally winning a game, according to interim coach Chris Tabor, should help them through the remainder of the season.
“We simply keep moving forward, even though I know we’re not where we should be,” he remarked. “I get it all, but you can’t doubt their identity based on that tape. The fact that they were able to succeed made me very pleased for them. There are moments when you repeatedly knock on a door and nobody answers.
In the game against Atlanta, the Panthers won without scoring a touchdown. For the past five games, Carolina’s offense has been so poor that it hasn’t scored a touchdown in the first half.
Conversely, defensive lapses have caused problems for Green Bay.
LaFleur remarked, “I’ve seen us do this stuff before.” “It is regrettable that it took place during this season of the year. Each guy feeds off the other, and miscommunication of any kind results in gashes.
“The Panthers know they have to focus on the next task if they want another reason to celebrate, even though they might want to savor the Atlanta result.”
“I’m going to be moving straight into Green Bay,” Tabor declared. “I will be focusing all of my attention there.
Linebacker Claudin Cherelus of the Panthers is eligible to return from injured reserve after missing time due to a knee injury. On Wednesday, Marquis Haynes Sr. (illness), Yetur Gross-Matos (knee), and fellow linebacker Brian Burns (illness) did not report for practice.
Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell (neck) and wide receiver Jayden Reed (toe) of the Packers missed practice on Wednesday, but Reed is expected to play on Sunday.
