Four takeaways from the Panthers’ 24-16 loss to the Green Bay Packers
All signs pointed to Saturday’s Panthers-Packers game being a blowout when Green Bay took a 21-3 lead in the second quarter.
And rightfully so. The Packers have the No. 2 offense in the NFL, the best record in the NFC, and the Panthers are on pace for a top-five pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
The Panthers didn’t seem to have much energy early, highlighted by a goal-line fumble by quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with 7:39 left in the second quarter.
But whatever trance the Panthers’ defense was in early in Saturday’s game, they snapped out of it.
The Panthers had stops on five consecutive Packers possessions that spanned from the second quarter to the fourth, which gave the offense a chance to win.
But when the buzzer sounded, the result was another one-possession loss, 24-16.
Here are four takeaways from Saturday’s game:
1. Rhule trusted his defense
Panthers coach Matt Rhule had two choices to make after Bridgewater completed a 40-yard pass to DJ Moore with 2:17 left in the fourth quarter. The Panthers were trailing 24-13 and had first-and-10 at the Green Bay 15.
Rhule could have left his offense on the field and try to score a touchdown. Or he could kick a quick field goal to make it a one-possession game and hope that his defense could stop Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
Rhule chose the latter option, essentially betting on his defense.
The move turned out to the be the right one.
The defense got three consecutive stops, including a sack by defensive end Brian Burns on third-and-4, which set up fourth down. And the offense got the ball back with 55 seconds left.
Rhule said analytics showed that they had a better chance to tie the score by kicking a field goal and then trying to force a three-and-out on defense, than going for the touchdown and attempting an onside kick.
That the Panthers forced a three-and-out in that situation was impressive for young defense facing a future Hall of Fame quarterback, who also happens to be having one of the best seasons of his career.
Six of the Packers’ final seven drives ended in punts. But one drive did not end in a punt, with Green Bay making a field goal.
“I think we’ve got a good defense now, to be honest,” defensive end Brian Burns said when asked about the potential of this defense. “When we came out in the second half, it was completely different. I don’t know what clicked in everybody’s head.
“If we cut out these small errors, I feel like we could be great.”
2. Teddy Bridgewater pressing too much
One of the biggest plays in the game was Bridgewater’s fumble at the goal line.
The Panthers ran a quarterback sneak with Bridgewater on first-and-goal, and when the offensive line didn’t get the initial push it was hoping for, Bridgewater attempted to reach over the goal line for a score. Packers linebacker Krys Barnes knocked it out of Bridgewater’s hands, and cornerback Kevin King scooped it and returned the fumble 48 yards the other way.
What should have been a 14-10 game eventually became a 21-3 deficit.
Rhule was not happy with Bridgewater’s decision.
“We don’t reach the ball across the goal line until fourth down,” Rhule said. “It’s just kind of a principle. We never do it. Teddy talked to the team, and he admitted, ‘I shouldn’t have done that.’ That play was emblematic. You talk about a dramatic shift. Had he done that on fourth down, I could have lived with it. Not on first down.”
Bridgewater was noticeably frustrated with the loss after the game. His answers to questions from media members were short and quiet.
When asked the most frustrating part of the loss, Bridgewater said knowing that the process works and not doing it.
“I think what happens is, we get to that moment sometimes and we think we’ve got to do something a little different,” Bridgewater said. “For instance, on the quarterback sneak, if I just continue to trust my coaching and do it the way I’m told, then we’re celebrating more in the locker room, as opposed to learning new lessons each week.”
3. Derrick Brown showed up
The Panthers had five sacks in Saturday’s game against the Packers. All five sacks came on four-man rushes. A big reason for that was because the Panthers were finally able to get push up the middle.
Derrick Brown had the first two sacks of his career against Rodgers. He had two more pressures that led to sacks for his teammates, including a second-quarter sack by Brian Burns.
Brown, who was drafted No. 7 in the 2020 draft, had high expectations coming out of Auburn. Although Brown had been solid for the Panthers, he lacked the stats to back up his contributions.
On Saturday, Brown and his teammates showed what they are capable of. The pass rush is what caused Rodgers to look uncomfortable, especially in the second half. The Packers were held to 49 yards and three points in the second half, and Rodgers passed for a season-low 143 yards.
“Yeah, we definitely had flashes today, we’ve just got to be more consistent,” Brown said of the defensive line’s play.
4. Panthers rise in NFL draft order
If the NFL draft were to begin Sunday morning, the Panthers would have the No. 4 overall pick. The Panthers fell to 4-10 after their latest loss to the Packers, and with it rose on the draft boards.
The Panthers began the week in line for the No. 5 pick behind the Dallas Cowboys.
But the Cowboys beat the 49ers Sunday and are now 5-9.
The Falcons and Texans both have 4-10 records like the Panthers, but would currently draft behind them.
The Panthers have two more games remaining against Washington’s Football Team next week and the Saints in Week 17. The highest they could pick is No. 3, if the Bengals won their final three games, and the Panthers lost their remaining two games.
