GREEN BAY, Wis. — The last-place Green Bay Packers will try to improve from a mistake-filled defeat when they host the first-place Carolina Panthers on Thursday night.
Yes, that is correct. Last-place Green Bay, first-place Carolina.
Green Bay (4-3) lost at division rival Detroit 20-17 on a 22-yard field goal on the final play of the game, dropping the Packers to the bottom of the closely contested NFC North.
Carolina (3-3) committed four turnovers in a brutal 43-13 loss at home to Tampa Bay, yet the Panthers remained atop the NFC South as the only team not below .500.
The Packers stopped a fourth-and-1 gamble by the Lions and took over at the Detroit 22-yard line with less than five minutes left. But running back Josh Jacobs, playing in his first game this season, dropped an almost certain touchdown pass, and the Lions got just enough of the ball to deflect Trey Smack’s 35-yard field goal attempt.
“This is a tough one, but we can’t feel sorry for ourselves,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said afterward. “We’ve got to learn. We’ve got to move on and we’ve got a tough opponent coming in on Thursday night.”
Green Bay also was penalized eight times, including a roughing the passer call on the Lions’ final drive.
Green Bay has been penalized 65 times for 546 yards, both tops in the NFL. The Packers also lead the league with eight roughing the passer penalties, to zero for opponents.
Jacobs carried 11 times for 36 yards in his season debut after coming off the commissioner’s exempt list, but the Packers managed just 60 yards on the ground at 3.2 per carry. Green Bay is last in the league with 419 yards rushing at 2.9 per attempt.
Jordan Love, though, is second in the league with 1,958 passing yards. Love completed 27 of 45 passes for 274 yards with two touchdowns and one interception against Detroit.
“We’ve made it by in a couple of these games, we’ve leaned on the passing game and I think the passing game has been good,” Love said Tuesday. “I think pass game, run game, there’s still a lot more out there for us, but if we want to be the team we want to be, we’ve definitely got to improve in the run game.”
Packers center Sean Rhyan is out after suffering a high ankle sprain against Detroit and backup center Jacob Monk (quadriceps) was placed on injured reserve. Journeyman lineman Mekhi Becton Sr. was moved from the practice squad to the active roster.
Also missing Tuesday’s practice: linebacker Zaire Franklin (shin), wide receiver Matthew Golden (shoulder, foot) and right guard Travis Glover (knee).
The Panthers, meanwhile, know what to zero in on after Tampa Bay gashed them for 258 yards on the ground on 49 attempts, which equaled the most rushing attempts allowed in team history. The Buccaneers averaged 5.3 yards per carry with 17 first downs rushing.
“That’s what we’re working on right now,” Carolina coach Dave Canales said Monday. “You know, I don’t really want to get into the specifics of it. I feel like there’s the adjustments and the things that we need to do. I don’t want to really air that out, but just understanding that we’ve got to do it. We’ve got to execute it well together.”
Bryce Young was responsible for three of the Panthers’ turnovers, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble. Carolina also lost a muffed punt and had a blocked extra point returned for two points.
“We kind of said what we needed to say in the locker room and a lot of things were talked about, between myself, the coaches, connecting with the players,” Canales said. “But wanting to make sure we’re able to move forward to have the type of day we did (Monday), which is full focus, Packers, here we go.”
Young completed 14 of 27 passes for 163 yards with one touchdown, a 50-yarder to tight end Darren Waller.
The Panthers placed veteran right tackle Taylor Moton on injured reserve with a fractured fibula suffered against Tampa Bay.
Left guard Damien Lewis (knee), backup offensive lineman Torricelli Simpkins III (ankle), linebacker Jaelan Phillips (hamstring) and cornerback Akayleb Evans (triceps, knee) missed Tuesday’s practice.