The Green Bay Packers snuck out of Bank of America Stadium with a win on Christmas Eve. If there were a few more seconds left on the clock, there is no guarantee that the Packers beat the worst team in the league. Nonetheless, a win is a win.
Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from the win.
The Good: The Green Bay Packers Offense Stays Rolling
The Packers put up points on their first four drives of the day. Aaron Jones had 21 carries for 127 yards and looked as healthy as he has all year. Averaging six yards a carry, it opened up the passing game against the stingy Panthers defense.
Jordan Love finished with 219 yards and three total touchdowns. Bo Melton looked impressive off of the practice squad with four catches for 44 yards. Matt LaFleur and the staff have done a great job with this young offensive group.
The Bad: Packers Corner Eric Stokes Has Another Rough Week
The 2021 first-round pick had been out for a full calendar year with a knee and foot injury. Since his return, he has not looked like the rookie we saw. He has not looked sharp, whether it’s getting back to game speed or still recovering. For most of the day, the Panthers picked on Stokes.
Stokes ran a 4.31 forty at the combine and was a corner who depended on his speed. There’s a realistic chance that coming back from the injury, he won’t have that same speed. Since returning, he has looked a step too slow on defending the pass. Hopefully, he’ll be able to get back to his rookie self.
The Ugly: The Packers Defense Made Bryce Young Look Like Dan Marino
For the third consecutive game, the Green Bay Packers defense has allowed a career game from the opposing quarterback. Bryce Young finished with 312 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers, for the first time this year, scored 30 points. They had four touchdowns during the day; before today, they had four combined in the last five weeks.
The defense looks uninspired and played out of control. They were supposed to be this team’s backbone but are a huge liability. Matt LaFleur can only defend Joe Barry for so long before his seat gets hot.
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