Despite doing everything they could defensively to lose the game, the Packers’ defense came up a half-second short and the Packers beat the Panthers 33-30. Quarterback Jordan Love, despite missing four of his top receivers, lead the Packers to a game winning field goal with 19 seconds left. 19 seconds that felt like an eternity to anyone who knows Joe Barry’s defense.
The performance by the Packers’ defense was even worse than the week before against the Bucs. This was Bryce Young for heaven’s sake. It’s one thing making Baker Mayfield look like Tom Brady, it quite another to do it with Young. I think Young will end being a good quarterback in this league, but up until he faced Barry he hadn’t really shown it. If the Vikings started the 54-year old Brett Favre this week he’d probably throw for three bills.
With two division games left the Packers could easily get the help they need if they can just beat the Vikings and Bears. I could maybe see beating the Vikings because of their quarterback and injury situation, but I can’t see the Packers beating the Bears. Justin Fields will throw for 300 and rush for 150 more.
Sacrificial lamb?
To me, the Packers got what they needed out of the season already. Two things are perfectly clear. Jordan Love is the quarterback of the future, and Joe Barry will be looking for a job in less than two weeks. Maybe it was all meant to be. When Love was struggling early in the season the defense played fairly well. But when Love started to play better and the stakes got higher the defense was exposed. Now Barry will be gone and the future will be bright on both sides of the ball.