NFL Week 9 Review of Packers loss to Chargers, NFL Week 10 Preview vs. Panthers — Another twofer

Packers fans, what can be said about last Sunday's loss in LA? Not the Rams, but the Chargers. Ewww. It stunk from the get-go. Not good in any aspect of the game. But give the Chargers credit. They played to a Lambeau West crowd the way many thought they were capable of playing all season long. Let's hope that a lesson was learned by some of the Packer players: you have to show up with your "A" game every Sunday (paraphrasing head coach Matt LaFleur and QB Aaron Rodgers on that one). Moving on...

The Panthers Come to Town

The Carolina Panthers roll into Green Bay this afternoon minus QB Cam Newtwon, out for the rest of the season. That's a plus for the Pack. Unfortunately, the Panthers do still have both potential MVP candidate RB Christian McCaffrey as well as TE Greg Olsen. McCraffey has been tearing it up this season while Olsen is still Olsen. The two key offensive weapons for Carolina just happen to be at the positions that have given the Packers defense problems nearly all season, running back and tight end.

Keeping Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey in check today
will be one of the keys to a Packers victory.
(Photo: Jim Dedmon / USA TODAY Sports)

As Packer fans know all too well, what started off the first few games looking like a real strength of the team, the defense over the majority of the season has had issues, shall we say. Things like, oh, covering receivers, tackling runners, getting a sustained pass rush...that sort of thing. Generally, except really for last Sunday, it's been a bend-don't-break approach, giving up at times explosive plays by the opponent but then holding teams to field goals in the red zone seemingly as often as not.

Of course, the Packers defense also has someone on the offensive side of things that can often cover up some of its deficiencies: one Aaron Rodgers to be exact. And a Rodgers with weapons can make anything happen.Yeah, he has those.

The Prediction

While we were way off on our prediction for last week — thinking the Pack would continue its generally solid play and come away with a sizable win — we think that embarrassment, being at home and in the first real "cold weather" game of the season, plus wanting to go into the bye week with a win before heading out to San Francisco to play the as yet still undefeated 49ers will give the Pack enough motivation to get it done today. But it could be a close one.

The Packers are favored by 5-1/2 at the time of this writing.

We're calling it Packers 27 - Panthers 24.

Go Pack Go!!!