Deadspin: Just 66 rushing yards, but Packers ride Jordan Love's 3 TD tosses to victory over Panthers

Green Bay Builds Its Lead

Carolina opened the scoring with a 39-yard Fitzgerald field goal after recovering a kickoff fumble at the Green Bay 29. The Packers answered with an eight-play, 56-yard drive, capped by Love’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Tucker Kraft. Trey Smack missed the extra point.

The Panthers took a 10-6 lead on Chuba Hubbard’s 1-yard run to finish a 65-yard drive. Love then connected with Christian Watson for 53 yards during a 90-yard scoring possession, which ended with Josh Jacobs’ 1-yard touchdown run. Love added a 24-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Golden late in the half, giving Green Bay a 20-10 lead.

Packers Extend The Advantage

Hubbard was stopped short on fourth-and-2 at midfield on Carolina’s first possession after halftime. Green Bay drove 50 yards, and Love’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Jacobs made it 27-10.

Carolina narrowed the gap with 5:37 left when Bryce Young threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Coker on fourth-and-3. The two-point attempt failed, leaving the Panthers eight points behind.

Carolina’s Late Chances End

After a punt, Carolina took over at its own 45 with 4:35 remaining. Young’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete, ending that possession. The Panthers got the ball back at their own 20 with 22 seconds left. Young was sacked, and Green Bay intercepted a lateral on the final play to secure the win.

Love’s Numbers And Green Bay’s Ground Game

Green Bay gained 66 yards on the ground. Jacobs had 39 yards on 21 carries in his second game since returning from the commissioner exempt list following an offseason incident. The Amazon Prime broadcast said Green Bay was the first NFL team to hold a winning record through eight games with fewer than 500 rushing yards that season.

Panthers’ Offensive Totals

Young completed 23 of 41 passes for 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Hubbard ran for 81 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Carolina, now 3-4, had trailed by 17 before its fourth-quarter rally. Green Bay’s victory moved the Packers to 5-3.