Down eight to the Green Bay Packers with 2:46 left Thursday night, the Carolina Panthers had the ball at midfield on fourth-and-5. Quarterback Bryce Young threw short over the middle for receiver Tetairoa McMillan, and the pass fell incomplete.
Green Bay won 27-19 at Lambeau Field. Carolina got the ball back at its own 20 with 22 seconds left and got no farther than its 26. The Panthers have lost two straight and are 3-4, tied with the Atlanta Falcons for first place in the NFC South, according to the NFL's standings.
"Bad throw," Young said afterward. "I have to make sure the ball is in his hands and that it gets to him, and not on the ground. That is on me."
Green Bay sacked Young six times and held Carolina to 5 of 18 on third down. "A great game plan made us one dimensional, got after us in the rush, got after us with the blitzes," Panthers head coach Dave Canales said. He put it on pass protection, not his quarterback: "Honestly I just think it comes down to a protection plan deal for us."
Young finished 23 of 41 for 209 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Packers quarterback Jordan Love was 30 of 41 for 288 yards and three touchdowns.
Carolina led 10-6 early in the second quarter. Green Bay fumbled the opening kickoff, setting up a 39-yard field goal by kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, and running back Chuba Hubbard later scored on a 1-yard run. Then Green Bay scored 21 straight points: a 1-yard run by running back Josh Jacobs, a 24-yard pass from Love to receiver Matthew Golden after linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper intercepted Young at the Carolina 44, and a 4-yard pass to Jacobs midway through the third quarter.
Fitzgerald's 50-yard field goal made it 27-13. Safety Zakee Wheatley intercepted Love at the Carolina 2 early in the fourth, and Young found receiver Jalen Coker for a 26-yard touchdown on fourth-and-3 with 5:37 left. The two-point pass to McMillan fell incomplete. Canales said he went for two so he would know what he needed on the next score.
Young played with a knee injury that kept him on the team's injury report all week, where he was listed as a full participant. "I'm fine. Everyone's dealing with something at this point of the year," he said. Canales said the team would "keep an eye on him." Asked whether the knee had cost Young some of his ability to make plays on the move, Canales said, "Maybe."
Panthers cornerback Will Lee III left in the second quarter, hurt on Packers receiver Christian Watson's 53-yard catch; Canales said Lee "got a pretty good hamstring." Cornerback Marco Wilson, elevated from the practice squad for the game, started. Panthers guard Corey Bullock left with a quad contusion, Canales said.
Asked whether the injuries at cornerback might lead to a trade before the deadline, Canales said, "We'd always be open to different things if it makes sense with our current full roster and salary cap situation."
The Panthers host the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Nov. 8.