GREEN BAY – The Packers entered Sunday's matchup against Carolina with a pretty good understanding of what the Panthers were looking to achieve on both sides of the football.
Yet, a lack of execution in all three phases loomed large during a 16-13 loss in front of 77,864 at Lambeau Field, which ended with a 49-yard Ryan Fitzgerald field goal as time expired.
Defensively, the Packers held Carolina quarterback Bryce Young to just 102 passing yards but struggled to stop surging running back Rico Dowdle, who became the first running back to rush for more than 100 yards against Green Bay this year.
Offensively, the Packers dominated the Panthers 369-265 but went just 1-of-5 in the red zone after a lost fumble, two field goals and a critical turnover on downs early in the fourth quarter.
"When you don't come out to play and you're not ready to play, any team can beat you on any given night, so that's on us," running back Josh Jacobs said. "Never play down to your competition or play up – you gotta be who you are, and I think that's something we still have to learn."
Possessions were at a premium Sunday with both teams looking to establish their respective run games. Green Bay moved the ball well enough on its first possession before rookie Savion Williams fumbled on a receiver screen at the Carolina 16.
Momentum turned in Green Bay's favor in the second quarter when Xavier McKinney intercepted Young in the Green Bay end zone and Jordan Love found Christian Watson for a 52-yard pass downfield on third-and-12.
However, two penalties and Love getting sacked for an 8-yard loss forced Green Bay to settle for a Brandon McManus 49-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 7 minutes, 57 seconds left in the second quarter.
The Panthers found the end zone on the ensuing possession on a 5-yard Dowdle run with 2:26 left in the half, but Green Bay still had a chance for the double-up.
All the Packers extracted from the opportunity was three points. McManus made a 27-yard attempt as time expired in the first half but then missed a 43-yard attempt wide left on the opening drive of the third quarter.
Green Bay's fourth trip to the red zone also netted no points after a screen to Emanuel Wilson on third down went for a 5-yard loss and Love's fourth-and-8 heave into the end zone was nearly picked off.
"We did not play our best game and that showed," said receiver Romeo Doubs, who led Green Bay with seven catches for a game-high 91 yards. "It's the same things week-in and week-out where self-inflicted wounds – start off a little slow on our end, but we are accountable for this game. There is no beating around the bush. We lost the game. We just gotta find a way to be better moving forward."
Young was neutralized through the air for most of the day, completing just 11 of 20 passes for 102 yards with an interception (48.3 passer rating).
Putting the game in the hands of Dowdle, the fifth-year veteran produced 130 rushing yards and two TDs on 25 carries (5.2 yards per carry) against a Green Bay front that lost defensive tackle Colby Wooden in the first half to a shoulder injury.
After his second TD late in the third quarter, Dowdle was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct during his celebration. It turned Fitzgerald's extra point into a 48-yard attempt that he then missed to keep Green Bay within seven at 13-6.
The Packers whiffed on adding to their point total with the fourth-and-8 miss, but their defense forced Carolina to punt on its next possession. That opened the door wide enough to tie the game on a 1-yard Jacobs TD run with 2:32 remaining.
Needing one more stop, however, the defense yielded two critical second-and-long conversions on passes to receiver Tet McMillian. The Panthers then caught the Packers playing pass on a second-and-10 draw to Dowdle, who gained 19 yards.
Two plays later, Fitzgerald drilled the game-winner.
"Super disappointing because it's all about execution," defensive lineman Micah Parsons said. "It's not that we can't do it, we just didn't do it. We're capable. I think it's just regardless of who's up, who's down, injuries, we just need to get a stop in that moment. Overall, I'm upset it got to that point. I think we're a better football team than what we displayed today."
The Packers know the road won't get any easier as they prepare to welcome the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles to Lambeau Field next Monday night.
"We gotta clean it up," McKinney said. "We can't keep thinking this is cool and this is OK and thinking we're going to get away with it because we got a good team, we got good players on our roster.
"Because we're going to play better teams than what we've played today and that's not gonna cut it. It didn't even cut it against this team and they got a good team; gotta give credit to them but we did not play to our standard today."
