Carolina Panthers vs. Green Bay Packers: Breaking Down Green Bay's Game Plan

Coming into their Week 7 matchup, the Green Bay Packers have a 4-2 record, which has them tied atop the NFC North with the Detroit Lions. After starting the season slowly with a 1-2 record, the Packers have since recorded three straight victories.

On the flip side, the Carolina Panthers, the slated opponent of the Packers, have a 3-2-1 record. The mark is good enough to be the outright leader of the NFC South. While the Packers have been on a hot streak recently, the Panthers have been cold of late, only winning one of their last four games.

Marc Serota/Associated Press

With the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers not performing to their expectations, the Panthers are still in position to contend for a playoff spot.

With both teams in a situation to gain and build on their lead in their respective divisions, the match should be a highly competitive battle between 2013 division winners. For Green Bay to win, it must key on Carolina in specific ways on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Offense Key: Win Through the Air

With Aaron Rodgers starting off hot early in the season, it's no surprise that the Packers would want to feature him against the Panthers. According to ESPN Stats & Info, he's off to one of the the best first-thirds of a season in the history of football.

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Aaron Rodgers:1st player in NFL history with at least 15 Pass TD & 1 or fewer Int in his 1st 6 games of a season (via @EliasSports)

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 12, 2014"

What makes Rodgers' emphasis in Week 7 especially important is the shape of the Carolina defense.

With defensive end Greg Hardy out on a suspension, the Panthers have been noted for a lack of a pass rush. Without the Pro Bowl edge player, the squad has dropped from the second-best team in yards per game in 2013 to 26th in 2014. With that stark difference, the Packers must take advantage of the change.

The pass rush not only affects sacks, but the entire passing game. Without "the guy" on the edge, the Panthers have struggled with their secondary. Unable to mask the back end of the squad, the Panthers have been targeted early and often on the boundary this season. ESPN noted that "[the Panthers] allowed three [outside the number touchdowns] in the loss to the Ravens and have surrendered six in the first four games of this season."

Green Bay on the other hand, has been more than adequate with its receiving corps. Currently, Jordy Nelson leads the league in receiving yardage, totaling 632 yards. Randall Cobb ranks second, behind only Denver tight end Julius Thomas, in receiving touchdowns in 2014.

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Even the Packers' non-premier targets are looking good. Jarrett Boykin, who started the season as the Packers' third receiver, is finally returning to practice after missing time with an injury. Davante Adams, a second-round selection from Fresno State, had a career high of six receptions for 77 yards last week against the Miami Dolphins.

Green Bay has proven that it can win vertically with multiple concepts throughout the season. At Lambeau Field this week, the Packers need to lean on the deep passing game to come out with a win, which potentially could put them in the driver's seat for not only the NFC North, but vault them into the discussion for a first-round bye.

Defense Key: Stop Cam Newton on the Ground

After overcoming ankle surgery earlier in the year, Cam Newton clearly had his best game of the season last week in a tie against the Cincinnati Bengals. With his ability to balance the defense on the ground and in the air by himself for the first time in 2014, Pro Football Focus noted his performance.

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Cam Newton, QB: +5.4 (including +3.1 rushing)

Breakdown: Although he did plenty with his arm, this game was notable for his use of his feet as well, as he rushed for 107 yards on 17 carries, including his first rushing touchdown of the season. He ran the option on numerous occasions and always seemed to get the most out of the play, keeping the Bengals defense off-balance.

Signature Play: Q3 2:16 remaining. Newton drops in a perfectly thrown pass to Jerricho Cotchery streaking down the sideline.

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With the Panthers' top two running backs, Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, out at this point in 2014, Carolina is now down to Fozzy Whittaker, who's only been with the team since July, and Darrin Reaves, a 2014 undrafted rookie from the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Unable to balance defenses on the ground, the Panthers had to wait for Newton to fully heal before they could keep defenses honest. Unfortunately for the Packers, Newton seems to be back, and Green Bay has notably had struggles defending the option. The only other time a Dom Capers defense has faced Newton was Newton's second game in his rookie season, when the former Auburn quarterback had 485 combined yards in a one-score Packers victory.

Green Bay has also had issues with the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers in the option game. Even against the Miami Dolphins last week, the Packers had problems containing the zone read, which featured Ryan Tannehill.

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Is Clay Matthews injured at all? ..if he cant change directions and make these plays. I just dont know.. pic.twitter.com/wi7Rmi8sqO

— Ben Fennell (@TheXOsOfLife) October 13, 2014"

If the Panthers are able to balance out the Packers defense, which already leads the league in most yards per game allowed on the ground by more than 13 yards, it could get ugly. Not only is Newton a threat running, but he's been impressive in his progression as a passer.

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Currently, both of the Packers' starting cornerbacks, Sam Shield and Tramon Williams, are sitting out of practice. This would mean rotational cornerbacks Davon House, Casey Hayward and Micah Hyde would likely have to play on the boundary if the game were played today. That's not an ideal situation in any aspect.

To mask issues on the back end, the Packers must shutdown Newton on the ground early, taking away the privilege from the quarterback to run over Green Bay like they've allowed to multiple dual-threat quarterbacks in the past.

Final Thoughts

To beat the NFC South-leading Carolina Panthers, the Green Bay Packers must win through the air against a struggling Panthers defense and on the ground against Cam Newton. Armed with what many consider the best quarterback in the league, the Packers should be able to move the ball with four potentially lethal targets on the offensive side of the ball. Establishing run-stopping early is important for the squad, too, as it needs to mask the back-end of the defense with two cornerbacks potentially missing the game .

If the Packers are able to do that, they could be in the standalone lead of the NFC North by the end of Sunday.