3 Takeaways from Packers' Week 16 Win vs. Panthers
The Green Bay Packers aren't ready to give up on the 2023 season just yet. Though the game was uglier than some might have expected it to be, Green Bay escaped with a 33-30 road win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
The win pulled the Packers to 7-8 on the season and gives them the slimmest of hope in relation to the wild-card race—the Detroit Lions clinched the NFC North on Sunday.
Unfortunately, it wasn't all good news for Green Bay, as injury and another poor defensive performance marred a victory the Packers had to have. Even in a win, Green Bay didn't perform like a team that could go deep into the postseason.
Here's what else we learned during the Packers' Week 16 win over the Panthers.
Jordan Love Continues to Figure It Out
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To be perfectly fair, Green Bay was never expected to be a serious playoff contender this season. The 2023 campaign was always going to be about the development and evaluation of quarterback Jordan Love.
While Love has had his ups and downs in his first full year as the starter, he's been mostly good down the stretch. He was terrific on Sunday, finishing 17-of-28 for 219 yards and two touchdowns against a stout Panthers pass defense.
Carolina came into the week ranked 12th in net yards per pass attempt allowed and third in passing yards allowed.
When the Packers needed a big drive late, Love delivered, engineering a 10-play, 61-yard drive that included a 36-yard strike to Romeo Doubs and a 20-yard toss to Tucker Kraft.
Over his last eight games, Love has thrown 16 touchdowns and only three interceptions. While Green Bay doesn't know if Love is a franchise quarterback just yet, he continues trending in that direction and learning how to win in tough situations.
Receiver Depth Is Being Tested
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Love's performance was particularly impressive because he wasn't operating with a full collection of pass-catchers. Rookie tight end Luke Musgrave continues to be out after suffering a lacerated kidney in November. Rookie receiver Jayden Reed—who has emerged as a legitimate playmaker as of late—and second-year receiver Christian Watson both missed Sunday's game with injuries.
During the game, rookie receiver Dontayvion Wicks was ruled out with a chest injury.
Wicks caught two passes for 29 yards and a touchdown before exiting, and Love did an excellent job of adjusting after the injury. Players like Doubs, Kraft and Bo Melton stepped up, and Green Bay got enough from its receiving corps to get the win.
However, injuries loom large as Green Bay looks to continue its playoff push. The Packers will visit the Minnesota Vikings next week before hosting the Chicago Bears in the season finale.
If the Packers are going to make a late play for a playoff spot, they may need to test the overall talent and depth of their receiving corps over the final two weeks.
Joe Barry Should Be on Thin Ice
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In recent losses to the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Packers defense wasn't nearly enough—and defensive coordinator Joe Barry knew he'd be held responsible.
"Everything is top-down, so everything starts with me," Barry said, per The Athletic's Matt Schneidman.
Surely, though, Barry's unit would respond against the lowly Panthers, right? Carolina came into Sunday ranked 30th in total offense and 29th in scoring. It had topped 20 points only three times this season.
No, the Packers defense again struggled, allowing 30 points, 20 in the second half, and allowing rookie quarterback Bryce Young to have one of the best games of his rookie season.
Young finished 23-of-35 for a career-high 312 yards and two touchdowns. Given Young's ongoing struggles in Carolina, his breakthrough game serves as an indictment of Barry. The third-year coordinator simply isn't putting his defense in position to succeed consistently enough, and that could have lasting repercussions.
If Barry isn't already on the hot seat, he should be.
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