Carolina
Panthers
1-5
20
FINAL
23
Green Bay
Packers
4-3
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a tightly contested matchup, the Green Bay Packers held off the Carolina Panthers with a final score of 23-20 in Week 8 of the 2026 season. With both teams looking to solidify their playoff positions, this game proved pivotal in the crowded NFC standings.
Carolina's Bryce Young was the standout on offense, throwing for 202 yards and a touchdown, showcasing his ability to keep the Panthers competitive throughout the game. However, it was Green Bay’s Kaleb Johnson who led the ground attack with 62 rushing yards, while Christian Watson emerged as a key target in the passing game, racking up 98 receiving yards to help secure the win.
Defensively, the Packers were formidable, with Edgerrin Cooper recording a game-high seven tackles, and Micah Parsons contributing a critical sack that shifted momentum late in the contest. The turning point came when Green Bay's defense held strong in the fourth quarter, forcing Carolina to settle for a field goal instead of a potential game-winning touchdown. This resilience ultimately allowed the Packers to escape with the narrow victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | QB | 36 | 23 | 64% | 202 | 1 | 0 | 87.9 |
| Jordan Love | QB | 28 | 14 | 50% | 190 | 0 | 0 | 72.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaleb Johnson | HB | 20 | 62 | 3.1 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 1 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 19 | 48 | 2.5 | 16 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Trey Benson | HB | 4 | 15 | 3.8 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Kenny Gainwell | HB | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Jonathon Brooks | HB | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | — | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 4 | 13 | 3.3 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| A.J. Dillon | HB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jordan Love | QB | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Jayden Reed | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonnu Smith | TE | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matthew Golden | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mack Hollins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Watson | WR | 5 | 98 | 19.6 | 24 | 0 | 31 | 1 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 7 | 64 | 9.1 | 15 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Jayden Reed | WR | 3 | 50 | 16.7 | 10 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Tommy Tremble | TE | 4 | 44 | 11.0 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Matthew Golden | WR | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 10 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 4 | 31 | 7.8 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Mack Hollins | WR | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Khari Blasingame | FB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jonnu Smith | TE | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Luke Musgrave | TE | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Tucker Kraft | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 7 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Edgerrin Cooper | MIKE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Javon Bullard | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lukas Van Ness | LEDG | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris McClellan | DT | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Cisse | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Larry Ogunjobi | DT | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevin Wallace | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chau Smith-Wade | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Devin Lloyd | WILL | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Xavier McKinney | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Micah Parsons | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Troy Andersen | WILL | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Hunter | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrel Dodson | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Scott | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Brown III | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamin Davis | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalyx Hunt | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Owen Pappoe | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maurice Hurst | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Jackson | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Lee III | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trey Smack | K | 1 | 2 | 2 | 29 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 2 | 3 | 2 | 52 |

