CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In the crowd before Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium, a fan held a sign that read "Lordy Lordy, we miss Jordy," referring to Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson, who was lost for the season to a knee injury in the preseason. Even the Pro Bowl receiver might not have been enough to save this offense.
It wasn't as bad as it was in last week's loss to the Denver Broncos, when Aaron Rodgers threw for only 77 yards and the unit managed just 140. But the Packers' late rally from 23 points down in the fourth quarter shouldn't mask their continued struggles despite the fact that Rodgers threw for 376 yards and four touchdowns in Sunday's 37-29 loss to the Panthers. When cornerback Damarious Randall picked off Cam Newton and gave the Packers the ball back at the Panthers' 22-yard line with 3:38 to play, their inability to punch it in for a potentially game-tying score was symbolic of their ongoing struggles.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy made a major philosophical change in his offense. He shook it up by ditching the no-huddle that he's used the past three-plus seasons and went with multiple personnel groupings on the same drive, going from a full-house backfield on one play to an empty set on another.
It didn't work. The Packers had only 133 yards in the first half, 40 of which came on the final meaningless play, before McCarthy abandoned that plan in the second half.
What it means: By losing back-to-back games in the same season with Rodgers at quarterback for the first time since Week 6 of 2010, the Packers (6-2) fell two games behind the Panthers (8-0) in the NFC playoff picture and, of course, would lose the tiebreaker. At this point, they better just worry about the NFC North. They fell into a tie for the division lead with the Minnesota Vikings at the midway point of the season. The Packers still have both games against the Vikings remaining.
One reason to be optimistic: At least the schedule gets a little easier. After playing back-to-back unbeaten teams, the Packers play only one team with a winning record -- the Vikings -- in their next four games.
One reason to panic: The Packers' defense didn't reach historically bad proportions, but it was bad enough. Sure, Dom Capers' unit avoided giving up 500 yards for the third straight game and thus saved itself from becoming the first defense to get smoked that badly three times in a row since the 1963 San Francisco 49ers. But if not for inaccurate throws by Newton, it could have been just as bad as the previous two games, when the Broncos and San Diego Chargers combined for 1,048 yards. The Panthers still managed 427 yards.
Fantasy watch: After Eddie Lacy fumbled in the second quarter, James Starks played three consecutive series before Lacy got another shot.
Ouch: Cornerback Casey Hayward left in the third quarter to be evaluated for a concussion. He did not return. Lacy also left in the fourth quarter with a groin injury.
Defensive changes: After struggling last week on the outside, the Packers moved Hayward into the slot in the nickel package (replacing Micah Hyde, who played only in the dime). While Hayward still played outside in the base 3-4, Demetri Goodson played Hayward's outside spot in the nickel.
What's next: Four straight division games are on the docket, beginning with next Sunday against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. This stretch includes a pair of games against the Lions that bookend games at Minnesota and home against the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving night.