Panthers Have at Least Found an Answer for Josh Jacobs

Carolina may be trailing Green Bay, but the run defense has been much better after getting torched by Bucky Irving last week.

Oct 29, 2026; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) makes a touchdown catch against the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After watching Bucky Irving run all over the Carolina Panthers last week, Josh Jacobs was one of the guys I was worried about coming into Thursday night.

Carolina has done a much better job against him. Jacobs had 10 carries for only 14 yards late in the first half, and while he did score on a 1-yard run, the Panthers haven't allowed him to get much going outside of that.

That's a big change from what we watched against Tampa Bay. Irving ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, and the Buccaneers finished with 258 rushing yards as a team. Carolina had chances to make tackles and didn't, and by the end of the game Tampa Bay was running the ball pretty much whenever it wanted.

With Jacobs coming up four days later, I thought we might see more of the same.

Carolina Has Done a Better Job Up Front

Oct 29, 2026; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) rushes for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers in the first half at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Green Bay has tried to get Jacobs involved. He had already carried the ball 10 times before halftime, but there just hasn't been much there for him.

His longest run was four yards, and most of his carries have ended with Carolina getting multiple guys around the football. After some of the tackling problems we saw against Tampa Bay, that's probably what I've noticed the most.

Jacobs is going to get his carries, and Green Bay isn't going to completely get away from him with another half still to play. The Panthers are going to have to keep tackling because it won't take much for Jacobs to break one and change his numbers in a hurry.

But this is what I wanted to see after last week. Carolina got embarrassed against the run by Tampa Bay and then had to turn around four days later and face another running back capable of giving them problems.

Through the first half, the Panthers have been much better.