By Mike Joerndt
PackerZone Columnist
Neenah, WI
We knew the game against Carolina would be a difficult battle for the Packers. The Panthers came into the game with the second-ranked defense in the NFL, a stingy group that deserves most of the credit for the Panthers' three victories. The Carolina offense lost no fumbles in those victories and punished their opponents with a patient but bruising ground game.
The Panthers did succeed in some of these areas against Green Bay. They sacked Brett Favre four times on Sunday. The Green Bay offense was a dismal 2-for-11 on third down conversions. The Carolina defense held the Packers to their lowest point total of the 2002 season.
The Panthers' offense, meanwhile, burned the Packers on a couple of big plays, including a 61-yard pass play that was really just a short pass capped by a long run from Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith. Stupid defensive penalties kept the Panthers' final drive alive long enough to attempt a field goal that would have forced overtime. Luckily, the Panthers' regular kicker was replaced by the stone-footed Shayne Graham.
But the Green Bay defense also forced three fumbles, recovering all of them. Carolina's rushing attack hurt the Packers, but it didn't destroy the defense. For once this season, Rodney Peete looked like the quarterback I remember from his days in Detroit. Most importantly, Green Bay held an opponent under 30 points for the first time in 2002.
The Packers' defense was a humiliated, injury-riddled unit entering Sunday's game. Nobody would have been surprised if Carolina had found a way to score four touchdowns. Instead, back-ups like safety Matt Bowen and defensive end Aaron Kampman stepped in and stepped up. The defense as a whole seemed to get to the ball just a little faster than in previous games. Players seemed to hit a little harder, which no doubt helped produce the three Panthers fumbles.
Improvement wasn't exclusive to the Packers' defense. The Green Bay offense committed just one turnover. Wide receivers and running backs did a better job of hanging on to the ball. The special teams picked up positive yardage on returns and held Carolina to just 83 total return yards on kickoffs and punts. Ryan Longwell recorded a touchback on a kickoff for the first time this season.
The Panthers faced a team with something to prove on Sunday. After barely holding off the Falcons and Lions and suffering humiliation in New Orleans, the Packers had to prove they could beat a winning team. Perhaps it's too early to say the 2002 season hinged on this game, but Green Bay needed to show they aren't about to give up in the face of adversity. For an example of what I mean, look at the 0-4 St. Louis Rams, who were self-destructing before Kurt Warner broke his finger. With their 3-1 record, the Packers are far from finished.
Of course, the team has room for improvement. Green Bay must face a Chicago team eager for revenge over the Packers, who beat the Bears twice last year.
Should Packer fans continue worrying? Probably. Green Bay still has glaring deficiencies on both sides of the ball. They can play better than they have. They must play better to win the tough games ahead. After the Carolina game, however, we also know they will play better.