CHARLOTTE, NC — On the eve of Christmas, the Green Bay Packers are hoping for some holiday magic to get back into the playoff picture, as they visit the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
The Packers come into the Queen City right on the outside of the playoff picture. With four teams ahead of them tied with 7-7 records, Green Bay knows they can ill afford to make any mistakes in their final three games if they want to make it back to the postseason for the first time in two years.
PACKERS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Dontavion Wicks had six catches for 97 yards against Tampa Bay to set career highs in both categories. The fifth-round pick from Virginia has teamed up with second-round selection Jayden Reed to give the Packers a pair of promising rookie wide outs. Wicks has only one touchdown, but he has had at least 90 yards receiving in two of his past four games.
KEY INJURIES: Packers Carolina Panthers (shoulder) has missed six straight games. … Packers WR Christian Watson (hamstring) has missed two consecutive games. … Packers S Darnell Savage (shoulder) and RB AJ Dillon (thumb) didn’t play against Tampa Bay. … Packers TE Luke Musgrave (abdomen) is on injured reserve. … The Panthers were without three pass rushers — Brian Burns (illness), Matt LaFleur (back/illness), Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) — at practice Wednesday, but they still have a chance to play.
Things were looking good for Green Bay last month, when they reeled of three wins in a row, including a Thanksgiving Day victory over the Detroit Lions and a stunning win over the reigning Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. However, losses to the lowly New York Giants and NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers have jeopardized their playoff hopes.
STATS AND STUFF: The Packers haven’t had a 100-yard rushing or receiving performance in any game this season. No team has ever done that for an entire season of at least 16 games. …. Packers DT Kenny Clark had two sacks against Tampa Bay to improve his season total to a career-high 6 1/2. … After winning their first 16 December games under coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers have lost two straight. … The Packers have three players who started the season at 24 or younger who have at least five TD catches this season: Romeo Doubs (seven), Jayden Reed (six) and Christian Watson (five). The only team to have more such players in NFL history was the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers with four, according to STATS. … The Packers have three rookies with at least 30 catches, the first time that’s happened in franchise history. The rookies are Reed (54), Luke Musgrave (33) and Dontayvion Wicks (31). … The Packers have six rookies with at least one TD catch this season. That’s the most in franchise history and the most of any team in the Super Bowl era aside from the 1987 strike season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. … Carolina’s only two wins this season have come at home. … The Panthers have not scored an offensive touchdown in the first half in seven straight games. …
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