2026 NFL Week 8 Biggest Takeaways for Every Team - Bleacher Report

All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson is now a member of the Seattle Seahawks. The Indianapolis Colts also traded defensive lineman DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers. The Chicago Bears raided the AFC South as well by acquiring All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans.

Those moves set the stage for Week 8, which opened with the Carolina Panthers visiting the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football.

As always, Bleacher Report NFL analysts Brent Sobleski, Kris Knox, and Moe Moton will follow all of the weekend's action to break down the biggest stories and questions coming out of each contest.

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers

Will the Green Bay Packers Eventually Run the Ball With Any Effectiveness?

The Packers now sit at 5-3 despite fielding the league's worst rushing offense.

As the Amazon Prime telecast noted, Green Bay became the first team in NFL history to own a winning record through eight games despite running for fewer than 500 yards.

During Thursday's contest, the Packers barely eclipsed their season average by running for 66 yards. The team averaged 2.5 yards per carry. Josh Jacobs' return to the lineup has not helped. He carried the ball 32 times for only 75 yards over the last two games.

Yet Green Bay's offense remains competitive because Jordan Love is playing at a relatively high level despite multiple issues around the quarterback position. Furthermore, Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are explosive targets, as long as they hold onto the ball.

Packers' Defense Is Only Going to Get Better

Green Bay sacked Young six times, hit the quarterback nine times and pressured him on 22 dropbacks, according to ESPN Stats & Info (h/t Mike Kaye ).

To understand how dominant the performance was, the Packers accumulated as many sacks as Young completed passes when pressured. Interestingly, each of the six sacks came from a different Green Bay defender.

The group did this without Micah Parsons in the lineup. Eventually, he's going to return and make the entire unit more potent, even if he's not quite as explosive because opponents will still key on the three-time first-team All-Pro.

Furthermore, Zaire Franklin didn't play Thursday due to a knee injury, but he's not expected to be out long.

Green Bay is flawed, particularly on offense, but the Packers' top 10 defense can carry its share of the responsibility plus more.

Panthers QB Bryce Young Desperately Needs Help

As the calendar flips to November, Young is no longer in the MVP conversation. He was early in the season, but everything has since fallen apart around him.

Carolina's offensive line is a mess. Left guard Damien Lewis didn't play Thursday, and the Panthers certainly felt his absence. Rookie Monroe Freeling remains at right tackle after veteran Taylor Moton suffered a fractured fibula.

Green Bay pressured Young on nearly half of his dropbacks. The Panthers averaged under 3.6 yards per carry. Carolina's offense also struggled to create explosive plays with its current personnel.

As a result, Young has thrown for fewer than 210 yards in back-to-back games.

Can Carolina Survive Injuries at CB?

Will Lee III is the latest Panthers cornerback to leave the lineup due to injury.

Based on Carolina's depth chart, the Panthers are down to their fifth and sixth cornerbacks unless someone returns soon. Starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are on injured reserve, as is Akayleb Evans. Lee also left Thursday's game with a hamstring injury. With Carolina's secondary depleted, Green Bay had little trouble throwing the ball. Watson and Golden combined for 15 catches for 192 yards.

The Panthers could be leaning heavily on Chau Smith-Wade and Marco Wilson in the coming weeks unless someone else is signed or brought in via trade.

The calendar officially flips to November and division rivalries kick into overdrive. Seven of Sunday's matchups are between divisional opponents, with the top spots in the AFC North and AFC West up for grabs when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs travel to the Mile High City.

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills (1 p.m.)

Tennessee Titans at Cincinnati Bengals (1 p.m.)

Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys (1 p.m.)

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (1 p.m.)

Las Vegas Raiders at New York Jets (1 p.m.)

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m.)

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 p.m.)

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (1 p.m.)