The Green Bay Packers survived the late rally of the Carolina Panthers to notch a 27-19 victory at Lambeau Field on Thursday.
Jordan Love went 30-of-41 for 288 yards and three touchdowns, while Josh Jacobs scored two touchdowns on 21 carries and six receptions. The defense played a huge part in crunch time, including sacking Bryce Young in the last 20 seconds to seal the hard-earned win.
Coach Matt LaFleur credited the defense, finding the perfect word for defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, as reported by Sports Illustrated's Bill Huber.
“LaFleur uses the word ‘savant' about Jonathan Gannon,” wrote Huber on X.
The defense hummed all game long, sacking Young six times and forcing two turnovers.
Gannon is in his first year in Green Bay, energizing the defense with his tactical flexibility and ability to maximize talent.
Like LaFleur, Evan Williams gushed about Gannon, stressing that it is a “big trust thing.”
“JG feels confident in each of us, which is big. In those big plays, you want a coordinator who is not playing scared. He's a guy who's, in the biggest of moments, calling different people's numbers. He always says players, not plays,” said Williams in the video posted by The Fan 107.5's Marques Eversoll.
“He trusts us to win, and when you feel that type of trust from a coordinator going into a game, it allows you to play free.”
Article Continues BelowEvan Williams continues to rave about Jonathan Gannon. #Packers defense is hummin. pic.twitter.com/ASrmNLQl9B
— Marques Eversoll (@MarquesEversoll) October 30, 2026
The Packers have held opponents to below 20 points in their last five games.
They improved to 5-3, while the Panthers fell to 3-4.
Green Bay will visit the New England Patriots in Week 9.