Who plays in the Saturday night NFL football game tonight? The Carolina Panthers face off against the Green Bay Packers in the first Saturday night NFL football game of the season, set to kick off tonight. With the College Football regular season reaching its end, NFL action takes over the void to give viewers four days of scheduled football.
The Packers took control of the first overall seed in the NFC following the Saints Week 14 loss. Can they continue their three-game win streak? Or will Carolina’s offense shock the league and make the top of the NFC playoff race even tighter? With kickoff approaching, let’s look at the matchup and provide all the information you need before the teams go head-to-head.
Who plays the Saturday night NFL football game tonight?
- Game: Carolina Panthers vs. Green Bay Packers
- Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin at Lambeau Field
Panthers vs. Packers Week 15 | Start time, TV Channel, and live stream
- Date: Saturday, December 19th
- Time: 8:15 PM ET
- Channel: NFL Network
- Stream: NFL App
Saturday night NFL football game tonight | What to expect from Panthers vs. Packers
Carolina has lost four of its last five games and looks more like the team everyone expected before the season. That’s not a slight whatsoever; the Panthers are a young team still building, and the success they have already found is promising. They just aren’t at the contenders’ level yet, unlike their opponent, the Green Bay Packers.
Carolina’s points allowed over the past five weeks are heavily skewed due to their shutout of the Lions. Over their past four losses, they have allowed 34.75 points on average. Those losses came against the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Vikings, and Broncos. What has been very fun to watch is the Panthers’ performance on offense led by QB Teddy Bridgewater. They can surprise some teams and keep games close, but I don’t think they can keep up with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
Carolina’s offense will put up a fight to try and stay in it, but in the end, the defense will fall victim to the pair of Aaron’s. With Rodgers through the air and Jones on the ground, and with Davante Adams as the cherry on top, there’s only so much this Panthers defense can do.
Can the Packers’ defense keep it from getting close?
I have zero doubts in my mind that Rodgers can get the job done in this Saturday night NFL game. The question is how hard he will have to work for it? The Packers are scoring 31.5 points per game, and with one more passing touchdown, Rodgers will become the first QB in NFL history to throw 40 TDs in three separate seasons. Their offense is playing lights out, and the defense has had a good year.
Green Bay’s defense allows 24.8 points per game this season, but they have played a bunch of close games. Carolina can move the football, and while they will be without RB Christian McCaffery for another week, Mike Davis has been a solid stand-in. This matchup between the Panthers’ offense and the Packers’ defense will be the deciding factor in this game.
Carolina’s offense will find some success and holes in Green Bay’s defense, but in the end, the behemoth that is the Packers’ offense will be too much to keep up with. The Packers should be able to hold onto the first overall seed in the NFC. Stay up to date with the current NFL playoff picture here.
Saturday NFL Games
- Bills at Broncos – December 19th
- Panthers at Packers – December 19th
- Buccaneers at Lions – December 26th
- 49ers at Cardinals – December 26th
- Dolphins at Raiders – December 26th