NFL Thursday Night Football preview: Panthers and Packers try to rebound from frustrating losses

Is it worse to lose a close, heartbreaking game at the end or blown out? We could poll the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers.

The two teams facing off Thursday night are coming off losses, and those defeats were much different. The Packers lost 20-17 to the Lions in Week 7, with many miscues, including a partially blocked field goal late in the game that would have tied it. Fans and players alike also had a lot of issues with the officiating .

While the Packers could look back at a play or two that might have turned the game, the Panthers were done by halftime. They trailed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-6 at halftime and lost 43-13 in a stunning blowout. The Panthers had looked like an improved team before whatever happened against the Buccaneers last weekend.

The Packers have had a strange season. They were not good for four weeks but escaped it with a 2-2 record. Then they blasted the Cowboys and Bears in back-to-back weeks before falling short against the Lions, though that's not a bad loss. The Panthers were 3-2 before the Buccaneers game with Bryce Young having a true breakout season. Young didn't play well against Tampa Bay but nobody on Carolina's side did. The Panthers have to show that performance was an anomaly, though they also had a loss to the Bears in which they gave up 59 points.

It's never a fun week for an NFL team after a loss. The best thing is to come back and play again right away. Both teams Thursday are more appreciative than normal for the short week.

The difference between the situation for these two teams could be as easy as this: The Panthers play in the mediocre NFC South, and the Packers play in the NFC North which might be the NFL's toughest division.

The Panthers don't want to fall behind .500, but there's not another team that will run away with that division. The Packers are already three losses behind the Vikings in the division, and the Bears and Lions are very tough, too.

Green Bay can't fall further behind in the North, especially with a home loss against an opponent it is favored to beat.

The Packers will have a lot more balance with Jacobs off the commissioner's exempt list. Jacobs wasn't efficient in his return against Detroit in Week 7 with just 36 rushing yards on 11 attempts, but he added 55 yards and a touchdown on five catches. The Packers' running game was going nowhere without him in the lineup.

While offensive line issues will continue to keep Green Bay from having a great rushing attack, at least it should keep defenses honest. There should be concern over how Jacobs plays on a short week, after not playing for the first six weeks. But he's facing a Panthers defense that gave up 258 rushing yards last weekend against the Buccaneers. Carolina gave up 291 rushing yards in Week 1 to Chicago and while the run defense had improved after that, Sunday's performance against Tampa Bay was troubling. Jacobs and the Packers will be testing that run defense early on.

This game was Packers -7 in the offseason, but has re-opened a combination of Green Bay -3.5 and -4 at sportsbooks — partially due to the fact that Carolina played one of the worst games of the season in a 43-13 loss as a 3-point home favorite against the Bucs. Keep an eye on WR Matthew Golden and DT Devonte Wyatt for the Packers, both of whom are questionable to play. The Panthers are a remarkable 13-0 ATS in their past 13 games after a loss.

It's hard for Carolina to play any worse than last week, so was that a bad game or a bad sign? I think it was more likely a momentary breakdown and that Bryce Young & Co. can hang with a banged-up Green Bay team and keep this within the number. — Ben Fawkes

Check out more of Ben's work at the Yahoo Sports betting hub .

Fantasy managers are optimistic for Week 8's opener between the Panthers and Packers, as the total is set for 47.5. Here are three themes to consider as you enjoy the game.

1. Can Bryce Young get his groove back? Every time it feels like Young has fully entered the Circle of Trust, he seems to have a setback — Tampa Bay ate his lunch in Week 7. Green Bay's defense has been better than expected this year, especially against the pass.

2. What does Josh Jacobs do for an encore? Jacobs checked in with a solid RB11 finish in his season debut, though it was the receiving game where he made his mark. Running lanes might be harder to find behind a Green Bay offensive line that's played poorly.

3. How will the Carolina WR room play out? Although Jalen Coker was undrafted while Tetairoa McMillan was a first-round pick, the two players have produced at similar levels when both are on the field. Of course for either to hit his projection here, Young has to play better and Carolina's offensive line has to rebound from a messy game. — Scott Pianowski

Check out more of Scott's work at the Yahoo Sports fantasy hub .