The Green Bay Packers were supposed to paste the underdog Carolina Panthers on Sunday. After an impressive performance in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend, most had labelled the Packers a formidable contender for the NFC title. On paper, the Panthers should have no business hanging with Green Bay, let alone in hostile territory in Lambeau Field.

Then the game actually happened. The Packers’ defense, even with Micah Parsons, couldn’t stop a “pumping” Rico Dowdle and Carolina’s potent running game, even though they knew run plays were coming (Bryce Young threw just 20 passes). And a frustratingly inconsistent day for the Packers’ offense was bookended by what sounds like a season-ending injury for breakout tight end Tucker Kraft.

This mix was the formula for an unlikely Carolina upset. The Panthers cemented it with a game-winning 49-yard field goal at the buzzer:

RYAN FITZGERALD KICKS TO WIN IT pic.twitter.com/kPIeXJGZeR

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 2, 2025

This wasn’t a normal loss for the Packers. They were 13.5-point favorites coming in. Seemingly, everyone and their mother picked Green Bay to beat Carolina, including the experts on For The Win’s staff, as we all expected a blowout. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky added more context to the Packers’ shocking 16-13 loss.

Officially, based on the pregame spread, it is the largest upset loss in the NFL in roughly two years. For the Packers themselves, it is tied for the worst Green Bay defeat since the NFL actually became a thing in the public consciousness. The Packers, as an organization, simply do not usually lose games like this. It’s not who they are.

Plain and simple:

The Packers' loss as a 13.5-point favorite is the largest upset in the NFL since the 2023 season (Titans +14.5 at Miami) and tied the Packers' largest upset loss since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, according to ESPN Research.

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) November 2, 2025