Packers' defensive front has a huge opportunity to completely take over a game and set the tone for what's about to come

The Green Bay Packers already have a strong defensive front. The team is fifth in PFF pass rush grade and 12th in pass rush win rate, and star edge defender Micah Parsons has elevated everyone's game — Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, and Devonte Wyatt have been more productive than ever.

Specifically on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, the front has a big shot at taking the game over for the Packers.

Panthers' handling major offensive line injury questions

The Panthers have played eight games this season, but no offensive lineman has played all of them. Injuries have been an issue all season, and it's getting worse ahead of the Packers game. Right guard Brady Christensen out for the season with an Achilles injury, center Cade Mays is not expected to play with an ankle injury, and right tackle Taylor Moton left the previous game with a knee injury — he was limited at practice on Wednesday and could play, but that's not a certainty.

From the ideal lineup, only left tackle Ikem Ekwonu and left guard Damien Lewis are healthy. To make things worse, Ekwonu has allowed 19 pressures this season.

In eight games, the Panthers have played with six different starting-five combinations. Against the Packers, Week 1 starter Austin Corbett should play at center, while Jake Curhan (signed off the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad a month ago) should play at right guard.

If Moton can't play, a Packers old friend is the option. Yosh Nijman is the Panthers' swing tackle, and he's played 91 snaps at right tackle and 64 snaps at left tackle this season — Nijman has been a fine run blocker, but a liability in pass protection, with the worst pass-blocking efficiency on the team at 90.1 percent.

How the Panthers operate

Bryce Young hasn't been exactly an efficient quarterback — 25th of 33 qualifying quarterbacks in adjusted EPA/play, via RBSDM. However, he does throw the ball relatively quickly — his 2.77 average time to throw is 16th among 38 qualifying quarterbacks by PFF. More than that, Young is tied with Jordan Love for fifth in the NFL with an 11.6 percent pressure to sack ratio, which is an excellent number.

In general, Young tends to throw the ball before pressure gets home, and that's the biggest challenge for the Packers' defense on Sunday.

Bryce Young is 30th/33 in air yards, which means the Panthers don't explore the deep areas of the field much. That will allow Jeff Hafley to reinforce the box and ask his cornerbacks to play in press coverage, disrupting the timing of the Panthers' receivers — the defense did more of that against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tackling to avoid yards after the catch will be key.

With the Panthers' problem, especially on the interior of the offensive line, Devonte Wyatt is particularly impactful to generate quick pressure — and if he does it, the Packers can have a dominant performance upfront.