On Thursday night, the planets will align in a very specific way. And that can lead to more than a few penalties.
When the Panthers and Packers open Week 8, the matchup will pit the team with the most penalties (Packers, 9.3 per game) against the fourth-most penalized team (Panthers, (8.7 per game). The Panthers also lead the league in penalty yards per game (79.2), while the Packers are second with 78 yards per game.
Additionally, Scott Novak’s crew leads the league in penalties committed per game (22.7) and penalties conceded per game (20.1).
Throw the ingredients together and there could be a stop-and-go stew on Thursday night.
Either way, it’s something to keep an eye on. Will the Packers and Panthers continue to draw a penalty surplus? Will Novak and crew continue to be flag-happy?
It might be a good idea to take a nap tomorrow afternoon. Thursday night’s game may take a little longer than usual.