The Carolina Panthers aren't going to win or lose the NFC South on Thursday night, but the game against Green Bay could have a lot to do with where they find themselves later in the season. Carolina is 3-3 and still in first place, but after Sunday's 43-13 loss to Tampa Bay, there isn't much separating the Panthers from everybody else anymore.

That's what made Sunday's loss so frustrating. The Panthers had won three of four and were playing a Tampa Bay team that came into Charlotte at 1-5. A win would have kept the Buccaneers well behind them and given Carolina another division win. Instead, Tampa Bay ran for 258 yards, forced three turnovers and left Charlotte with a 30-point win.

Carolina doesn't have much time to sit around and think about it. Four days later, the Panthers are at Lambeau Field with a chance to get to 4-3 before the schedule starts getting more difficult.

The NFC South Is Getting Crowded Again

The Panthers are still in first place, but Atlanta is 3-4 and right behind them in the NFC South. The Falcons have won three of their last five, including a 29-20 win over previously unbeaten San Francisco last week. Michael Penix Jr. threw three touchdowns in the win and was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Atlanta is probably the team Carolina needs to keep the closest eye on right now. The Falcons have worked their way back into the division race, and Carolina still has to see them again in the final week of the regular season. Tampa Bay is only 2-5, but after Sunday's win over the Panthers, the Buccaneers aren't far enough behind to ignore, either.

Beat Green Bay, and Carolina gets to 4-3 and can move on from what happened Sunday pretty quickly. Lose, and the Panthers are 3-4 with back-to-back losses and could find themselves looking up at Atlanta depending on what happens this weekend.

Carolina had an opportunity to keep Tampa Bay at a distance and didn't take advantage of it. The Panthers don't want to do the same thing with Atlanta, especially with the Falcons playing better than they were a few weeks ago.

Carolina's Schedule Isn't Doing Them Any Favors

The other part of this is what Carolina still has left on the schedule. After Thursday night's game against Green Bay, the Panthers come home to play Denver before going to New Orleans and then hosting Baltimore. Later in the season, there are road games against Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Pittsburgh, with Seattle also coming to Charlotte.

Carolina also has four NFC South games remaining, and those are going to have a lot to say about who eventually wins the division. The Panthers still play New Orleans twice, travel to Tampa Bay and finish the regular season against Atlanta.

Getting to 4-3 would put Carolina in a much better spot before that stretch begins. Falling to 3-4 would mean spending the next few weeks trying to get back over .500 while Atlanta and Tampa Bay are still hanging around.

The Panthers have already put themselves in a position where the NFC South is there for them. They've also made things harder by losing a game Sunday that they had a good opportunity to win. There are going to be more chances to create some separation, but with the schedule Carolina has coming, they can't keep giving those chances away.

A win at Green Bay doesn't guarantee anything, and a loss doesn't end Carolina's season. But 4-3 with Sunday's loss behind them looks a lot different than 3-4 with Atlanta and Tampa Bay still right there.

For a game in October, Thursday night could end up having a lot to say about where Carolina's season goes from here.