With four weeks left in the regular season, the Packers' mission is clear:

• Get up off the deck.
• Win every game.
• Watch the scoreboard intently.
• Pray for help from other teams.

For Packers fans, the options is slightly different:

• Prepare for a playoff-free January.
• Assign blame -- most likely to Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy, Bob Sanders, Mike Stock and Derrick Frost.
• Whine about Brett Favre's departure and how it was handled.
• Look forward to a second-round draft pick as compensation for the Favre saga.
• Start watching bowl games to get a jump on the 2009 Draft.
• Argue incessantly about the team's shortcomings and possible remedies.

That's about all that remained after the Packers dropped a gut-wrenching, mind-numbing 35-31 decision to Carolina before a stunned crowd at Lambeau Field. Depending upon your perspective, the Packers are either one of the more underachieving outfits in the National Football League or the best 5-7 team in the land.

Either way, the prospects for the post-season appear bleak. Here are some post-game observations:

Game of inches: Longtime newspaper football writer Cliff Christl always said that NFL games were decided by playmakers. Carolina's Steve Smith and Green Bay's Charles Woodson are two of the best in the business. They battled for the pivotal pass in the game. Despite giving up four inches in height, Smith won the battle. It's hard to rip the Packers for the play. Their pass rush was good. Woodson is the guy they wanted back there. The only drawback on the play, other than Woodson's ill-timed leap, came when Brandon Chillar turned away from the ball as if someone had called his name from the sideline.

Game of inches, Part II: One reason it's hard to be upset about the Woodson play is that it was preceded by a handful of plays worth getting peeved about.

The Packers failed to score on second and goal from the 1-yard line, primarily because Tory Humphrey whiffed on his attempt to block Tyler Brayton (on the second-down give to Brandon Jackson) and John Kuhn never had a chance to get going on third down because Humphrey, Daryn Colledge and Chad Clifton collapsed at the point of attack.

After Mason Crosby's field goal (which was a complete no-brainer), the Packers kickoff team allowed a 45-yard return. It's never a positive thing when your kicker is the best tackler. We hope Jarrett Bush picked his jockstrap up off the field before it was covered in snow.

Rising stars: Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams, who scored four touchdowns, is a stud. Jackson had a strong game, too, which begs the question: why didn't the Packers give him more carries while Ryan Grant was coming back from his injury problems?

Close calls: The Packers have lost four games by four points or fewer this season. Last year, they were 5-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less.

Looking ahead: After beating Chicago on Sunday night at home, division-leading Minnesota (7-5) leads Green Bay by two games in the winner-take-all NFC North race. Here is a look at the Vikings' schedule in the final month: at Detroit; at Phoenix; vs. Atlanta; vs. the New York Giants.

Here is a look at the Packers' schedule in the final four weeks: vs. Houston; at Jacksonville; at Chicago; vs. Detroit.

Sieve! Sieve! Sieve! The Packers have allowed 86 points in their past two games. That's the most they've given up in back-to-back outings since they were burned for 91 points during the 1958 season, when they went 1-10-1 under Ray "Scooter" McLean.

In hindsight: Had the Packers won the game, Carolina fans would have been seething over the late hit penalty on Julius Peppers, who drilled Aaron Rodgers out of bounds to extend a Packers' drive with 3:45 left.

Slow starters: Back in the Mike Holmgren era, the Packers were known for scoring early -- often on their first possession. In 12 games this season, Green Bay's opening drive has yielded one touchdown and one field goal.

Bad luck: A year ago, it seemed as though every possible bounce and break went the Packers' way. This year has been the opposite and it was apparent Sunday when:

Center Scott Wells suffered a concussion, but remained in the game long enough to snap the ball over Aaron Rodgers' head and set up a Panthers' score.

Woodson ran down Jonathan Stewart from behind, poked the ball free to thwart what should have been a 46-yard touchdown run, and then watched Carolina fall on the loose ball and score two plays later. Props to Travelle Wharton for hustling down the field (he wanted to hug Stewart in the end zone) and falling on the football.

Tramon Williams intercepted a pass but was whistled for interference.

Just wondering: How does punter Derrick Frost still have a Green Bay address? The guy is beyond bad.

Numbers game: The Panthers accrued 29 rushing yards in the second half. Almost half of Carolina's yards came on four plays -- a 27-yard run by Williams, the 43-yarder by Stewart, and passes to Smith for 36 and 54 yards.