Packers take a pounding

Beuerlein, who only had 13 turnovers all of last season, came into the game with 19 this year. He'd also been sacked a league-high 45 times.

The poor numbers caused the 14-year veteran to take responsibility for several setbacks, especially a 20-10 loss to New Orleans this month, when he gave up the ball five times.

Against the Packers, it looked like Beuerlein's turnovers would again hurt Carolina (5-7). He threw two first-quarter touchdown passes to put Carolina up 14-0, but negated those with a fumble and interception in the second quarter that led to Green Bay TDs.

As Beuerlein dropped back to pass early in the second quarter, LeRoy Butler pushed the ball out of his hands directly into Nate Wayne's open arms. Green Bay scored 44 seconds later, when Ahman Green ran 26 yards untouched into the end zone to make it 14-7.

Beuerlein later wasted fantastic field position when he was intercepted at the 10-yard line.

The Panthers got the ball when Ken Walters' punt dropped between Allen Rossum and Mike McKenzie, and the ball then bounced up and hit McKenzie. Carolina's Karl Hankton pounced on it and the Panthers had the ball at the 20.

But Beuerlein was picked off three plays later by Tyrone Williams, who returned it 46 yards. Packers quarterback Brett Favre then hit Donald Driver with a 32-yard touchdown pass that tied it 14-14 with 2:02 to play in the half.

Beuerlein finished 22-of-37 with two turnovers and two more sacks. But he came up big when it counted, and for the second year in a row hurt the Packers' bid for the playoffs.

A year ago, he scored on a 5-yard touchdown run as time expired to rally Carolina to a 33-31 win. Several Green Bay players later said that loss cost them a shot at the postseason.

This year, Green Bay (5-7) needed to win to keep their slim hopes alive. The Packers must now win out -- against Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota and Tampa Bay -- to have a chance to make the playoffs.

Beuerlein got the Panthers going from the outset, completing a 31-yard pass to tight end Kris Mangum on the first play from scrimmage to reach the Green Bay 37.

A screen pass to backup running back Brad Hoover for 16 yards on a third-and-6 play then set up Beuerlein's 14th TD pass of the season -- a 3-yarder to Chris Hetherington.

He later threw a 12-yard TD pass to Muhsin Muhammad and hit Muhammad again in the third quarter on a 3-yard scoring strike.

Muhammad, who made the Pro Bowl after last season, finished with 131 yards on 11 catches, including the two touchdowns.

Hoover, an undrafted rookie from Western Carolina filling in for the injured Tshimanga Biakabutuka, had 117 yards on 24 carries. Hoover had a 1-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to finish the scoring.

Favre passed for 267 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted three times.<