Are the Carolina Panthers on the upswing? That might be a stretch, but there’s no denying the improvement Carolina’s shown over the last month.
After starting the season 1-7, the Panthers won back-to-back games before losing two straight. However, those two defeats were a three-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and an overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So, the Panthers are showing signs of life.
But what are Carolina’s chances of making the playoffs? Let’s look at all the scenarios in play.
Can the Panthers Still Make the Playoffs?
The Carolina Panthers are 3-10 and have a 0.1% chance to make the playoffs.
They have a 0.0% chance for the first seed, a <0.1% chance for the second seed, a <0.1% chance for the third seed, a <0.1% chance for the fourth seed, a <0.1% chance for the fifth seed, a <0.1% chance for the sixth seed, and a <0.1% chance for the seventh seed.
Conversely, the Panthers currently have a 7% chance to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Can the Panthers Still Win the NFC South?
Here’s what the NFC South race looks like:
- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a 73.5% chance to win the NFC South.
- The Atlanta Falcons have a 23.6% chance to win the NFC South.
- The New Orleans Saints have a 2.8% chance to win the NFC South.
- The Carolina Panthers have a 0.1% chance to win the NFC South.
NFC Playoff Race | Week 16
1. Detroit Lions (13-2)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)
3. Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
4. Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
5. Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
6. Green Bay Packers (11-4)
7. Washington Commanders (10-5)
In The Hunt
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
9. Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
Eliminated From Playoffs
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
11. Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
12. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
13. New Orleans Saints (5-10)
14. Chicago Bears (4-11)
15. Carolina Panthers (4-11)
16. New York Giants (2-13)
Panthers’ Remaining Schedule
- Week 15: vs. Dallas Cowboys
- Week 16: vs. Arizona Cardinals
- Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Week 18: at Atlanta Falcons
Panthers vs. Eagles Preview Ahead of Eagles Game
Here’s where the Panthers and Eagles rank in various Pro Football Network metrics.
Panthers
Offense+ Metric: 27th (D)
Defense+ Metric: 32nd (F)
Bryce Young QB+ Metric: 37th (F)
Eagles
Offense+ Metric: 14th (C+)
Defense+ Metric: 4th (B+)
Jalen Hurts QB+ Metric: 5th (B+)
Let’s look at some other stats and insights for the Panthers-Eagles matchup.
Carolina Panthers
- Team: The Panthers have the longest active streak of double-digit loss seasons (five straight) and are angling to extend that run sooner rather than later
- QB: Bryce Young is far from perfect (60% completion rate or lower in three straight games), but he hasn’t thrown an interception in any of those games and has taken just four sacks (106 pass attempts).
- Offense: Carolina has cashed in just three of its 10 red-zone trips into touchdowns over the past two weeks (Chiefs and Buccaneers).
- Defense: The Panthers allowed a touchdown on just two of 14 drives against the Bucs, a 14.3% rate that is their best defensive showing of the season.
- Fantasy: The game script hasn’t been an issue, and that helps the few pieces in this offense that you’re considering — Carolina is 2-2 over its past four games with a cumulative score of 93-92.
- Betting: Overs have come through in four of the Panthers’ past five games.
Bryce Young’s Turnaround
Young was one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks in 2023 and showed no improvement in the first two weeks of this season After he was benched for Andy Dalton in Week 3, it appeared Young’s days as Carolina’s franchise QB were over.
But it’s been a slightly more encouraging story since Young regained the starting role in Week 8. In fact, some now are suggesting the Panthers should build around Young rather than look for a replacement.
Here’s how Young ranks in various categories since the start of Week 8:
- 26th in passer rating
- 20th in TD/INT ratio
- 28th in completion percentage
- 23rd in EPA per dropback
- 9th in passer rating under pressure
- 15th in percentage of completions for 10+ yards
- 16th in average yards per completion
As you can see, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. However, Young’s numbers are up across the board, and he didn’t throw an interception in his last three games. He even ranks ahead of C.J. Stroud, Geno Smith, Aaron Rodgers, Trevor Lawrence, and Caleb Williams in EPA per dropback since Week 8.
Additionally, Young earned top-15 QB+ grades in Weeks 9, 12, and 13, with his C+ in Week 12 representing the 11th-best score for the week.