Panthers just got a massive boost to the team’s clear path toward the playoffs without even playing a single game in Week 14
The Carolina Panthers are closing in on the NFC South lead.
The Carolina Panthers finally got to enjoy a hard-earned week off during the Week 14 slate after pulling a late bye week on the team’s 2025 schedule, but the team has to be thrilled with how the first 13 weeks of the season went.
“Guys are free to do and go wherever they want to go. My message to them is just like, ‘Look what we’re playing for. Look what we’re working for. Let’s be smart. Let’s take care of our bodies and make sure we move within reason,’” Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters. “Just giving them some last remarks and making sure that they all understand we have something great to protect here.”
Coming out of the bye week, the Panthers sit at 7-6 and are knocking on the door of the playoffs, something the team hasn’t been able to say in December lately. And the team just received some great news on Sunday that significantly improves its playoff chances.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ loss in Week 14 makes the NFC South race even more exciting
With a 24-20 win by the New Orleans Saints over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, things just got a lot more exciting in the NFC South race with four games left.
The Bucs now sit at 7-6 and are tied with the Panthers for the division lead. To make things even more interesting, these two teams still have to face off twice in Week 16 and Week 18. And the way things look in the NFC playoff picture, it could be division title or bust for either team.
As big as those two games are, the Panthers can’t get too far ahead of themselves, like they did the last time before facing the Saints. In Week 10, the Panthers were fresh off a big road win against the Green Bay Packers, only to lose 17-7 against the Saints.
“If we don’t come to play in New Orleans, then it really doesn’t mean much,” cornerback Mike Jackson said earlier in the week. “We got to lock in on them because if I’m not mistaken, we beat Green Bay and then played, so it is kind of the same situation. We just have to lock in and go win that day.”
As any coach and player would say, you gotta have a 1-0 approach every week and avoid thinking too big during the regular season. But, for Panthers’ fans, Sunday’s result in the NFC South certainly makes the team’s clear route to the playoffs even more feasible.
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