A look at the Panthers remaining schedule after the trade deadline

[electro's horse]

Where we stand

Panthers are 5-4, a record I'd say is right around where the slightly optimstic Panthers fans would have thought they've been, thought having got there a little differently. They have one impressive but ugly win (Packers) and four other wins against bad teams. The Cowboys are not a good team overall, regardless of the trauma response of a lot of posters on here. I don't really consider that an upset. No one predicted that Drake Maye would ascend to the top tier of NFL QBs. The Cardinals loss looks worse and worse, near heroics not withstanding. I have no idea what to make of the Falcons. As far as the Packers, there's something to be said about making a finesse team play ugly. 

Overall, I think the Panthers have a middle of the road defense and a bottom third offense that are both overperforming. Reasonable people can disagree, 

So where does that leave us for the back half of the season? How does this project for postseason play? I want to look at the Panthers upcoming schedule, the teams in a snapshot, and see how it projects and wax poetically about where that leaves us. 

Teams Left on the Schedule

New Orleans Saints (1-8) - two games left. the rebuild the saints have been staring down for the better part of the decade has finally arrived. They were sellers at the deadline. Penning isn't a big loss, but they effectively only have one WR now. Barring any substantial developments, the Panthers should be favored in both their games against the Saints. The second game occurs after the Panthers late season bye. But.....it's the Saints. They will Do It for The City. They're also playing hard for first year coach Kellen Moore. Saints have kept the Panthers out of the playoffs twice in the last week of the season (1999, 2002) 

Atlanta Falcons (3-5) - Panthers have a game at Atlanta left on their schedule. The falcons are a complete mystery to me. They have Bijan Robinson who's probably the best player on any field. They handled the bills, a team that boat raced Carolina. By all metrics they have a very good defense (shut down Carolina) and there may have been some technical difficulties in Carolina. All that said, there's a lot of whispers the offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is gone after the season, if he even survives it. 

San Francisco 49ers (6-3) - Lots of story lines in this one. 49ers are 3rd in a brutal NFC West. No idea if Purdy will be healthy, but Mac Jones is 5-2 as a starter. The 49ers are the better team from a coaching, player, organizational standpoint. They seem to lose a high profile starter for the season every week. Panthers won't be favored in this game. Might be seeing the Panthers starting qb for 2026 in Mac Jones. 

Los Angeles Rams (6-2) - In Carolina. Panthers are traveling from the west coast for this after a Monday night game in SF, so they actually have a short week and no travel advantage. Thanks schedulers. Rams are like the 49ers in that they're a better organization in every aspect. I doubt the Panthers will be favored in this game. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) - two games left, including the season finale. Like the 49ers and Rams, the Bucs are a better organization top to bottom that the Panthers, and Jason Licht might be the best GM in the sport. They've suffered an incredible number of injuries that they're fighting through just because of how deep a team they are. It's impossible to say exactly what form of the Bucs you're going to see week to week since they're basically rotting and being resurrected on a moment to moment basis. Panthers end the season in Tampa with the Bucs coming off a bye (game against the Dolphins). Panthers played them close last season in Carolina then got blown out in Tampa Bay 2 weeks later. Story lines...hah... Hah! 

Seattle Seahawks (6-2) - Sam Darnold revenge game. Let's just be grateful this game isn't happening right now; the Seahawks look dialed in as hell. It's being played in Carolina, and Seattle historically has underperformed on the east coast, but they'll be playing a thursday night game the week before against the Rams so they'll likely practice all week over here. Also, the Panthers play the Bucs the week before this game, so both teams are going to have fuging gone for it. Seahawks will likely be favored.

Where does this leave Carolina

Seven teams make the playoffs. Glimpsing at the standings, I don't think a wildcard is in play, barring something dramatic. For the Panthers to make the playoffs I think they have to win the South.

Absurd optimism: we sweep the Saints, finish off the Falcons, steal one game against the remainder of the NFC West, and split with the Bucs. That puts the Panthers @ 10-7, a huge accomplishment considering the limitations at QB, and a big springboard into 2026, maybe enough to take the South.

Alcoholic Pessimism: split with the Saints, lose in Atlanta, get boat raced by the rest of the NFC West, maybe still split against the Bucs because they'd be resting starters in week 18. Finish @ 7-10. An improvement from the year before. 

Split the Diff - about where this team was always going to be. 7-8 wins. A couple of gut wrenching losses. A win they had no business of getting. Go into 2026 one draft and a QB away from doing serious damage. 

Edited 12 hours ago by electro's horse

[The Lobo]

The Bucs rams and Seahawks will be very difficult, I’m excited to see how it plays out.

[PNW_PantherMan]

You can almost guarantee this.

• We will win a game we should lose.
• We will lose a game we should win.

[PleaseCutStewart]

Rough back half of the schedule. NFC West looks like the best division (up there with NFC North), Tampa has been very good this year (despite their injuries), and I can't remember the last time we swept the season series with Atl (easily more than 10 years).

I think we go 8-9 - beat the Saints twice and go 1-1 against the Bucs.

[PleaseCutStewart]

45 minutes ago, PNW_PantherMan said:

You can almost guarantee this.

• We will win a game we should lose.
• We will lose a game we should win.

In all honesty, outside of the Saints games, I don't think we will be favored in any remaining game (unless Tampa is playing their backups against us week 18)

[ForJimmy]

1 hour ago, PNW_PantherMan said:

You can almost guarantee this.

• We will win a game we should lose.
• We will lose a game we should win.

Cards and Packers already happened. It’s bound to happen again. 

[PanthersNCSU]

I think we steal one of the 49ers, Rams, Seahawks trio.

*Should beat NO twice.

Lose to Atlanta, and then hope to steal one from TB. 

[rebelrouser]

8-9. Beat the Saints twice and then win one of the rest.  

[mrcompletely11]

54 minutes ago, ForJimmy said:

Cards and Packers already happened. It’s bound to happen again. 

its the nfl, its designed for parity

[bigdog_10_2002]

I think we split with the saints, split with the Bucs and lose to the falcons on the road. 
 

I think we win one of the nfc west games but I’m not sure which one. I’ll go Seattle just for the heck of it. 
 

leaves us at 8-9 on the outside looking in, but a respectable season put forward by Dan and Dave in year two of a rebuild. 
 

This season will be a “what if” for a while especially given the two winnable games that were dropped in the first two weeks. 

[Basbear]

Fitz, Thanks for the good summary! I cannot disagree with much. Still glad this isn't another 2024 season, so I will take this late season playoff flirt....

[TheSpecialJuan]

Guys, we are NOT a playoff team — we’re still too limited in too many areas. That said, this has been a really good season for us. Our young players have developed and stepped up, our free agent class has been excellent, and our draft class could end up being one of the best in franchise history. Dave Canales looks like he could be the real deal. Game days are exciting again

[jfra78]

7-8 wins is an accomplishment and means D&D are heading jn the right direction.  

[strato]

Especially working around this QB. 
Dan and Tillis and their new analytic people may have crushed this last draft. 
Dan and Tillis seem to be very shrewd with their negations with other teams in the trade department. I am happy for Morgan if this pans out, it has to be his dream job. And happy for us in that situation. 

Canales is learning, give him a couple of more seasons and maybe he is caught up to where he aspires to be.  He is doing a great job hiding Bryce, still has some miscues but even the really veteran coaches still have those sometimes.