The 6-5 Carolina Panthers are tied with the 6-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the win column. They trail by one game by their divisional records (2-1 compared to 2-0) and have an opportunity to take sole possession of the lead in the NFC South with a win over the San Francisco 49ers tonight. Does that make them the best team in the NFC South?
The short answer is: if they win tonight. The long answer depends on how four other questions are answered over the next six games. Let’s dive in.
Is Baker Mayfield out for an extended time?
One of the biggest questions between the Panthers and the NFC South crown is entirely outside of their own control. Former Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield has been dragging an increasingly injured Buccaneers team towards relevance for much of the season. He injured his left shoulder last night in a loss against the Los Angeles Rams and ultimately left the game because of it. His attempt at playing through injury was an ugly, pained pass attempt. If this injury causes him to miss significant time or even limits his ability to elevate his team then the Panthers have a serious opportunity to gain some ground in this race.
The fact is that the Bucs could barely compete with Mayfield playing. They are on a three game losing skid with him on the field and won’t be better without him. The flip side of that coin is that it will be just Carolina’s luck to see him and Mike Evans return together for either their Week 16 or Week 18 date, the results of which will likely decide the division.
Can Atlanta Bryce visit other cities?
Bryce Young is fresh off breaking a Carolina Panthers franchise record for passing yards in a game with his 448-yard effort against the Atlanta Falcons. That was wonderful to watch, but deeply inconsistent with his previous performances this year. In fact, it was only consistent with his career performances in Atlanta.
Young’s 448 yards were 22.8% of his passing yardage for the season and raised his yards per game (YPG) by over 40 YPG, from 151 to 196 YPG.The Young who played before going to Atlanta couldn’t beat the New Orleans Saints. Panthers fans across the world want to know what the difference was. Was it something in the water? Was that Dave Canales calling a more aggressive game and Bryce delivering? Was that Young stepping up in a way he can’t do consistently? We don’t know, but he’s going to have to elevate his game compared to the rest of his season if the Panthers want to have a chance against any of the remaining teams on the Panthers’ schedule.
Can they beat a good NFC West team?
The remaining teams on the Panthers schedule are going to be a challenge. The Panthers have three games against the NFC South, and divisional games are always weird, and three games against the NFC South. Carolina may not be the same team that lost to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 to drop to 0-2, but the 49ers, the Rams, and the Seattle Seahawks would all be going to the playoffs if the season ended today.
Beating the 49ers tonight would not only allow the Panthers to take first place in the NFC South, it would also let them leap frog San Francisco in the wildcard race, putting them just behind the Detroit Lions and in eighth place in the NFC. That’s one game out of the wildcard. A win tonight would mean the Panthers are serious contenders, with multiple paths to the playoffs in December. A loss would show that they just aren’t ready yet, with every path being that much harder.
Can they get healthy over their bye week?
After their grueling two week gauntlet against the 49ers and the Rams to close out November, the Panthers get their long awaited bye-week. This late bye is well timed for a team that is as injured as the Panthers. Carolina is starting their ninth different offensive line combination in Week 12 thanks to their consistent rotation of linemen through the medical tent. Robert Hunt (biceps) won’t be back after the bye, but it is possible that everybody else will be.
Factor in lagging injuries at wide receiver, linebacker, and safety at various points across the season plus whatever pops up in the next two weeks and the Panthers will be grateful for a week of rest before three divisional games in four weeks that will likely decided the fate of the NFC South. If they can get healthier than an equally—if not more—injured Buccaneers team then they may be able to claim the title and call themselves the best team in the NFC South.
