In what may have been the most surprising outcome of the 2025 season, the Carolina Panthers powered and pumped their way to a 16-13 win over the Green Bay Packers this past Sunday. Despite coming off a beatdown from the Buffalo Bills the week prior and being penciled in as two-touchdown underdogs heading into Lambeau Field, head coach Dave Canales and crew pulled off one heck of an upset over an NFC favorite.
USA Today
Rank: 17 (+1)
Author: Nate Davis
Take: If they’re able to pump out two wins (but not three) over NFC South foes over the next two weeks, the Panthers will be in excellent position to chase their first playoff berth since the 2017 season.
NFL Media
Rank: 19 (+2)
Author: Eric Edholm
Take: The Panthers deserve a ton of credit for coming in with a smart game plan and executing it well. This is one of the biggest wins for Dave Canales in Carolina, taking four of the last five to pull above .500 for the second time in his tenure. Bryce Young wasn’t prolific in his return to action, and his end-zone INT felt costly at the time, but he made enough key conversions and generally kept the Panthers out of trouble. Between an opportunistic Carolina defense and the hard running of Rico Dowdle, the Panthers had just enough to spring the upset and make gains on first-place Tampa Bay, who’s on a bye. If they can keep pace until the home stretch of the season, they’ll have a chance to battle the Bucs for the NFC South crown.
ESPN
Rank: 16 (+3)
Author: David Newton
Take (on team’s most important remaining game [Week 16 vs. Tampa Bay]): You also could argue for the Week 18 matchup with Tampa Bay, but if the Panthers lose to the same opponent two weeks earlier, then the regular-season finale could be irrelevant. Why these games matter is simple: It could come down to winning one or both for the Panthers to claim the NFC South crown. There are other key contests in between — versus the 49ers, the Rams and the Seahawks — but winning against the current division leader will be most important.
Pro Football Talk
Rank: 17 (+2)
Author: Mike Florio
Take: The recent past is becoming a distant memory.
CBS Sports
Rank: 19 (+4)
Author: Pete Prisco
Take: Give coach Dave Canales a lot of credit. Beating the Packers on the road is big, and they have a winning record. Keep feeding Rico Dowdle.
Sports Illustrated
Rank: 19 (+4)
Author: Conor Orr
Take: A great look at what Bryce Young is bringing back to the fold with Carolina. Loved this eagle-eyed observation from the brilliant Josh Norris, who pointed out that Young is faking pass protection calls in order to free up Rico Dowdle for one of his many, many big runs.
The Athletic
Rank: 16 (+2)
Author: Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
Take: It was easy to discount their three-game winning streak in October as the result of an easy schedule (Dolphins, Cowboys, Jets). But Sunday’s win over the Packers should get everyone’s attention. Since Rico Dowdle took over at running back in Week 5, Carolina ranks fifth in the NFL in EPA per rush.
Bleacher Report
Rank: 18 (+4)
Author: Kristopher Knox
Take: Sunday’s win over the Packers in Green Bay shows that the Carolina Panthers aren’t a bad football team. In fact, they might be the only team capable of challenging the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South this season.
Carolina has found an elite running game thanks to Rico Dowdle’s emergence. It’s had respectable quarterback play from Bryce Young when he’s been healthy and has an underrated and ascending defense.
The Panthers will need a few breaks to reach the postseason, and they probably won’t go far if they get there. However, they’re also over .500 halfway through the season, which is reason enough for Carolina fans to have hope.
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