At first glance you see the Carolina Panthers’ 6-6 record and think “they must be a young and improving team on an ascend”.

A deeper dive reveals they are mostly a product of a weaker schedule and in part a beneficiary of the hapless NFC South:

Carolina’s wins:

The Panthers beat the Falcons twice, which Rams fans will know as one of the worst teams in the NFL as they are closely following Atlanta’s first round pick because it is held by LA. Carolina also defeated the down-trodden Dolphins and Jets.

Their two most impressive wins came against the Packers and Cowboys.

The Cowboys game came well before the NFL’s trade deadline and prior to Dallas reinforcing their defense through trades. Rico Dowdle rushed for 183 yards and Bryce Young tossed three touchdowns despite only having 199 yard

See Full Page