The Carolina Panthers are slowly making their mark. Head coach Dave Canales' squad is looking to deliver another telling division blow with a Week 7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which would create some legitimate breathing room heading into midseason.
Everything is on the right track. The Panthers are dealing with some troubling injuries, but they are finding ways to make it work.
That's come with more expectations, and they must be met.
Carolina Panthers have a chance to control the NFC South
Carolina got a taste of this last season when Canales' squad won the NFC South and pushed the Los Angeles Rams right to their limit in the wild card round. The Panthers' moves this offseason suggest they're ready to take the next step, and even if it's not perfect, the promising signs are glaring.
Canales is confident. Momentum is building at the right time, and this team should get better the further we go.
And once some key men get back involved, the Panthers will only get stronger.
FanSided's NFL insider Jason La Canfora credited Carolina's growth so far. He believes this team is primed for another playoff return, and he also thought the Panthers could run away with the NFC South to confirm the balance of power has shifted.
"Bryce Young continues to make big throws and grow and develop and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see them back in the playoffs. They might win the NFC South by some margin."
This would be the perfect way for Carolina to firmly announce itself as a contender again. And they have a real opportunity to make this dream a reality.
Carolina Panthers must avoid complacency to confirm NFC South power shift
The Panthers are only 3-2, but they look like the NFC South frontrunner.
The Atlanta Falcons are way too inconsistent to be taken seriously right now. The New Orleans Saints, a trendy pick before the campaign, have fallen short of these expectations. Tampa Bay had a stranglehold on the division for a long time, but that has faded rapidly.
Carolina is ascending. It's a young team, all learning and developing together, fully bought into Canales' practices. The defense is showing signs of life, and the offense is benefiting greatly from Brad Idzik's play-calling.
Even though the stars seem to be aligning, complacency cannot become an issue.
Canales knows that his team has accomplished nothing yet. They have everything in front of them, and it's his job to make sure they don't revel in their newfound success.
After all, that is what typically separates the contenders from the also-rans.
The Panthers are getting closer. There are still too many ups and downs, but the highs and lows aren't as wide apart these days. But if this is the start of something, they have nobody to fear in the NFC South.
And that should make everyone in the conference nervous. Because this team is dangerous.
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