The Carolina Panthers have significant stakes attached to their Week 15 game against the New Orleans Saints. A victory on the road would put them within one win of securing the NFC South, which represents a phenomenal achievement if head coach Dave Canales' squad can get over the line.
Easier said than done, but the Panthers shouldn't be lacking motivation. And for this upstart challenger to meet its objectives, it must be a collective effort from top to bottom.
There is no room for passengers. Everyone must have supreme focus and execute their assignments effectively. That's the message being relayed around the building, so it would be a significant setback if they couldn't meet their end of the bargain.
Carolina Panthers want to get another look at Isaiah Simmons' progress in Week 15
But for one overlooked veteran, this weekend's game at the Caesars Superdome is another opportunity to breathe life into his professional career when all hope seemed lost.
For the second straight week, the Panthers have elevated linebacker Isaiah Simmons from the practice squad. The former Clemson standout played in Week 14 versus the Los Angeles Rams, accumulating 58.3 percent of special teams snaps and coming up with one tackle. That will be a big confidence boost, but his situation remains precarious.
If the Panthers want to elevate Simmons next weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they must sign him to their active roster. The jury is still out on that, so his performance in Week 15 will go a long way to determining his fate one way or another.
Simmons was the darling of many fans before then-general manager Marty Hurney did the right thing, taking defensive lineman Derrick Brown at No. 7 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. He's bounced around teams since his departure from the Arizona Cardinals, and it started to look like the league was looking away from him entirely before Carolina came calling.
Despite having all the physical and athletic intangibles a player could want, Simmons hasn't put it all together yet. Time is running out, but if he can provide urgency and make a couple of critical special-teams plays when his number is called, that might be enough for general manager Dan Morgan to sign him to the active roster for Carolina's stretch run.
It could easily go the other way. Even so, the fact that Carolina is calling him up for the second consecutive contest indicates a level of confidence in his development. If the same trend continues, Simmons may not be a lost cause after all.
Stranger things have happened.