3 ways the NFL screwed Carolina Panthers with the 2024 schedule

Carolina Panthers finish with two-straight road games

Just what shape the Carolina Panthers will be in by the time next season gets set to conclude is anyone's guess. It would be a shock if they were in the hunt for honors after achieving just two victories last time around. However, head coach Dave Canales is confident his side might be able to surprise people if they can avoid any significant injury complications throughout the campaign.

If this unlikely scenario comes to fruition, the NFL schedule-makers didn't do the Panthers any favors whatsoever. Canales will have to navigate two straight road games to finish their regular-season engagements. Worse still, they are both against divisional opposition.

The Panthers will travel to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons over the season's final fortnight. Canales would probably want something a little different, but it's another chance to impose themselves on the NFC South and perhaps have a big say in who comes out on top along the way.

Atlanta and Tampa Bay are considered to be the two favorites to lift the crown in 2024. The New Orleans Saints also fancy their chances if quarterback Derek Carr improves, with the Panthers lagging in the betting odds after one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

Even if the Panthers have a losing record confirmed by this point, playing divisional opposition should keep the entire roster focused until the end. Of course, this could go the other way, so Canales will get a good indication of the inner fight of all his players whether Carolina has something to compete for or not.

After a long, painstaking campaign, the last thing any team needs is a pair of away fixtures before heading their separate ways. Canales will just have to make the best out of a bad situation. Whether it comes with an immediate turnaround in fortunes is another matter.

Hopes are growing among the fanbase. However, it would be wise not to get too carried away for now.