5 pivotal games that will define Carolina Panthers 2024 season

Carolina Panthers vs. Cowboys - Week 15

The Dallas Cowboys have become the spoilsport of the Carolina Panthers in recent years. It's about time the team got some revenge.

The 2015 campaign was a glorious one in many ways. for the Panthers. Arguably their sweetest and most dominant victory was the absolute dismantling of the Cowboys with the national TV audience watching on Thanksgiving. And not just because I got to be there with my father in person.

The Cowboys are America's Team. No sports franchise is larger in this country by fanbase or net worth. There is a good reason for that. However, since that 2015 rout, the Panthers have not been able to get over the hump.

Going 1-2 in three meetings since then - with the only win coming in a terrible outing when Cam Newton was still in town - is a wrong the new regime must right during the matchup in 2024. It'll be difficult, but the Cowboys look vulnerable with some key stars and head coach Mike McCarthy facing an uncertain future.

The Cowboys are not the best team in the league, but they are the most popular. Although this isn't a primetime game, Dallas always claims its fair share of the spotlight. Therefore, it's a chance for the Panthers to prove they are heading in a positive direction under Dave Canales' guidance.

Bryce Young has proven in college that he can win when the lights are brightest, but it has yet to be seen in the NFL. The second-year quarterback out of Alabama needs to prove to the world that he can come through in the big games. What better proof than beating the most high-profile organization around on his road to potential redemption?

The Panthers fanbase needs something to inspire them. Defeating the Cowboys would be a huge indicator of the progress being made with Canales leading the charge.