Just when it looked like the Carolina Panthers might be in for another embarrassing season with very little optimism attached, there is hope.
That's a strange thing to say for a team languishing at 3-10. However, the improved performances over the last five contests are a sustainable enough sample size to suggest this is the start of brighter days ahead.
Dave Canales is starting to see signs of life in his squad. They've run the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles — three teams with ambitions to go deep into the postseason — extremely close without quite doing enough to get over the hump. The results aren't there yet, but the Panthers are nobody's walkover anymore.
Carolina has four games left to increase optimism about the team's future. It's not going to be easy, but confidence among the fanbase is high. If the Panthers can take some creditability from their final regular-season engagements, that'll put this team in the best position they've been in during any offseason under David Tepper's ownership.
With this in mind, we took a look at how the Panthers might fare over their last four contests of the 2024 campaign.
Predicting the Carolina Panthers' final four games of 2024
Carolina Panthers vs. Cowboys - Week 15
- Date: Sunday, September 15
- Time: 1.00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Bank of America Stadium
- TV channel: FOX
A strong reflection of the impressive recent growth associated with the Carolina Panthers centers on their odds against the Dallas Cowboys. They are favored — you read that right — in a regular-season game for the first time in two years. Not many would have predicted that in this clash before the campaign.
The Cowboys aren't consistent enough to be taken seriously right now. They once again got hyped up beyond comprehension in the national media and failed to meet raised expectations. Losing quarterback Dak Prescott was a blow. That said, this team's problems run far deeper.
This looks like a great opportunity for the Panthers. Attacking the Cowboys' indifferent run defense is the best place to start. Not having Jonathon Brooks is a blow after the rookie suffered another torn ACL, but Chuba Hubbard has proven capable of shouldering a heavy burden.
- Prediction: Carolina Panthers win (4-10)
If the Panthers can keep wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons quiet, this is a winnable game. Especially if the team performs as it has been of late.