Sir Purr
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
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Catching the Saints
As it stands, the Saints (7-2) are two games ahead of the Panthers (5-4) in the NFC South standings. Each team has one divisional loss with four NFC South matchups left on their schedules – two of which are against each other. There are two ways the Panthers can catch and pass the Saints. Number one is simple: sweep New Orleans and win out. Assuming the Saints do too, with the exception of their games against Carolina, both teams will finish 12-4, and the Panthers will be crowned NFC South champions via head-to-head tiebreaker.
Scenario number two is a little trickier. If the Panthers split one and one with New Orleans, then they would have to sweep Atlanta and win their two remaining games, too. Then, they'd have to count on the Saints to lose at least two other games to force a tie, and even then an NFC South championship isn't guaranteed. At that point, it would all come down to the Panthers and Saints records within the division, so the end result would depend on who defeats the Saints in those two hypothetical losses.
In this scenario, the Panthers aren't in complete control of their future, which always makes things a lot more stressful for players, coaches, fans and pretty much everyone else.
Passing the Vikings
Assuming New Orleans secures the outright bid as champion of the NFC South, the other most reasonable way for the Panthers to secure a spot in the playoffs would be by surpassing the Vikings as a wildcard, who have three losses compared to Seattle's two.
Of the Vikings six remaining games, the most intriguing matchups are a Monday night clash with the Seahawks and back-to-back games against NFC North foes the Packers and the Bears – two teams who have already beaten Minnesota.
The Panthers remaining schedule is no cake walk, but neither is the Vikings. If the Vikings drop a game or two, the Panthers will have plenty of opportunities to climb into the wildcard race.
Of the remaining teams on the outside looking in, the Eagles look to be in the best situation to move into the discussion. Despite having the same record as the NFC East rival Cowboys, an early season loss in Dallas has given the Cowboys the nod as of now. A Week 16 matchup between the two could change that, though.
Regardless of which path the Panthers take to the playoffs, the most important key to keeping the postseason hopes alive will be making sure they don’t suffer a meltdown in games they’re expected to win. That all starts this Sunday against Atlanta.
The Panthers will likely be favored in three of their next four games (Redskins once, Falcons twice), and each one is a must-win to keep the team’s playoff dream alive. If Carolina can secure those three wins, that leaves four toss ups. The Panthers will need to beat the Seahawks and Colts, and likely steal one win against the Saints to put themselves in serious contention in the stacked NFC playoff race.
Then again, winning every game would make everything a lot simpler. It always does.