The Carolina Panthers aren’t just sneaking up on people anymore - they’re kicking the door down and making themselves heard. With a 31-28 win over the Los Angeles Rams, Carolina improved to 7-6 on the season and stayed right in the thick of the NFC South race, just a half-game back of the division-leading Buccaneers. And here’s the kicker: all seven of those wins have come as underdogs.
This team isn’t just unpredictable - they’re downright chaotic in the best way possible. One week they’re getting shut down offensively, the next they’re outdueling one of the most complete rosters in the league. That’s life in the NFL, where parity reigns, but the Panthers are taking it to another level under first-year head coach Dave Canales.
The night before the game, Canales told his team that the world had already seen the Rams at their best - but not the Panthers. That belief paid off.
Carolina didn’t just hang with Los Angeles. They took the fight to them and came away with a statement win.
“We’ve been humbled by our execution,” Canales said postgame. “It’s about humility.”
That humility has turned into resilience. Carolina’s offense has been up and down all year - they’ve scored 13 or fewer points in six games - but when they hit, they hit hard.
Just look at their 30-0 demolition of Atlanta earlier this season, a week after the Falcons had beaten Minnesota on national TV. Or their recent run: a win over Green Bay, a loss to the struggling Saints, and now this gutsy performance against the Rams.
It’s been a rollercoaster, but it’s one that’s kept them in the playoff picture entering December - something Panthers fans haven’t been able to say often in recent years.
Bryce Young Bounces Back in a Big Way
Let’s talk about Bryce Young. Just six days after a rough outing on Monday Night Football, the rookie quarterback turned in one of his most composed performances yet. He didn’t just manage the game - he won it.
Young completed 15 of 20 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, with no turnovers. Two of those scores came on fourth down, each time putting Carolina ahead.
The throws? Perfectly placed, just over the defender’s outstretched hands, right into stride for his receivers.
These weren’t just clutch moments - they were high-difficulty, high-reward plays that showed off Young’s poise and precision under pressure.
At just 24 years and 128 days old, Young became the youngest quarterback to lead 11 or more game-winning drives, edging out Josh Allen’s mark by just over a month. That’s not just a fun stat - it’s a testament to how quickly Young is maturing in this league.
Canales praised his quarterback’s consistency and calm.
“No matter the moment, no matter the score, Bryce stays even,” Canales said. “His eyes are in the right place.
He executes the play and finds the best-available receiver. That’s what I love about him.”
Young also became just the second quarterback in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016) to throw multiple fourth-down touchdown passes that traveled 10+ air yards in the same game. The only other to do it?
Joe Flacco earlier this season. That’s elite company in a very specific - and very clutch - category.
As Young put it: “We always lean on each other. We always have belief. We know we have what it takes.”
Why the Rams Shouldn’t Panic
Now, if you’re the Rams, this isn’t a time to hit the panic button. Sure, the loss stings - especially after rattling off six straight wins, including three against NFC playoff hopefuls - but this had all the makings of a classic trap game.
Matthew Stafford had been on a turnover-free tear, but that streak came to a halt. He threw his first interception in two months - a pick-six to Mike Jackson, who took it 48 yards to the house.
Another pick came off a deflection. And with the game on the line, Stafford coughed up the ball on a third-down sack by Derrick Brown with just over two minutes left.
Three turnovers - two that directly led to Panthers points - were simply too much to overcome.
Stafford’s going to make mistakes from time to time, but this was the high end of how much his errors can tilt a game. It’s not the norm, and the Rams know that.
And let’s not overlook how the Panthers capitalized. Those two fourth-down touchdowns generated a combined 13.2 expected points added (EPA), per TruMedia.
That kind of high-leverage execution is tough to replicate - even tougher to defend. The Rams got hit by two haymakers on downs where most teams would’ve just been looking to move the chains.
“First downs I would have been thrilled with,” Canales said. “To come away with touchdowns is fantastic.”
Add in some wet conditions - not exactly ideal for a dome team - and you’ve got a recipe for an off night. The Rams are still contenders. This was just a stumble.
Panthers’ Postseason Push Starts Now
Carolina heads into its Week 14 bye at 7-6, and here’s the wild thing: no team in the NFC South has a positive point differential. So while the Panthers sit at minus-50, it doesn’t really matter. All that matters is the standings - and they’re right in the mix.
Coming out of the bye, things get real. First up: a rematch with the Saints, who beat them in Week 10. Then come two critical matchups with division-leading Tampa Bay in Weeks 16 and 18, with a home game against the playoff-hopeful Seahawks sandwiched in between.
It’s a tough stretch. But it’s also an opportunity.
Young knows the stakes, but he’s keeping the focus where it needs to be.
“We can’t look too far ahead,” he said. “We know there’s stuff at stake.”
The Panthers are officially playing meaningful football in December - and with the way this team keeps showing up when nobody expects it, don’t count them out.